CAP Activated By Air Force To Assist With So Cal Wildfires

Gillespie Field, San Diego.-27 October 11 AM.

The California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was activated by the Air Force on Friday, 26 th October, in support of operations relating to the fires in California. CAP is flying reconnaissance flights in support of various Federal, Sate and local agencies. Flight and support crews have responded from as far north as Fresno.

Two of the primary tasks assigned are searching for possible victims in areas not easily accessible by ground crews, and airborne fire damage assessment of various buildings, facilities and towers used by both the US military and numerous civilian agencies.

The initial request for CAP assistance was received from the National Operations Center at 10 AM. The first of several CAP aircraft were in the air by 11: 30. Flight operations continued until about 8 PM.

According to Incident Commander Major Robert Keilholtz, "The feedback we've received so far from the government has been outstanding. This mission continues the long-standing tradition of Disaster Relief activity by the members of the California Wing". Major Keilholtz is himself a fire evacuee.

Major Joseph Di Mento, a Fallbrook evacuee himself, said "This mission gives me an opportunity to help further the mission. My family was fortunate to have escaped the conflagration in and around Fallbrook, while others lost everything they had in the fires. I'm just happy to have had people there to help us."

The Mission Base opened at 7 AM on Saturday morning at Gillespie Field, with 7 CAP aircraft and 30 members assigned. Aircraft used are six Cessna C-182's and one Gippsland G-8 Airvan.

Flights operations are throughout San Diego, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.

The U.S. Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, was founded on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into World War II. CAP is a nonprofit volunteer organization with more than 55,000 members nationwide. The organization's members perform 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions, as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 58 lives in 2006. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 22,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program.

Air Force suspends CAP’s search for famed aviator Steve Fossett

October 03, 2007

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The search for record-setting aviator Steve Fossett ended today after a 20,000 square-mile search that included members of the Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas wings of the Civil Air Patrol in what amounted to one of the largest, most intensive searches for a missing aircraft in modern history.

Over the last decade, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and CAP have been involved in thousands of searches for missing aircraft, and only 18 of those missions are unsolved. CAP members perform 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the AFRCC and were credited by the AFRCC with saving 58 lives in 2006.

“The Civil Air Patrol joins the rest of the aviation world and admirers worldwide in its disappointment in not locating Steve Fossett,” said CAP Acting National Commander Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter. “This remarkable man showed us what grit and determination are all about. In his life, he chased and shattered world records, floating and flying farther and faster than anyone before. His adventures are many and his accomplishments profound. We regret that those adventures may have come to an end.”

The search for Fossett began Sept. 4 after he failed to return the day before to the Flying M Ranch's private airstrip near Yerington, Nev. Initially, more than 60 CAP Nevada Wing members and six aircraft were involved in the search effort. This expanded to include hundreds of members and more than 25 aircraft during the following days. Sophisticated "grid" searches of thousands of square miles of rugged, high-desert terrain were conducted by Civil Air Patrol volunteers who devoted in excess of 17,000 man-hours both on the ground and in the air. CAP flew 629 flights totaling 1,774 flying hours.

Nearly a dozen radar analysis experts reviewed the Fossett radar data, including experts from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Force, Navy, National Transportation Safety Board and the Civil Air Patrol, using multiple approaches and software tools, all looking for one thing – Steve Fossett’s radar track, said U.S. Air Force radar analysis expert Lt. Guy Loughridge, a Colorado Wing CAP member.

“Tracks often come in broken pieces because the radar sites see an aircraft for a short period and then the track vanishes below radar coverage or behind a mountain,” said Loughridge. “If Fossett’s plane flew below mountains at low altitudes, no amount of analytical effort or technology will detect his radar track. We cannot analyze what is not visible.”

The search included use of CAP’s cutting-edge ARCHER (Airborne Real-Time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance) technology. ARCHER aircraft gave aircrews the ability to find unique objects on the ground using specially equipped on-board computers and hyperspectral sensor technology.

Noteworthy is that CAP’s efforts integrated fully with the Nevada Army and Air Guard, the state of Nevada Office of Emergency Management and Department of Public Safety. In addition, CAP also worked closely with local law enforcement agencies and massive private resources from both the Flying M Ranch and the Fossett family.

Last weekend CAP aircraft again flew over terrain judged by radar analysis to have the highest probability of being Fossett’s flight path. From the start of the operation these areas were searched repeatedly at different times of day and light angles in order for crews to better see into deep mountain ravines. Ground search teams on foot, horseback and all-terrain vehicles simultaneously combed the same target areas.

