When the government’s fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2017, the Civil Air Patrol hit a milestone, flying 100,000 flying hours for the second year in a row.
In fiscal 2016, CAP flew 104,525 hours — the highest in the last few years.
What fueled those high flying numbers?
While some missions may not be a surprise — including the rush of hurricane-related flying towards the end of the fiscal year — other missions are not what most of us traditionally consider when we think Civil Air Patrol.
Hurricane Response
CAP officials didn’t really expect to hit 100,000 hours this year, that is until August when hurricanes battered Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
According to John Desmarais, Civil Air Patrol’s director of operations, the milestone was met during a flight Sept. 28, 2017, in Puerto Rico, in which a CAP aircrew was collecting photos of damage from Hurricane Maria.
“We would normally only fly 1,500 to 2,000 hours for disasters,” he said. “This year it was 4,070 hours in disaster support, which is 2,830 more hours than last year.”
CAP’s fleet of 560 aircraft completed dozens of disaster relief missions and other federal, state and local agency support missions across the country, ranging from the massive rainfall that accompanied Hurricane Matthew in the fall of 2016 to recent support for the responses to Hurricane Harvey, which also wrought historic flooding, and Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
A win-win
While CAP, the long-time all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is assigned missions by the Air Force, many of those missions — especially disaster relief — are requested by other federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Working through this bureaucracy is a win-win for both the agency that requests help and the CAP volunteers who deliver that help.
“The benefit to the organization is they get a trained resource package,” he said. “But the benefit to our members is they actually get insurance coverage.”
Even though CAP volunteers are not paid for these missions, they do get their out-of-pocket expenses reimbursed, he said.
Additionally, they are provided coverage under the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act.
“So if something were to happen to them on these missions, their families are protected,” he noted.
$42 million = $166 million
CAP’s yearly cost of doing business is about $42 million, including operations, maintenance, and aircraft procurement.
“But when you look at the volunteer dollar value of what we give back, it’s about $166 million worth of donations,” he said.
Of CAP’s approximately 58,000 members, about 32,000 of them get involved in missions around the country.
About 3,000 of the members are current and active pilots, according to Desmarais. Another 6,000 are air crew members.
The rest are support staff, planning staff, communications staff and others who perform critical functions.
“We actually have ground teams that go out and support the rescue side of the ground search,” he said.
“We have a lot of very dedicated folks,” he continued. “It’s pretty amazing what they all do out there.”
Desmarais, who is coming up on 30 years as a CAP member, has witnessed the growth and evolution of the organization.
“If you’d asked me if we would be doing some of the things that we’re doing these days, I would have laughed at you a couple decades ago,” he said. “But those are common place things for us to do now.”
Escorting Drones
Among those common place missions are homeland security missions, which included more than 600 MQ-9 remote piloted aircraft escort flights in support of the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing in the 2017 fiscal year.
As part of the U.S. Air Force Reaper training program for pilots and sensor operators, CAP aircrews accompanied MQ-9 Reapers to and from Military Restricted Airspace in central New York state for training exercises. This support helped save taxpayers over $1 million and has increased MQ-9 training by 25%, according to CAP officials.
“CAP is always looking for new opportunities for our members to fly in support of their communities across the country,” said Desmarais.
Nearly every day, CAP pilots escort Reapers from Syracuse to Fort Drum in New York for training. Under FAA rules, the drones must be escorted.
Before CAP began its escort missions, the training exercises involved driving the crews out to Fort Drum, which is about two hours away by ground, then they’d have to drive back.
“So you have the quality of life issues for all those military members, never mind the lost training time,” he said.
Now, with the CAP escorts saving those hours every day, more crews are able to be trained. “It gives them much greater capability and it actually saves them a lot of money,” he said. “It was costing them about $400,000 a year to do that back and forth up to Fort Drum.”
Using CAP volunteer pilots and resources for just these training missions saves the Air Force about $1.4 million, according to Desmarais.
“That’s probably budget dust in the Air Force’s overall budget, but it’s a big deal in the end when you start adding all those things up if you do lots of those kinds of missions across the country,” he explained.
He noted that these training exercises may expand, with CAP providing escorts in other locations around the country, including North Dakota or Texas.
Using Drones
Besides escorting drones, CAP is also starting to use drones to replace some of its manned flying missions.
