Hotel Crown, Okinawa City, Friday, 1998-05-16 10:00 local (Z+9)
Hon,
Just a quick note. I got down to the hotel lobby for the 08:30 departure only to find that it had been delayed until 10:30. So, off to another late start, but it's 10:00 now so am leaving the room again after checking my e-mail.
Check any old USA Today papers you may happen to see lying around, if you do. A couple of days ago there was an article blasting Tower as the unsafest of the airlines operating large aircraft. I want to get a copy of that if it's convenient. It covered many of Tower's recent FAA safety violations for maintenance.
Also, a note from TACCA in the e-mail saying that Tower's payroll of the 15th once again is only our guarantee, again leaving out any extended duty.
TACCA is Tower Air Cockpit Crew Association, the in-house union.
I love you. I don't imagine I'll get into Anchorage now until early Sunday morning. Usually the delays just get worse.
Terry
p.s. Did you see the reports of the full scale rioting in Jakarta?
I called my wife, Jean from Singapore, where we had taken the Embassy flight people, later that day. She had received the email above, had printed it, and wrote the following notes on it about the call:
Sat, May 16, Terry called from Singapore, sick & exhausted. Had gone to Halim (airport), Jakarta, picked up Embassy people, U.S. & Canadian, mostly women and children. Talk is that the public may explode on Wednesday, a holiday of some kind, if Suharto hasn't stepped down.
Departure to Singapore (1½ hrs from Jakarta) delayed in an attempt at exorbitant bribes. Except for an Air Force Colonel who threatened dire consequnces if the departure didn't take place—who knows? Halim airport protected by 15,000 troops, traffic safe. It's an exit route for Suharto and his family.
Go to Honolulu Sunday evening, 12 hrs, get off there for home, hopefully.