Despite this well-coordinated effort, Fossett and his aircraft remain undetected. “This is a testament to the unforgiving terrain comprising the search area,” said CAP search leader Lt. Col. E.J. Smith. “The combination of high altitude, thick forest and mountainous terrain proved to be unconquerable during this particular search operation.”

“Although the search effort by the Civil Air Patrol has been officially suspended by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, should new information become available, CAP could be asked to assist once again with its considerable air assets,” said Courter

CAWG CAP- Mission closing 07M1905

Search mission 07M1905 was opened and closed 15 October 2007 for a 243 MHz signal in the San Diego area. Signal was df'ed to the USS Tarawa by a U.S. CAP udf team and secured. Non distress finds authorized for Tom Charpentier, CA006 and Bob Keilholtz CA001.

USS Tarawa (LHA 1)

A Message From the SQ 150 Commander

...A few items that I would like to impart upon you all…

Item 1)
Thank you to all who participated in (the) Staff meeting to formulate the quarterly calendar for the end of 2007. We have some interesting topics as well as events upcoming. Stay tuned for more on new training opportunities!!!! (item 2)

Item 2)
We are in the preliminary stages of working up a new “training plan” based on “Task oriented” sessions that will address specific items in our CAP Task Guides. It has become clearly evident thru the latest mission that we need to concentrate on these issues in a very focused and finite way. Lt. Tom Barbre (Operations Officer) is working on a draft of this plan as we speak. Preliminary thought is to have at least 2 sessions per month (before meetings) to work on specific tasks called out in the Task Guide… More to come. I think this initiative is worthwhile and should prove effective in keeping our skills sharp.

Item 3)
As you know, last year we were not able to pull off our annual Holiday party. After much work and several changes, we did not have enough committed people to stage the affair. It is my wish, and intention, not to have this happen again this year… To that end, I have commissioned key staff and members to begin a recon of potential venues for a party that could be held in mid January of 2008. The response to this idea was positive at last nights meeting… so … we venture on and gather Intel to ascertain the potential sites / dates. What we will need from our membership, is a commitment to this project. If we are to have a gathering, we need to have attendees!!!!! **chuckle** . Squadron 150 has always had good gatherings, and I would like to keep this a tradition.

So as the info comes in, and we figure out venues, prices, etc... We will keep you informed and look forward to a great celebration of our organization and its people.

Item 4)
To those of you who were involved in the recent Steve Fossett Search efforts…. As is said in the Navy “BRAVO ZULU”!!! Squadron 150 was represented in superb form. You represented our squadron admirably and I for one would like to commend you on your dedication and attention to duty. I am proud of your work!

Item 5)
To those who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in our “Squadron Self Assessment Inspection”. Your attention to detail and “can do” attitude made it possible for us to meet the deadline. In addition and most importantly… we learned a lot about what it takes to make things run smoothly, where we need attention, and what we do extremely well. I can’t thank you enough for all of your work.

I look forward to finishing out the year stronger than ever… and it is your dedication and participation that makes this squadron work so very well…

See you at the next meeting…

James H. Roadarmel, Capt.
Squadron Commander
CAWG Sq. 150
United States Air Force Auxiliary
Civil Air Patrol

CAP awaits new leads in search for Fossett

CAP aircraft and personnel readily available at Nev. base of operations if new leads develop

September 19, 2007

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The U.S. Civil Air Patrol has shifted its operational focus in the search for famed aviator and entrepreneur Steve Fossett, who has been missing since Sept. 3. CAP aircraft and personnel are readily available at the Minden, Nev., base of operations if new leads develop. CAP will continue to provide support to local, state and federal agencies when CAP assets are requested.

CAP volunteers from eight states – Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon and Colorado -- have devoted more t han of 13,000 man-hours and flown 474 flights totaling 1,337 flying hours.

“CAP and other agencies have searched thousands of square miles in the hope of finding Mr. Fossett,” said the organization's acting national commander, Brig. Gen. Amy Courter. “The mission has been conducted using proven techniques designed to achieve the highest probability of success and, in many cases, has involved multiple searches of the same areas. We are now waiting for new leads and as they develop we will check them out. CAP aircraft are on the scene in Nevada ready to launch when that occurs.”

“We still maintain hope that Mr. Fossett is alive and that we will find him,” said Courter. “We have seen cases in which people have survived much longer than this, and in consideration of the extraordinary accomplishments Mr. Fossett has made in his lifetime, we are hopeful that this will be another achievement to add to his memoirs.