“We’ve actually got eight test units across the country right now that are learning how to use unmanned aerial vehicles to collect disaster imagery for when we can’t fly,” he said. “We’re pretty well known for our disaster work with hurricanes and fires and stuff. We collect a lot of damage assessment photos. There are times that obviously the cloud deck’s too low and it lingers for a couple of days. We have ground people who can actually use UAVs to collect some of that imagery fairly quickly.”
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve worked with FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security science and technology folks to develop a package to collect imagery to meet their needs,” he continued. “And we’ve got test units out there learning how to do that.” He added that in just a few weeks, another batch of 15 volunteers will be trained in using drones.
“We’re actually trying to have an operational mini UAV capability by the end of this calendar year,” he reported. “Technology is changing the way we do business.”
Intercept
CAP also works with the Air Force in air defense intercept training.
“Our folks help the Air Force train their crews that actually have to do intercepts on folks who enter restricted air space, most the time accidentally,” he said. “They practice that with us damn near every business day.”
Before Sept. 11, 2001, CAP would do about a dozen of these intercept training missions a year. In fiscal year 2016, CAP did more than 200 of those missions, which included 700 sorties.
“It’s a big deal,” he said, adding that in some of the intercept missions the Air Force fighter pilots don’t know it is a training event until they see CAP’s red, white and blue airplane.
$1 Billion in Drugs
CAP also provides counter drug and border mission support on a regular basis to Customs and Border Protection and the agencies supporting counter drug efforts.
“We literally helped take almost $1 billion worth of drugs off the street in fiscal year 2016,” he said. “And I’m sure it’s probably close to the same for 2017.”
He noted that this is something most Americans probably aren’t aware of, as CAP doesn’t promote it too much in the interest of safety.
“Because law enforcement officers are still out there doing those jobs every day, we don’t put out a lot of press releases because that will put them in danger as well,” he noted.
Search and Rescue
The missions that CAP might be most well-known for are Search and Rescue operations. In fiscal 2017, the organization flew 1,812 search and rescue sorties. That’s up a bit from the 1,741 in fiscal 2016.
But search and rescue is somewhat of a misnomer, according to Desmarais.
“Actually, Search and Rescue for us is more than just aviation searches,” he said. “We actually get involved in a lot of missing person searches as well. Probably about 10% to 15% of our Search and Rescue missions are missing person related.”
“It’s not just missing aircraft and ELT searches anymore,” he continued. “We’ve actually got some tools that we have for those members who are doing a lot of support on the ground.”
A critical part of those operations are a team of volunteers who help with cell phone forensics.
“In fiscal year 2017, we had 110 saves credited across the country for CAP, with 100 having cell forensic support,” he reported.
“The cell forensics folks are typically doing a couple of missions just about every day,” he said. “Not all of those missions are actually with our volunteers out on the ground. A lot of times they’re providing data through local Search and Rescue teams and law enforcement to assist them in their local search efforts. In some cases, we have Search and Rescue missions that we don’t even turn a prop on. That’s the irony of it all.”
Incidents and Accidents
Flying more than 100,000 hours a year — which translated to 83,608 sorties in fiscal year 2017 — there are bound to be incidents.
Thankfully there were no major accidents in 2017, while there was one fatal accident in 2016.
“Generally, we have a much lower accident rate than general aviation,” he said.
And because CAP is always trying to protect its resources — its volunteers and aircraft — “we go out of our way to try to do a lot of safety enhancements,” he said. “We’ve worked very hard over the last year or so to actually improve a lot of our systems and it really changed how we’re doing business going forward to enhance a lot of that process.”
“It’s a growing process every day,” he added. “We all learn from our incidents and accidents too.”
Who are CAP Pilots?
Perhaps the biggest surprise to those not in the know are who CAP pilots are.
“A lot of times people think that we’re all private pilots or that we’re all former military pilots,” Desmarais said. “That’s really not the case. About half of our pilots actually are commercial or ATPs who are current airline pilots. So we’ve got a lot of high-time folks.”
And while about half of the CAP pilots are former military, many of them weren’t pilots in the military.
“A lot of them are engineers, communications people and other folks who used their GI Bill to go back to school and become pilots,” he said.
Another misconception is that there’s no more room for private pilots to volunteer.
“Sometimes folks think you have to have lots of hours and it’s really tough to get into,” he said. “It’s really not.”
