Vacation July 2011--Day 4

Today we saw that there was another flight out to Travis AFB via McChord, so we decide to get in line for it--but it's cancelled when we get there.  Dustin and I are just beside ourselves and so upset that we didn't get to make this happen.  I call Southwest and there were no flights available to get us out to Sacramento, California or anything.  We pull in the front of billeting again and just think for a moment.  Dustin remembered a small aircraft was headed out to Tampa, Fl--MacDill AFB.  We decided, hey it's a beach, we may as well go and enjoy as much as we can.  So Dustin goes in to talk to the guy in the terminal and comes out to tell me it's a small type air craft and we can only check 30 pounds of luggage.  Here I had just bought these amazing new 29" bags only to find we can't take them.  So we pile as much in as we can to Dietrich's suitcase.  We then use three on board bags to take everything else we'd need.  Dustin changes his jeans in the middle of the parking lot to save room.  After that we lug everything back to the PAX terminal to see if we can get on there--See after all of this fiasco, we may not even be able to get on the plane!  A SSgt takes me to a family lounge for Dietrich to roam and it had toys and everything.  Dustin and I repack everything while we wait for word.  About an hour later here he comes and gets us out to the x-ray machines and then on to a van to take us to the flight line.  Upon arrival... we find we are taking a Gulf Stream 5!  By ourselves!  The flight crew comes up and says that we will be flying in luxury the whole way down.  Wow!  The flight attendant straps Dietrich's car seat in and we get settled in the big luxurious leather chairs for take off.  She pops in a movie and once we get to 10,000 feet Dietrich gets to have snacks/bottle.  Then once we're at the cruising altitude of 41,000 ft (no commercial airlines fly this high) Dietrich gets full rain of the aircraft.  Take a look:

Take off snack.

Cheesing because we are "Distinguished Visitors" on this plane :)  High class rollin!

Take off snack again.

At cruising altitude so I can play on the floor.

The president needs me.  I'm going to answer the phone.

Crawling to help the flight attendant cook.

Found something under the chair.

Climbing on the leather seats.

I stood by myself holding onto nothing for the first time at 41,000 feet in the air!

Let's see, what else can I get myself into?

Checking in with the flight crew.

Oh the pilots need me.  Headed to the front!