CAP, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC), Nevada National Guard, Nevada’s Department of Emergency Management, California’s Office of Emergency Services and many other agencies are all working under a unified command structure in order to share resources and coordinate efforts. Also, the Hilton Flying M Ranch’s assets have worked closely with CAP and these agencies to ensure their efforts are not duplicated and safety is maintained at all times.

The search is the most massive ever conducted in Nevada. At its height, the search area expanded to over 20,000 square miles, with a considerable amount of effort concentrated in a 50-mile radius from the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev., where Fossett departed on Labor Day for what was expected to be a two- to three-hour flight. This radius is believed to be the area of highest probability in finding Fossett.

“Since Mr. Fossett did not file a flight plan, CAP defined an area of possibility for the search for his airplane based on the amount of fuel on board, and wind and weather conditions at the time of the flight,” said Col. Dion DeCamp, Nevada CAP wing commander.

“That created a huge area,” he said, “so we focused on those areas that made the most sense – like radar tracks, which were analyzed for aircraft matching the Fossett aircraft’s profile. There were several and those areas were searched repeatedly. Additional attention was focused on radar drop- off points, which could mean a crash or, in mountainous terrain, simply that the radar could not ‘see’ the aircraft because it was operating at low altitude and blocked by the mountains.”

Hikers who thought they saw the airplane gave CAP additional leads, as did information gleaned from interviews with friends and people who had been with Fossett at the Flying M Ranch. “Those leads have been thoroughly searched as well,” said DeCamp.

The search areas were plotted on a map and thoroughly documented, including weather conditions and time of flight. Searches of the same grids were conducted by different crews at different times of day with different sun angles to make sure we didn’t miss anything,” DeCamp said.

The search efforts have been hampered by mixed terrain, including low-altitude desert valleys and lakes and the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains. Hot air balloons, glider operations and sky diving activities in the immediate area of the mission base in Minden have further complicated the search, but CAP volunteers are trained and able to overcome such challenges.

Steve Fossett search keeps Nev., Calif. members busy

(Clockwise, from top)

A Cessna 182 taxis for takeoff from Minden-Tahoe Airport as the Nevada Wing resumes its search for missing aviator Steve Fossett. (Photo by Capt. Thomas Cooper)

Maj. Dennis Parham of the California Wing's Beale Composite Squadron 19 runs mission radio communications at Bishop Airport during the Steve Fossett search. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Maj. Craig Gallagher of California Wing Headquarters goes through his preflight paces before a mission. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Members prepare a Nevada Wing Cessna 182 for flight. (Photo by Capt. Thomas Cooper)

Lt. Col. Denise Edwards (left) of San Fernando Senior Squadron 35 briefs an aircrew -- (left, from bottom) Sr. Mbr. Rene Caldera and Capt. Jon Stokes of Riverside Senior Squadron 5 and Maj. Craig Gallagher of California Wing Headquarters -- before a mission out of Bishop Airport. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Maj. Craig Gallagher of California Wing Headquarters ensures clear visibility from the cockpit during preflight at Bishop Airport. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Nev., Calif. Wing members pursue Steve Fossett search

(Clockwise, from top)

The rising sun illuminates a Cessna 206 awaiting deployment for the Steve Fossett search at the Nevada Wing mission base at Minden-Tahoe Airport. (Photo by Capt. Thomas Cooper)

Sr. Mbr. Curtis Green of the California Wing's Fullerton Senior Squadron 40 fills out preflight information at the California Wing search base at Bishop Airport. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Maj. Joseph Burkhead and 1st Lt. Rebecca Burkhead of the California Wing's Beale Composite Squadron 19 review ARCHER image results at Bishop Airport. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

A Nevada Wing member ensures clear viewing for the next flight from Minden-Tahoe Airport. (Photo by Capt. Thomas Cooper)

The Fossett mission's California Wing coordinators, Lt. Cols. Joseph Chizmadia of Los Angeles County Group 1 and Mitch Richman of San Francisco Bay Group 2, work on planning the next step in the search. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

Capt. Jon Stokes of Riverside Senior Squadron 5 checks off during preflight. (Photo by Lt. Col. John Jay)

CAP searchers still hoping for results on Fossett search efforts

Day 6: Search area now up to 17,000 square miles

September 08, 2007

NEVADA – Frustrated, but not undaunted, search crews from the Nevada and California wings of the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, the Nevada Army and Air National Guard, in addition to ground crews from Nevada and California county sheriffs' departments, have converged for a sixth day of intensive search effort for aviator Steve Fossett.