Pilots need about 200 hours PIC to be able to start flying missions “beyond just transportation stuff,” he reports.
Once involved in CAP, the volunteer pilots are encouraged to continue their training.
“That’s how we maintain good safety records,” he said. “The vast majority of our pilots actually have instrument ratings, and a lot of them didn’t when they came to CAP. A lot of times they’ll work with instructors that we have as part of our program. Of our 3,000 or so pilots that are active in the organization, about 800 of them are CFIs and CFIIs. In any given year, 600 to 700 of those CFIs and CFIIs are providing regular instruction — not only to our cadets, but also to adult members because they conduct our flight evaluations. Every time somebody’s getting checked out to fly one of our 560 airplanes, they’re doing that with a CFI or CFII.”
“We try to make sure that the folks are getting a good education and continuing with that education,” he said. “We are truly trying to foster that.”
I left the CAP in 2000 while in the Florida Wing. I am now in SC, but not a CAP member anymore.
If it were possible to get my old rank back, rather than start all over as a basic Senior Member, I
would rejoin CAP. I was once a Squadron Commander, and had additional Specialty Tracks as
Communications Officer and Disaster Prepardness Officer. Overall, I had about 42 years in the
CAP, starting out as a cadet in 1958.
I am Admin and Personnel Officer for my squadron in SC. The reinstatement of your grade is on a case by case basis when you have been out for a long period. Where are you in SC? Stop by your local squadron and talk to the commander. Eservices is not always reliable for older records so you may need a copy of past certifications. You also have to meet current standards for professional development.
Hello:
Thank you for the reply and for the information. I had not seriously considered getting
back into CAP due to the rank situation, but your return email (here) might change my mind (!).
Can you give me some idea as to what the current “professional development” standards are, and what is different since I left CAP back in 2000? I am in otherwise good health, and can meet all of the physical, military and moral standards requirements (I am retired US Army). I have ALL of my old CAP records; always kept a copy of everything, much as I did with my military records. No criminal or police records; no law violations.
Currently a flight student at Greenville Aviation (Greenville, SC). Additionally, I am
studying to become an (FAA) Basic Ground Instructor (BGI) in order to teach ground
school to prospective flight students (something that CFIs hate to do and for which
there is an extreme shortage of).
I first joined CAP in 1958 as a cadet in Greenville, SC and have been with other Wings over the years. I had an Aeronautical Rating as an “Observer” or “Mission Observer”,
and have the CAP Master Communicators badge (“A Cut” at the time) and was a
squadron Communications Officer, Special Track 214, among many other duties. I
received the Commanders Commendation Medal for service during Hurricane Andrew
in 1992 in South Florida (Mission Coordinator Trainee/Incident Commander Trainee).
In the Florida Wing, I attended the Squadron Leadership School (SLS) (have certificate),
and ran the CBLS (Cadet Basic Leadership School) at Patrick AFB, FL, a summer program for cadets from all over Florida Wing. I did not complete the Level IV program
for promotion to Major, although, I had once started it and had met the Time in Service/
Time in Grade requirements long ago. Given all that I know and have done in the CAP
in 42 years that I was in it, you can see where and why I am reluctant to “start all over”
again as a basic Senior Member.
Side Note: CAP Specialty 214 was closely related to my military specialty which
was in the US Army Signal Corps. I was a Communications Operations Chief, MOS 31Z5M, E-8 level, 23 years service, also service school qualified as a First Sergeant (the “M” identifier), and Chief Signal NCO in various Signal Brigades, Groups and Battalions.
Additional duties were as a communications instructor and troop leader and soldier mentor/ trainer. I love to teach and everyone tells me I am good at it (or, at least, that
“learning is accomplished” under my tutorship).
On occassion, I have visited the local CAP Squadron here in Greenville and gotten to
know a few of the members. There was some talk of rejoining, but no one seemed to
know anything about rank reinstatement, nor was there any interest. One person said it was “impossible” because I had been out for too long, so I never pursued it further. Of
course, no one ever checked the CAP regulations on my behalf.
If you know anything that could help, I would be very interested in hearing from you.
