The Gulf of Oman coast was beautiful, even near where tankers waited to transit the Strait of Hormuz; or, docked to take oil from the UAE pipeline.
Sharjah, UAE beach. In distance are UAE pipeline terminals.
I was able to explore much of Oman, stopping for fuel, learning a little Arabic, and sampling the local foods.
Mountains in Oman
I went as far as I could, until I got to a checkpoint that required papers.
Oman check point
I left Abu Dhabi some time shortly after May 9th, 1991
I got the large palettes for the C-5; but, soon after takeoff, we descended and landed at an American air field in Saudi Arabia, due to an engine warning light.
My luggage was inspected by a Military Policeman (MP) who made me dump a gift bottle of wine into the sand.
It could be days before engine part(s) arrived; and, we were assigned a bunk in a tent “cooled” by fans. Plenty of MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) were available.
After a hot night, seats on another plane leaving soon were available; and, the AVSCOM guy who requisitioned the flight, gave me the keys to his trailer for delivery to the AVSCOM people at the Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina.
When the C-5 was fixed and ready to go, I was joined by an early returnee with medical problems. She and I were given our choices of seats just after the flight deck, where we could stretch out and sleep in the cool air.
After landing near Madrid, Spain, we had to get off, while our C-5 was serviced and refueled.
Across the Atlantic, we landed at the Air Base near Springfield, Massachusetts for more servicing and refueling.
We were greeted by TV cameras and a band playing to welcome a uniformed service woman; and, one civilian in my blue jacket to the USA.
I was able to make a phone call to tell the Fayetteville repair depot of my progress.
Just after parking at the Pope Air Force Base, I was asked to deliver those AVSCOM trailer keys. However, the driver popped the clutch, before I could finish getting into the bed of his truck; and, my left shoulder was dislocated.
The AVSCOM people got me admitted to the base hospital, where my arm was put back into its socket.
I was on disability for about six months, as my nerves sometimes painfully worked their way back to where they belonged.