It is believed Fossett could have gone anywhere in the nearly 17,000-square-mile search area during his flight Sept. 3 from the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev. Ground reports during his takeoff said he flew south from the ranch.

Morale at the Minden, Nev., airport incident command post, where the search efforts are being coordinated, remains high, based in no small part on successful outcomes of past searches that may have seemed hopeless as days stretched on.
Maximum resources from multiple agencies and jurisdictions under a unified command structure are still being committed to the intensive effort. On Sept. 7 they included:
Seven single-engine Cessna 182 and two Cessna 206 aircraft from the Nevada Wing.
13 of the same type aircraft from the California Wing.
A Gippsland G8 AirVan equipped with ARCHER imaging technology from the Utah Wing.
Two UH-58 and two Blackhawk helicopters from the Nevada Army National Guard.
One Hughes 500 helicopter.
A sonar-equipped boat searching the waters of Walker Lake from Washoe County Search and Rescue.

More than 200 ground search personnel have been combing the rugged hills and four-wheel-drive tracks and trails in the search area, thanks to law enforcement from Douglas, Inyo and Mono counties in California in addition to teams from Lyon and Mineral counties in Nevada. Also donating time and resources has been Silver State Helicopters of Las Vegas.

Additional figures from efforts Sept. 7 in Minden included: about 24 flights, 23 1/2 hours spent in grid search areas and 34 personnel, each averaging a 10-hour duty period, for 340 man-hours. An aerial search of more than half of the 10,000 square mile search area has been completed. More than 50 flight hours were flown in Sept. 7.

As the search progresses, emphasis has been taken off the playas and dry lakebeds that Fossett was earlier reported to have been scouting in preparation for a land speed record attempt. The focus in now on going back to for a better look at search grids that high winds and turbulence had prevented searchers from examining closely.

Search planners also want to go back over some of the most likely areas at differing times of day in order to get differently lit views of terrain that could be hiding the target.

The effort Sept. 8 will include 10 aircraft -- eight Cessna 182s and two Cessna 206s -- from the Nevada Wing in Minden, with support from the Nevada Army National Guard and two private Hughes 500 helicopters. In addition, the Hilton Flying M Ranch is sending 11 private helicopters and nine airplanes to assist searchers. The helicopters are particularly useful in that they can fly closer to terrain -- 500 feet above the ground -- and can quickly be sent in to verify possible targets and areas of high interest.

Hilton Flying M Ranch employees are working seamlessly with CAP and the other participating agencies so that efforts are not duplicated and safety is maintained at all times.

Steve Fossett search enters 5th day

Aerial search exceeds 150 flight-hours, covers more than half of 10,000-sq.-mi. area

September 07, 2007

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS – Day five of the search effort for famed aviator Steve Fossett began early Sept. 7, with air and ground crews from more than a dozen agencies continuing to cover the 17,000-square-mile search area in western Nevada and eastern California.
Authorities believe Fossett could have gone anywhere in that area during his flight, which began Sept. 3 from the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev.

The incident command post at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., is coordinating the efforts of search teams from Douglas, Lyon, Mineral and Washoe counties in Nevada, and from Inyo, Mono and Nevada counties in California. U.S. Civil Air Patrol members from Nevada, California and Utah; Nevada and California National Guard aircraft; California Highway Patrol personnel; and Silver State Helicopters of Las Vegas are all taking part in the search effort.

About 26 aircraft, 230 ground searchers and one sonar-equipped boat are participating in the search. An aerial search of roughly half of the 10,000-square-mile search area has been completed. More than 150 flight-hours have been flown.

The Civil Air Patrol pilots and observers are volunteers, and Silver State Helicopters is donating its time to the search effort.

Photos from U.S. CAP air search for Steve Fossett featured in LA Times

September 07, 2007

CALIFORNIA -- U.S. Civil Air Patrol members' role in the search by air for famed aviator Steve Fossett are highlighted in a photo gallery accompanying a Los Angeles Times report on the search.

The link may prove temporary, depending on the newspaper's online news policy.

Search intensifies for famed aviator Steve Fossett

September 06, 2007

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS — Despite improved weather conditions and high-tech equipment, aviation icon and adventurer Steve Fossett still has not been located. Fossett departed a private airstrip 30 miles south of Yerington, Nev., the morning of Sept. 3 for a short flight around the surrounding area, intending to return by noon. He was reported missing by family and friends at the Flying M Ranch, owned by hotel magnate William Barron Hilton, later that afternoon.