Kindest Regards,
Dave
David C . Freed
Mauldin, SC (Greenville)
Address:
David C. Freed
406 Adams Mill Road
Mauldin, SC 29662-2702
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (864) 567-0109
The CAPR 35-5 is what you need to know for reinstatement of grade. Basically, fill out 2A. If I understand your last grade was officially a Captain. That would be the grade you would be possibly reinstated. It is not guaranteed. For Level III you need CLC, Yaegar Award. CAPR 50-17 is Professional Development Reg. Your time in grade would have to restart at the time you are reinstated. The Group Commander is the promoting authority for Captain but this is special appointment so it would need to go up to Wing. Your Observer and Scanner is now expired so you would need to requalify for that. ACUT is no more and now it is ICUT then you need to get qualified as Mission Radio Operator. SC Wing is in need of Comms People. On Sept 1 there is a big Comm Conference. I recently rejoined after a 9-year break so I understand your frustration. The fact that you have all your records helps a great deal. I will also send you an email with some contact information to get a little more information.
Your E-8 also starts you at 1st Lt at the very least.
Hi:
That’s interesting……..in the Army, some E-8s who were commissioned
were made Captains….surprising that CAP would knock it down one.
In the 50s-60s, the Army and Air Force had “dual component” commissioned
officer programs.
As a matter of interest, I was in CAP when we still had khaki uniforms:
505s and 1505s and wore officer rank on the collar. Then, along came
the blue epaulettes. The Air Force made us change them, and CAP came
up with those awful maroon epaulettes. They lasted two or three years,
and then we graduated to those so-so gray ones that really don’t look quite
right with the blues.
I still have ALL of this stuff, along with all my CAP Wing patches, Cadet-era
patches from the 50s and 60s and the old Senior Member “Chevy” breast
patches. Never threw anything away. Still have my Observer wings and log book too, and my CAP sage green flight suit, flight boots, flight caps, ES cards, ROP card, etc…(all out of date by now, but kept as mementos), along with CAP ribbons. I should probably be a CAP historian! (smiling).
Earlier, you mentioned something about CLC. When I was in CAP, CLC was
the Corporate Leadership Course, Level IV (needed to be promoted to Major). For Captain, it was Squadron Leadership School (SLS), Level III.
Not sure how the program works today…..I met the requirement for SLS
and Level III, was also a Squadron Commander (California Wing, Monterey
Bay Group 10, Squadron 79 (a Composite Squadron). For a time, Calif Wing
squadrons were numbered units, as well as named, but we used the
squadron designations rather than names, which are used more in the East
and MIdwest. I think the old Group 10 (CAWG) was later merged into Group 2. (Florida Wing, we were Group 4 at Patrick AFB. My last CAP assignment
was as a Disaster Preparedness Officer/ES with duty station at the Brevard
County EOC during Hurricanes and Wild Fires (which we supported) working
the various ESFs (Emergency Support Functions) in the EOC under ESF-2
and ESF-15. Here in Greenville, CAP has no EOC presence.
If you feel like it, send me your email address and we can talk more
off the public forum.
Cheers,
Dave
Dave,
I sent you an email with my contact info along with a few people you may want to reach out to. CLC is needed for level 3 now to even be a Captain. A while ago a National Commander removed due to some scandals and wanting to promote himself to Lt General. You can gather the Air Force was not happy about that so they came down hard on promotions. It has also been pointed out that there are a lot of Lt Cols that don’t really participate or hold leadership positions. These are some of the reasons why they are holding people longer in grade under the new promotion regulations and why they are wanting more than just the bare minimum to promote to the higher ranks.
HI:
No, I did not get your contact info….nothing there. You can try
again…my email is [email protected] (Army MARS Call Sign).
Its interesting about the National Commander. Wonder if you are
talking about a guy named Pineda? He was once the Wing Commander, Florida Wing, then Region Commander and finally
National Commander. He was a holy terror in the Florida Wing.
Glad the National Board finally got rid of this clown. He was the
reason why I left the CAP…..
As for all those LTCs in CAP that don’t hold positions….typical
and not surprising. Too many wannabes and lots of unproductive
deadwood. Some of them should take the CAP Retirement Certificate and call it a day (smiling). One problem with most
volunteer organizations is that there is often neither incentive nor
motivation to perform, especially when you reach the “top” of the
grade structure or seniority levels.
Appreciate the updates on the CLC stuff. I’m not sure this is the
best policy for CAP – to hold people in-grade longer or add additional requirements. During my time in CAP, the National HQ
crowd has always reverted to reinventing the wheel where rank and grades are concerned for senior members. Nothing is ever an improvement over what they tried to replace.
