European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Space a continued from Page 21 we planned to be Back in Adana. Another crucial mistake was that the saturday we planned to Fly Back to Germany was the Day before easter. Holidays Are always a risky time to Fly space a even on flights like ours which routinely have several free seats available. Waiting to sign up the night before would make us a Long snot on making that flight. Also in Ciurlik a is an assignment which offers Emi environmental and morale leave status which pushed us farther Down the priority list. Understand that seats Are Given away according to priority regulations established by the defense department. Generally speaking category one is emergency travel. Category two is sponsors and dependents on Mel. After that come Active duty members on leave and their dependents then retirees the Complete priority list is too Long to list Here consequently when we signed up that following Friday we were Low on the passenger roster. We almost got Lucky. There were two additional unscheduled flights leaving on saturday for Germany it pays to stick around the terminal. While the first one a c-141, had Only a handful of seats available the other was a c-5 with about 70 empty seats. We arrived at the terminal at 8 a.m., Early enough to make both flights. By 11, we were climbing a Meta ladder into the giant c-5.  ���?�./. A at 11 30 the Crew evacuated us from the aircraft because of a recurring problem with an engine fuel leak. These things happen. We would now have to hang out Hopes on the afternoon 727, the flight we originally planned to take Home. The flight was to leave at 5 . The terminal started filling up at 1 30. By 5 30 we were looking fora place to spend the night in Turkey a no easy proposition since there is rarely billeting space at in Ciurlik and it can be costly to stay in Adana about 30 minutes away. We also had to make arrangements to extend my husband s leave time. Our next window of Opportunity was a medevac flight leaving for Germany the next morning. Advantages of space unavailable it s True what they say about the miserable seeking to share their misery. During the Many hours we logged waiting at the in Ciurlik passenger terminal we got to know another stranded couple. They took us to a Good nearby restaurant after we All Learned we would t be going Home saturday. They even helped us find a place to stay. Our bonding experience in the terminal is one Well Likely reminisce about one Day. People often do that about tales of survival. Our new acquaintances were Cool and collected veterans of space a travel who aptly compared military Quot hopping Quot to hitchhiking. Sometimes you wait a Long time for a ride and sometimes the ride in t a direct one. But All it costs is time. At least i Don t have to stand on the Roadside being splashed by trucks i thought. The next morning we arrived Early again. Our friends had registered three Days before we did and made it on the flight. Yes they re still our friends the next plane to Germany was to leave on tuesday. During our extended vacation we ambled through the shops we had practically run by before in our Rush to see the Sites. We also took a relaxing Day trip to one of Turkey s Beautiful beaches. On tuesday we saw Many familiar faces Back at the in Ciurlik air passenger terminal. We staked out Quot our Quot seats in front of the big screen television David Letterman co Meson in the Early afternoon in Turkey and settled in for another Long wait. This time things went As smoothly As they did leaving Germany. My husband remarked that if we had planned our trip for 10 Days instead of seven our whole impression of space a travel would be totally different. But you would t have read about All the things that can go wrong. And that charming carpet Salesman in in Ciurlik would have a few Hundred thousand fewer lire in his pocket. A Theresa Bujnoch Safree Lance writer living in Mannheim Germany. Senior airman Kevin Bogle helps a customer sign up for a space a flight. A amps Dave Casey random House we tax King of guidebooks Fedors affordable Europe a a  try a a tides a Fodore Saf amp Iid Bles cd Dora so la Iii guides it a the King of guide boy i Quot a id Iii Berhn Fedors a x so i. P r i n q c url o it i no affordable France fat c d r to m City walking of nirvana j fido to afford Abi German Coupon Coupon off Brittany amp Normandy the Complete guide to the Vilt aaes. Parts Andje the King a Guidebook a a latest trips to the Lake Jofs and medieval a Fedori affo dab Lon dons any Fodore a Guidebook Coupon expires May 31, 1994. No rain checks. Limit 1 Coupon per Book. Available at most it  a is pm a a /54 it nether orc by Kim to Emburg i Complete guide nth the Best of Amsterdam stars and stripes bookstores 22 travel 94 May 25, 1994