The search became fully operational early Sept. 4, using maximum resources from the Civil Air Patrol’s Nevada, California and Utah wings, the Nevada Air and Army National Guard, California Highway Patrol and ground teams from four counties in the targeted search area.

In use again Sept. 6 is a specialized Civil Air Patrol Gippsland GA8 Airvan from the Utah Wing equipped with ARCHER, a hyperspectral imaging system similar in nature to the hyperspectral analysis used by geoscientists. A set of parameters describing a downed airplane's color and size is programmed into the system, and through a sophisticated algorithm, the Archer system is able to differentiate a potential target from background clutter via a greatly enhanced visual spectrum and reflectivity factors. It can identify a target as small as 1 square meter in size while flying at 120 knots from a 2,500-foot altitude.

Additionally, the Washoe County Search and Rescue team has deployed a submersible vehicle in Nevada’s Walker Lake. They hope to identify any wreckage or debris that might lead searchers to focus in that area.

The search area has expanded to more than 10,000 square miles in size, extending from the Yerington, Nev., area to Bishop, Calif., along the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Searchers accumulated more than 35 air hours of flying time Sept. 4, using 10 aircraft -- both fixed-wing and rotor -- from the Civil Air Patrol, the Nevada Air and Army National Guard and the California Highway Patrol. In addition, four ground search teams were activated from Lyon and Mineral Counties in Nevada, as well as Nevada and Mono counties in California. They have been searching remote jeep trails and tracks.

Fossett's, aircraft, the Citabria Super Decathlon, built in 1980 and owned by the Flying M Hunting Club Inc., 75 miles south of Reno, Nev., is a well-known aircraft with a long history. It is a two-seat aircraft capable of aerobatic maneuvers, featuring a tail wheel instead of the usual "tricycle" gear featured on most light aircraft. Fossett reportedly did not have a parachute, which is sometimes used in this aircraft, since he wasn’t fond of aerobatic maneuvers. It is also reported he was wearing a sophisticated wristwatch that could be used as a personal locator beacon. Due to the rugged terrain and the potential for damage to any instruments during a difficult landing, such objects may be rendered inoperable.

Since low-altitude airborne search and rescue is inherently risky, the emphasis is always on safety. Search participants have been briefed on a variety of potential problems, such as flying in mountainous terrain, radio procedures, turbulence, adverse weather and density altitude issues. The weather Sept. 6 promises to be clear with wind being less of a factor until late-afternoon “zephyr” winds start down the east slopes of the Sierras.

Civil Air Patrol expands search for Steve Fossett

Calif. Wing members, ARCHER-equipped Utah Wing aircraft join mission

September 05, 2007

NEVADA -- The U.S. Civil Air Patrol has expanded its search for famed aviator Steve Fossett, bringing in cutting-edge technology -- the organization's ARCHER system, which stands for Airborne Real-Time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance -- and members of the Utah and California wings to join Nevada Wing members involved in the mission.
An ARCHER-equipped Gippsland GA8 Airvan was dispatched from the Utah Wing in the continuing search for Fossett, last seen about 9 a.m. Monday when he took off from the Flying M Ranch's private airstrip near Yerington, Nev., in a Citabria Super Decathlon single-engine aircraft with the tail number N240R.

During search and rescue missions, CAP can apply ARCHER using an on-board computer to take a spectral picture of a particular object, relying on light reflected from the object. That information is then relayed, by e-mail and satellite phone using CAP's satellite-transmitted digital-imaging system, to units on the ground as they conduct their search.
A set of parameters describing the target's color and size is programmed into the system, and through a sophisticated algorithm, the ARCHER system is able to differentiate a potential target from background clutter. The nation's first fully operational, large-scale hyperspectral imaging system, ARCHER detects targets by measuring the spectrum of light reflected from the ground.Also this morning, more than 60 members of CAP's California Wing -- equipped with 17 of their aircraft -- began searching about a 1,000-square-mile-area over the California state line from Bridgeport, Calif., about 80 miles south of Lake Tahoe, Nev., to Bishop, Calif., about 20 miles south of Bridgeport.