I do understand however, and appreciate and agree with the need to train folks above the bare minimum levels. Prior to
1974 and the complete remake of CAP, we had trained people
of different skills, but most were more or less pushed out or became disenfranchised with all of the changes. Since then, most of CAP has become (largely) an all-amateur operation, with the possible exceptions of the flying (pilot) programs. The “all-amateur” description came from the Air Force, not me, when I was still in CAP. This was always a shortfall and sore spot in the CAP. i.e. people wearing too much rank, but not qualified or certified in anything, and often not even capable of performing the most simple or mundane support tasks like writing a letter, performing First Aid, doing CPR, or reading a map. . A large part of this problem has to do with how CAP attracts and recruits its members…..they take anybody, and don’t seek out the folks they really need (We saw this during 911 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992). This is how and why CAP ends up getting people who want to self-promote themselves to Lt Gen, etc. This is NOT the first time this has happend in the CAP…..we’ve had other CAP “senior” officers try the same kinds of miracles over the years, only to get caught, embarassed and tossed out via CAP Form 2-B..
I am always at a loss to understand why the CAP doesn’t get a real general to be the National Commander,
or some real Colonels to become Region and Wing Commanders. There are oodles of retired military officers out there. Those are the ones CAP needs to recruit and hire. They have the knowledge, experience and expertise and a retired Air Force senior officer who once commanded real Squadrons, Wings, Groups and Numbered Air Forces would be ideal for CAP…..
In case anyone wonders, I am NOT being critical of the CAP
here. Just after 42 years of it, I’ve seen it all before, so, forgive
me if I am at times, cynical.
My sentiments.
Dave
I keep hearing complaints other places about how The CAP is a Joke. I have been a member for 12 years and here is my take. We train some of the most intelligent young people you ever want to meet and many are trained by veterans, what an honor. The best pilots I have flown with were veterans with knowledge of several air craft.
Some young people have come to us with practically no social skills with time and patience I have watched them grow into wonderful you men and women. Personally I enchourage goal setting, respct, honesty, and leadership. Some have gone onto college, business school, and branches of service going in as E-2 . Others will be attending flying schools and top military colleges.when they come back to visit I like an old mother hen proud and ready to fiight for them.
Don’t cut us short the traning is tough but fun. Thanks for the space and thank you for your support. God Bless.
I don’t care about what uniform CAP is assigned by The USAF to wear that is just part of it.
Agree! Love this program!
John Desmarais did a superb job highlighting the extraordinary flying missions of CAP in this article. Stephen Hulland, above, and the person named John explained many other opportunities for adult and cadet members. To find a squadron near one’s home to “visit” to determine if membership is desired, go to http://www.gocivilairpateil.com and enter one’s ZIP code in the “Find a Squadron Near Me” section. Visit the left menu bar on that website to find answers for adults, youth, parents, and educators…. YES, CAP has an Aerospace Educator membership category for any K-12 formal or informal educator who does not desire to be a squadron member, but wants to take advantage of the amazing, FREE Aerospace/STEM education products and programs! See AE info at http://www.capmembers.com/ae or contact [email protected]! CAP has a place for anyone interested in aviation, community service, youth developmemt or building the aviation workforce!
I was in the CAP from 1958 to 2000, 42 years. Now aged 70. Served as a Squadron Commander,
Disaster Preparedness Officer, Communications Officer and Mission Coordinator (trainee, during
Hurricane Andrew, S. Florida 1992). Now a student pilot. Concurrently, I was in the US Army Signal
Corps (25 years), and the only time I was not involved with CAP were when I had two tours in Vietnam
during the Vietnam War, and some overseas time in Germany (3 tours). Wings that I served in were
South Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, and California. If I were 20 years younger, I would probably
get back into CAP….
I believe the question was asked whether a prospective member needed piloting experience in order to join CAP, and that question was never directly addressed. If I am correct, adults (19 and up) can join CAP and receive logable training toward gaining your Private Certificate. You do want to be on good terms with CFI and CFII types in your squadron, who will show you the “ropes” and have the legal ability to sign off your work as you progress.
