RetiredChief, my first real flight was in 1953 coming back from Germany in a DC4. I was 6. Puddle jumped for fuel: Frankfurt, Shannon, Reykjavik, Thule, Gander, Bangor, then on to Chanute AFB.
Longest flight was 10 days, redeploying from Saudi Arabia back to Alexandria, Louisiana.
First flight out was a C5 with equipment and some people - advance party. Second, third, and fourth flights were chartered commercial, each a week apart after the C5. The C5 took 10 days to arrive. Every time the bird left the ground, something broke. We would land, the USAF would fly repair parts and maintenance people in to repair the aircraft, and we would take off again. Three times.
The aircraft never broke badly enough to scrub the flight and bring in another C5.
Talk about flying "on a wing and a prayer".
For domestic flights, I also like Southwest.