Does anyone actually fly for CAP?
I know a lot of people that are in it, but they don't seem to have a very active pilot program. Seems like they use retired airline type guys with very little turnover.
i fly, but i don't fly CAP aircraft, except with a CFI. i've never gone for my form5.
i am aircrew. i'm a rated mission scanner, and in training as mission observer.
i am also NJ Wing LGT.
they do in some states. all wings of CAP have "o-flight" programs.
in these, cadets get 5(or 6, i'm not sure the exact number) of orientation flights per year. on these flights, they get to actually fly the aircraft from the right seat, under the keen eye of a CAP CFI.
i believe there are programs for cadets to earn complete training in CAP aircraft.
then there are the missions. we do pretty many of the downed aircraft searches, although these are getting less and less, with the advent of the 406mhz ELT's.
due to this, we find other missions. in nj, we do some work for the coast guard, and i think homeland security. we're working on getting the searches for lost hikers(with those personal gps's) as we're better equipped to handle them, than anyone in the state.
in deleware, i think CAP flys for the deleware.
in nj, we have 2 encampments. one if falcon flight, the other is eagle flight. they're both aimed at our cadets. senior members work their tulips off for these.
falcon flight, is a week of intensive flight training for the cadets, hopefully ending with many of them getting a solo flight. the last few years, falcon flight has been held on lakehurst naval air station.
eagle flight is the same thing, except with gliders. the last few years, eagle flight has been held on woodbine airport, in south jersey.
here's a link to CAP's main page. this thing is FULL of information. you can even view our regulations i think. anyone that is interested in learning more, or seeing a squadron close up, can find a squadron near them from there too.
http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/html/index.htm