Flying isn’t free. Not for you, not for me and not for CAP. Be prepared to share or shoulder the costs. You can check this aspect of flying out before you commit, and in most cases you can arrange to spend as little as you can manage. You should prefer to rent or borrow non-CAP aircraft for training as CAP at this time has a complete set of Cessna 182 (hi-performance, big engine, costly to fly) aircraft. With a little luck, your CFI (Certified Flight Instructor or Certified Flight Instructor, Instruments) should know if there are available cheaper planes to rent, and his/her signature in your log book is, after all, the key thing you are after, not the pretty red, white and blue paint. That comes later.
Beyond this, you, as a new CAP Senior member, should find a squadron full of people who want you to get flying experiences, and the uniform will help with that, particularly if you are in a squadron that works hand in hand with the USAF on missions. A year should not go by that you don’t have a chance to spend time in USAF aircraft (not all of it flying). My daughter is in CAP and has been assigned to fly in refueling tankers, where she watched up close as fighter jets took on fuel, right outside her window! Cargo transport jets she flew in, and some stuff I am not supposed to know about. Since I don’t know, I can’t tell you.
Secret Dad
>>><<<
Secret Dad; great reply! Great to mention that our organization is training young people to do these same missions!
CAP is a good organization that is made better (or not-so-better) by people. Bring a good attitude, willingness to engage, time as you have it (life happens so sometimes time is scarce), and you’ll both enjoy the experience and make a big deposit into that “pay it forward” ledger that’s so important in life. Depending upon the Squadron you decide to join you may (or may not) have ready access to an aircraft. Regardless, several important (all volunteer) jobs exist. On the aviation side the obvious ones are pilots. The best ones are also engaged in other aspects of CAP, like cadet programs and aerospace ed. CAP depends on people who aren’t necessarily pilots for many of the “missions” it flys. For example, aerial photography is a growing area of demand. Aircrews also include both “Scanners” and “Mission Observers” who use their Mark I eyeballs to locate missing persons or down aircraft. Both of these jobs can be “Aerial Photographers” with some additional training. In addition to using the Mark I, Mission Observers may run some (or all) of the aircraft radios and help the pilot with checklists, mission planning, etc. Other CAP jobs may be teaching cadets topics like ‘moral leadership’, safety education, drill & military courtesy, etc. Of course, money is always an issue so CAP squadrons have “finance officers” who help manage that aspect. If you have writing skills every CAP squadron can use an “Information Officer” to get out the word and recruit new members. If there’s a negative to CAP it’s the bureaucratic paperwork and requirements. CAP is, after all, affiliated with the USAF. So, be patient. Ask the “Squadron Commander” for a mentor. Do those two things you’ll find that paperwork hurdle is doable with minimal pain for the gain.
A bit of nostalgia if anyone is interested. CAP, even years ago, was somewhat paperwork
intensive. Goes with any organization that deals with people and memberships. Even in
the 50s and 60s, we had paperwork. Just not nearly as much of it as there is today. Of course, there were NO computers, no Internet, and no cell phones. But…..we had LOTs of typewriters, both manuals and electrics and lots and lots of carbon paper for multiple copies of everything. We had
mimeograph machines, not scanners and copiers. We knew how to cut stencils on a typewriter
for wide-area distribution items. It was a fun time, and there were plenty of things to do. Being in CAP gave one “purpose”. The thought at the time was that you had a “uniform”, you belonged, and you “stood out” and therefore, you were “somebody” among your peers and this commanded respect in your local community and school. (If you were a guy and wore your uniform to school,
you got instant dates from lots of girls too! They loved uniforms and uniforms were “fashionable”
back then). Even today, a military person in uniform can get almost anything he/she wants….we see it here all the time with the local Guard and Reservists who wear their uniforms every day.
There was a unit finance officer too, and he did not have a calculator; he had an “adding machine”. The squadron had telephones too. They were the old rotary type. Both the CO and First Sergeant
had one on their desks. There were no DVD players, nor youtube, but we did have movie projectors, so lots of aviation oriented films were available.
CAP had vehicles: “Carry Alls”, station wagons, jeeps and on one occassion, a fuel truck.
(Carry Alls were the forerunners of todays Minivans and modern SUVs replaced the station wagons). All were painted Air Force blue with the 3-bladed prop and white triangle CAP logos.
We had female office workers who were CAP members, and most of those ladies were secretaries
who knew how to take short hand! Try that today….Commanding Officers always had something
to dictate and the unit “clerks” then typed it all up (same ladies, or course, who were speed
typists). Most CAP senior members had full time jobs, and some were college students. Cadets
were mostly junior and high schoolers. Some cadets had thier solo pilot wings.
