European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 22, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 by Ron Jensen staff writer Rhein main a West Germany a Halfway through a summer visit to Europe Bill Lyman scratches the curly White hair and full White Beard that make him resemble Walt Whitman and muses about a Winter trip to the Pacific. A this january i la go to Hawaii. Australia. New  then he shrugged and added a wherever  this casual bit of place dropping is made possible by the folks at military Airlift come who offer seats on their aircraft on a space available basis to military retirees. A military Retiree can travel anywhere in the world on Mac for $10. Without it Lyman of Avondale ariz., might be contemplating Tucson Boulder and Elpaso. Quot i take two trips a year a one to Europe and one to the Pacific a said Lyman who spent 22 years in the air Force before retiring in 1966. For Lyman the a a a in space a stands for adventure. He carries a Backpack and Camps where he can. In the azores a bus Driver pointed out an Oceanside camping site for him. Local Goat herdsmen brought him bread and cheese. He met a Man in Samoa who offered him exclusive use of a private South Pacific Island. Not a big a Island of course. But for five Days it was All Lyman a. In Australia ,. Well the 64-year-old Lyman has seen More of Australia than an aborigine and he has seen so much of Western Europe that he treats the opening of Eastern Europe As a personal invitation. A i saw most of the world on Active duly a he said a now i can travel where i wish to go a so he sits in the Mac terminal at Rhein main a waiting for a bus that will take him partway on his first trip to Eastern Europe a i ran into some people at a campsite and they touted Prague As a pretty place a he  sgt. Mark Johnson a spokesman for Mac Headquarters at Scott fab my said the organization does not keep track of the number of retirees that Fly each year but officials believe the number is increasing. Because of the Small Cost some retirees treat Mac travel As Little More than a drive to the Beach. A we just got Here  said Bert Powell of North Myrtle Beach s.c., who was sitting with his wife Mary in the Rhein main terminal waiting for a return trip. A we were Over Here in  Powell who spent 20 years in the Navy and his wife visit a son stationed in Hanau West Germany Mary Powell said a a Etc planning to come Backman travel budget maybe in  but there arc other trips planned before then. A was soon As we gel Back we re going to  the West coast and Fly out of Travis fab Calif to Hawaii a he said. A we be been to Hawaii about 10 times on m act if it All sounds glamorous wait a minute. There is. A Downside. The powells had been sitting at the terminal for 48 hours waiting for a seat on a flight to the states. One More Day was their personal limit before buying a commercial ticket. A it s not for everyone. More than Money you need patience Quot said Walter Broecker who spent 22 years in the army and lives in Colorado Springs colo., and Wiesbaden West Germany. A i have wailed up to a week in Tokyo. Other than that i find space a a very attractive Benefit for retirees a it has allowed Walter and Georgia Rainwater of fort Worth Texas to see much of the world including Israel Greece Turkey. Italy West Germany and Australia plus Hawaii Quot its great Georgia Rainwater said Quot if you done to mind waiting a. A and you Don t have a schedule to meet a her husband added. That description fits Lyman. A i waited four Days in san Diego once but within 30 hours of my. First flight i was in England a he said a the big thing is staying Loose not getting  he also suggests not waiting for a flight to a specific destination. A the Cardinal Rule of space a travel is to keep moving in the general direction Quot he said. Lyman s travel was limited to the la filed states before his wife a death five years ago. A year later he sold his private psychology practice and starting hanging around Mac terminals with his Backpack and camping gear in Tow a no matter where i go in a comfortable Quot he said. That includes a Small Clearing in the Woods at Ramstein a West Germany where he camped for four Days while awaiting a flight. A there Are not too Many of us with backpacks but in a seeing More and More Quot he said. He once spotted a Man in a terminal who like him had a Backpack. The Man also had a head full of curly White hair and a White Beard. The two men spotted each other at the same time and the other Man shouted at Lyman a a you re  he told Lyman that he had bumped into several people who said they met him in places he had never been. As it turned out they had mistaken him for Lyman. Quot i told him a be kind to everybody you meet be Over Here. Is him of Mem Bill Lyman of Avondale ariz., uses Mac bight to take trips every year to Europe and he Pacific. Cause i might come through after you a Lyman said. Lyman has More trips planned. He wants to travel the trans siberian Railroad next summer. When he leaves Prague he will spend a few Days on the Baltic coast. Africa and South America arc future destinations. Its hard to Stop travelling on Mac once you Start he said. Its like a drug. A this Friend of mine said he was going to slay Home this summer and enjoy his grandchildren Quot Lyman said. A but he found himself calling Kelly fab in Texas to see what was going  Lyman laughed like a Man privy to a private joke. A the Siren Call of space a is going to gel  a Rit a i Fibert and mar it Powell left of South Carolina use Mac flights to visit a son in to St Germany. Alter and Georgia Rainwater of i lexus have flown Mac All Over the world