Me and a buddy thinking ot using it to travel for a weekend just for kicks. We are figuring from either NAS Willow Grove where we drill or MacGuire AFB which is 25 minutes away to NAS Pensacola or Jax and back. His mom lives in ST Augustine which isn't very far from Jax IIAC and we could chill there.

Any advice?

Haven't Space-A'd in years, but...

Always go to the terminal first thing in the a.m.  Many times there are unscheduled flights that are scheduled short notice.

Never turn down a seat.

Be real nice to the PAX folks.

Take a jacket or sweater- no matter what time of year.

Carry munchies.

Carry enough cash to get back home.  Got bumped at Torrejon(?sp) while returning from Rota.  Had to have the squadron wire funds so I could get back.  They weren't very happy!!  

Have fun!

You mentioned in your post you were planning on departing from a location where you "drill".  I take that to mean you are a Guardsman or Reservist.  You might want to check on your eligibility for Space-A travel before you show up.  The last time I travelled Space-A, you had to be active duty, AD dependent, or retired to fly.  
If you are eligible to fly, be prepared to be very flexible.  Flights don't always leave when they are supposed to and don't always end up where you expect them to.  Just remember you are just along for the ride.  

Last time I flew Space "A" was several years ago to Hickam AFB from Van Nuys ANG.  Was still a reservist going to college. Getting there was the easy part, getting back was tough.  Spent a couple of cold and hungry nights at the Hickam terminal before I finally got my a$$ on a C130 heading back to CA at 2am.  Backstop has got some good advice.

how do you get a schedule? i wanted to fly out of charleston AFB if possible, somewhere a little closer to my home town

When I was stationed in Italy I met a Retired couple who used Space-A to travel to Italy and many other places.  I truly forget what they told me about traveling Space-A.  From what I can recall, they took a bag, and waited a lot.  Beyond that I can’t remember anything.
But to stop and think about it, they traveled to Italy for the price of the meal.

I did quite a bit of it while I was in.  As Guard/Reserve, you can't fly overseas, which is too bad because there are 75 seats a day from Dover to Ramstein and back.  They used to post the schedules on the internet, but have stopped (opsec).  You'd have to contact the terminal now and see what the policy is.

You're best bet would probably be to make the drive to Dover AFB.  Air Mobility Command bases have the most flights going to the most places.  Like everyone said, be flexible.  

I flew Space A once from Incirlik, Turkey, back to the US over Christmas.  I spent almost 48 hours in the air: Incirlik to Ankara, Turkey to Sigonella, Sicily to Aviano, Italy to Rota, Spain.  In Rota, I got really drunk, and then got on a C-130 to somewhere in Germany, Spangdalhem maybe, then to Ramstein, and finally got on the daily C-5 to Dover via the Azores.  Never fly drunk on a C-130.  Saved $1200, tho.

Go to the Space-A terminal on base/post. Schedules change on a daily/hourly basis. Generally, you have to be pretty flexible. I flew Space-A quite a bit during my last two years of active duty. Once, I caught a flight out of McClellan AFB in Sacramento, California to Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas. Split an airport shuttle with two other guys to DFW and a commercial flight to OKC. Cost me a grand total of $49. Turned around and caught a flight from Tinker AFB in OKC to Travis AFB in Vacaville, California. Another time, after delivering a car back home, I caught a flight from Tinker AFB to Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs. Laid up in a motel overnight (Olympic training camp had filled up the cheaper base accomodations) and caught a flight to McClellan AFB the next morning. Cost me $26 for a motel. Oh, and I conned the civilians on base to come and give me a ride.

NAS Alameda used to run a regular weekly flight to/from San Diego and another to/from Seattle.

[beer] [puke] [rofl2]

Off topic, but I gotta tell you this story. We weren't drunk, but flew C130 from Korea to Ie Shima, a little spit of an island off Japan for a little training.  This was '91 or 92.  The weather was pretty bad (foggy, poor visibility, ceiling something like 200 AGL).  Crew was slated for AL (assault landing).  Ie Shima - at least then - zero navs.  Plus the Marines there (Perm Party IIRC) said "weather is too bad - go home."  Of course, we said "Looks fine to us."  So the first go around we break cover and bingo there's the fucking obsv tower dead ahead!  Pilot heels over to one side, hits the gas and off we go.  It was declared a "close miss." There were three of us PAX, all have flown a lot, and it shook us a little.  Next attempt we broke through with about 50ft of runway (unimproved).  Not much island past that.  Anyway, on the fourth attempt of very steep approaches and passes, pilot finally hits the ground and we offload.  And I'm so fucking sick I can't see straight!  WISH I would puke so as to feel better.  Sweating, ears ringing, hands shaking - man I had it bad.  But was trying to hide it from pals.  We each had something to do, so couldn't see the others condition.  Got comm set up for the next bird, and all met at one end of runway.  I was the least sick!  They both were puking, etc.  HAHA!!  Both pals pleaded, then threatened me - they wanted me to vector in the next bird.  "Fuck that, I'm the medic, remember?"
We laughed about this for a coupla years!

EDIT:  it's Saturday and my grammar is bad!

Many moons ago I Space-A'd.

Did a hop from Dover AFB to Ramstein AFB, Germany in a C-5(?).

I think it cost $5.00 ea. way for the box lunches, but that was it. I think I only had to wait for an extra day returning to CONUS.

If you are Active Duty, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF LEAVE SAVED UP OR ENOUGH CASH TO BUY A CIVILIAN TICKET!

I also (unsucessfully) tried a hop from Dover AFB to Travis AFB in Cali.

Original flight got scrubbed 2X, next one was four days later. I ended up catching a hop to Colorado Springs (I figured it was closer, so if I had to buy a civilian ticket it wouldn't be too bad). Stayed there for two nights IIRC.

Ended up catching a hop in a C-21 (military Learjet) straight to LAX. It was flying a three-star and his two staff pukes. He let myself (a lowly CPL :D) and a CPT hop a ride on his jet. Great guy!

Felt like a high roller on that hop!

You definately need to be flexible, and have money available just in case.

IIRC, you needed to have a copy of orders stating you were on leave in order to catch a hop. Don't know how it works for Reserves/Guard.

Hope this helps!

Not to be picky, but I work at the active duty C-21A unit at Peterson AFB CO (84th Airlift Flight).  It is [b]not[/b] up to the flag officer who flies or doesn't fly on the jet.  The aircraft commander makes the call.  If there are empty seats and you are eligible to fly Space-A, you are on the jet.