This was all before the major, massive changes that came to CAP around 1974 when CAP
was greatly demilitarized. Prior to that time, and before the concept of liberalism and being lawyered to death became the new norm, much of CAP was still living in the shadow or mindset of WW II and the Korean War. While CAP was neither military nor armed, it was very much a military organization in many respects up until that time.
CAP unit commanders were called “Commanding Officers”, not “Commander”. CAP Squadrons had (senior member) First Sergeants, usually former military members and discipline mirrored
the military. Not overly strict, but firm and reasonable. In CAP, the First Sergeant was primarily the principle Administrator for the unit and he worked for the CO. There was a strong chain of command or hierarchy system within units, again, a reflection of the military of the time. COs were the absolute authority and were given great respect and latitude, probably because most of them had been COs or officers in the services and many men were veterans who “knew the drill”. I don’t recall too many senior members wearing senior member enlisted rank, but we had a LOT of Warrant Officers. CAP units, at the time, often owned or had donated property (buildings of its own) had “Orderly Rooms” and there were military protocols that were followed. The Cadets emulated the military as well, and often appeared in parades in town. Cadet officers and NCOs,
ran the cadet programs much as they still do today. Nearly all CAP squadrons in years past
were “Composite” Squadrons. I do not recall any “Cadet” or “Senior” Squadrons. Some squadrons
were referred to as “flying squadrons”, but again, they were largely Composite Squadrons. (The
concept of “Cadet” and “Senior” squadrons probably came about in the mid-60s).
Many CAP units often had an active duty or reserve Air Force officer present. He was there
to work with the unit, advise and assist and translate Air Force lingo into CAP (civilian) language,
v/v missions, regulations, requirements, etc. He too was always in uniform at unit meetings.
He generally hung out with the CAP units Commanding Officer and his staff.
CAP generally did not distinguish between male or females members. All were members of the
same CAP. The only things that were different were that females, for initial opening ceremony
purposes or parades were in all-female flights called “Falcon” flights. There were no race or gender issues because CAP followed the military model of full integration without restriction.
We still had the 2 week summer encampment programs, and Cadet Officers got their COPs
when they became cadet officers. There were still Orientation flights and cadets got to fly
in military aircraft. In the 50s-60s, we did not have X-Plane or FSX computer airplane simulators, but we did have access to “Link” trainers which were early simulators, and on Saturdays, it was
possible to “ride” in a real Air Force simulator at an air base when real Air Force crews were
training, mostly on transport airplanes (C-124s). Of course, you had to be in uniform just like
the Air Force guys in order to work in the sim and there was a published “Uniform of the Day”.
While present at these activities, we were under the authority of the Air Force and they treated
us well, i.e. with dignity.
Much cadet activity involved taking tours of various aviation facilities, such as the ARTCC
facility in Miami, FL in the 60s (dress or service uniforms were required for all activities for
both cadets and senior members). We also visited a lot of Air Force, Air Guard, Army and
Navy aircraft when they came into town; we had a strong air show presence, more so than
today, as a CAP cadet was nearly always posted at any US Govt aircraft. The idea was to be
able to talk or explain the airplane in basic terms to tourists and lookers, since the aircraft was
an exhibit for the show. Again, uniforms were required.
In a fun sense, we had a lot of humor in CAP too. For instance, CAP was often called the
“Silly Air Patrol”. Another one was the “Civil Chair Patrol”, probably a throwback to some of
the older (elderly) members of a given unit. All in good fun. I still have a large notebook with
all the old CAP logos, posters and cartoons. CAP was a good learning experience.
Our airplanes were somewhat vintage too: Piper J-3 Cubs and Stearman PT-13s in our
squadron. CAP planes in the 60s were painted an attractive, satin-finish silver with the WW II
CAP logo on their sides and on their wings. We had some old Quonset huts. Radio gear was
primarily HF typical of the era: Halicrafters, Drake, Hammarlund, Collins, Heathkit but no “transceivers” and no VHF equipment existed., at least not in the CAP. Most HF radios were
AM (SSB had not yet come into vogue as it is today).
We did have nightly radio traffic and training nets, and cadets were taught Morse Code (CW).
They were also taught how to listen to radios thru all the static and hash that was on HF.
A difficult requirement with night time propagation when radio waves closed up or got
really noisy. Some units had radio teletype equipment, ancient by todays’ standards. Most of these were Model 15 and Model 19 printers and reperforators that ran at the lightening speed of 60 words per minute (45 baud!).Very “fast” for the time, but very slow today, yet they were very, very reliable. They lasted up until the advent of early computers. Nearly all of this equipment was hand-me-downs from the Army and Air Force. FWIW many teletype machines still survive today
and many are now in private ownership still clacking away on HF and VHF radio circuits.
In the 70s, we received T-34 airplanes from the Air Force. Ours was N12284, made
by Beechcraft. CAP also enlisted the use of member owned airplanes for search missions in
a day before ELTs came along. You actually went out and looked for missing airplanes….
and a “search base” was set up at an airport with members from several squadrons and
groups participating. You could count on an air search at least once per month for a missing
airplane. Those were fun times! Radio traffic was prolific on searches. The Red Cross provided meals for CAP search crews and sack lunches for air crews. These missions often lasted 2 or 3 weeks at a time. The local Army National Guard Armory provided both cots and armory floor space (sleeping areas) and bathroom (latrine) facilities for extended missions. We felt important
and CAP was treated well by the public. Back then, EVERYONE wore uniforms. The CAP “image” in the public domain was all important. There were no polo shirts, Corporate Uniforms, civilian clothes, etc….if you participated in a CAP mission, you needed to look the part (although there were “some” exceptions for some folks on a case-by-case basis). Uniforms for senior members were absolutely required at all times if you were going to work with, or be involved with Cadets.
Anyway, such as it was, it was a lot of fun. I have no regrets about having joined the CAP.
I was actually introduced to it by an Air Force pilot friend of my fathers. My father was an
Air Force pilot flying C-124s. One of his bud came over to the house one night. He was a C-119
driver. He saw me building a model plane and asked if I had ever heard of the Civil Air Patrol.
I hadn’t. The conversation ended there. A few weeks later, on Armed Forces day, at the local
Air Force Base, there were numerous drill teams, exhibits, etc and I noted a young kid wearing
an Air Force khaki uniform. It was a little different from the regular AF uniforms that I was used
to seeing. He had a breast patch that said “Cadet – Civil Air Patrol” and a “pip” on his flight cap
which I later learned was a 2LT. That got me interested. He also had a chest full of ribbons.
I was impressed and hooked. Found out where the local CAP unit was and showed up one
night – and the rest is now history. Stayed in CAP for over 40 years. I was 14 then (you had to
be 14 to join), now approaching 70….
Have a great one! Feel free to comment back …………
DCF
Steven is correct, you will never regret being a CAP member. In Houston, we have several active squadrons. I have done many flying and non-flying events and sorties.
Do you have to know how to fly to be involved with the missions?
Not at all. I am not a pilot but I run mission base operations and at times take off with the pilots as part of the aircrew. Pilots love to fly but they can’t fly while looking intently at the ground searching for missing persons or aircraft. Aircrew are very important, but then again so are Ground Teams. We always needs boots (and eyes) on the ground.
No, JoAnn, we need people to do ground support, communications, and a lot more. Please visit your local squadron and see if they can help you get involved. (You can find them by going to http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ and looking at the “how to join” section)
Good luck!
Hi JoAnn,
Members do not need to know how to fly to be involved with the missions. We have several positions which Civil Air Patrol members can learn and participate.
Please check our website: http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information!
Thank you,
Herb
Eight year member counting my cadet time 1958 – 63. Rejoined in 2013 and became a flying squadron commander about 3 months later. Absolutely amazed with the professionalism our volunteers exhibit in every area, from Aerospace Education to Communications and Emergency Services. Our SQDN Members participate in almost every mission highlighted by John Desmarais in the article. One member leaves for Syracuse to escort MQ-9’s next week while the local MQ-9 squadron is ramping up and may need our assistance in the fairly near future. I believe there are only two mentioned missions we do not participate in yet – but some members are planning to do just that. If you live near Tucson Arizona, go to the National CAP Web site and follow the home page links to area squadrons. There you will find our all Senior Member (19 – 84) squadron contact information. Feel free to let me know that you are interested – you will never regret being a CAP member.
59 year member here. CAP is my life.