Searchers were first notified late Sept. 3 that Fossett had left the private airstrip about 9 a.m. and was planning to return by noon in order to leave the area. A formal search began at 6 p.m. that evening, as six CAP aircraft were launched with highly trained, well-equipped crews of three each in order to do sophisticated "grid" searches of hundreds of square miles of terrain in areas where the pilot may have been. On Sept. 4, searchers accumulated over 35 air hours of flying time in up to 14 aircraft, both planes and helicopters, from CAP, the Nevada Air Guard and the California Highway Patrol. Four CAP ground search teams were activated from Lyon and Mineral counties in Nevada, as well as Nevada and Mono counties in California. The search area included an area roughly 600 square miles long, extending from the Yerington area to Bishop, Calif., and about 200 miles wide with a western boundary following the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

U.S. CAP continues search for Steve Fossett

Aviator last seen morning of Sept. 3

September 04, 2007

NEVADA -- A lone pilot, identified as famed aviator Steve Fossett, last seen Sept. 3, remains missing despite early search efforts by the the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, in addition to private resources from the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev.; Naval Air Station Fallon; the Nevada National Guard; and the California Highway Patrol.
According to reports from the Flying M's private airstrip, where the pilot took off Labor Day morning, he was flying a Citabria Super Decathlon single-engine aircraft with the tail number N240R.
Searchers were first notified late Sept. 3 that Fossett had left the private airstrip about 9 a.m. and was planning to return by noon in order to leave the area. A formal search began at 6 p.m. that evening, as six CAP aircraft were launched with highly trained, well-equipped crews of three each in order to do sophisticated "grid" searches of hundreds of square miles of terrain in areas where the pilot may have been. Fossett's Citabria Super Decathlon is described as blue and white with orange stripes and blue sunburst designs on top of the wings. The Decathlon, a well-known aircraft with a long history, is a two-seat tandem "tail dragger" capable of acrobatic maneuvers.

CAWG CAP- 07M1624 mission closing

Search mission 07M1624 was opened 1 Sep and closed 2 Sep 2007 for a Distress Radio Beacon plotting near Montgomery airport. An ELT signal was located at NAS North Island by a CAP Aircrew and UDF team. The signal was silenced by Navy personnel.
Several additional signals appeared but ceased prior to location.
Non-distress find authorized for Aircrew Rick Woods, Sq 40 (CA434) and Matt Pipkin, Sq 68 (CA484) and UDF team Mike Woods, Sq 47(CA324), Dee Osargent and Rich Lovick of Gp 7 (CA006).
Thanks to Aircrew Jim Redmon and Carl Morrison for their efforts and the several other members who offered their help.

California Wing has been mandated to have a Safety Down Day

THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SENT ON BEHALF OF THE:
PACIFIC REGION COMMANDER AND
CALIFORNIA WING COMMANDER


California Wing has been mandated to have a Safety Down Day. This will not substitute for the National Safety Down Day that will happen in October.

With that said at the first meeting of the month in September every unit will cover the following topics.

Ground Handling (Flying Units or Units with pilots) :

The unit CC and SE should go over the proper handling of the aircraft at that Unit and go over any mules (if used) or specific hazards to that parking area. Also, they should to the following:

Down load the posters at: http://www.natasafety1st.org/posters/1997_Wing_Walkers.jpg

http://www.natasafety1st.org/posters/1983_Ground_Hog.jpg

http://www.natasafety1st.org/posters/2001_Chock_Wheels_Before_Disconnecting_Tug.jpg

Download and take this quiz:

http://www.natasafety1st.org/pdfs/Ramp_Safety_Quiz.pdf

This quiz is to be placed into that pilots file.

If your Unit has a Vehicle or Corporate Aircraft please conduct an inspection on that asset and forward the report to the Wing/SE through your next higher echelon no latter than 12 September 2007.

In addition to the above all Units will cover the following five items with documentation that it has been briefed. Forward the report to the Wing/SE through your next higher echelon no latter than 12 September 2007:







1. Verify a CA WING SUPPLEMENT 1 to the CAPR 62-1 dated 5 April 07 posted on the Safety Board and in all CAP (and available for all POV’s and Aircraft used on CAP Missions) Vehicles and Aircraft. As well as an inspection of all CAP Vehicles and Aircraft.

2. Ensure that all files regarding Safety (Monthly Reports, Annual Inspections) are in order.

3. Ensure the Safety Bulletin Board is up to date and Form’s CAP 26 and FAA 8740-5 are available.

4. Cover the CAPR 62-1 with emphasis on the following points:

2. Responsibilities:

a. All levels of command shall work in partnership to develop effective safety education and accident prevention measures to safeguard our members and preserve our physical resources.
b. All levels of command shall seek to instill a culture of safety that guides the planning and execution of every CAP activity.
c. Individual members will live the CAP motto of “Always Vigilant” in planning, conducting, and participating in all CAP activities. Hazards and potentially unsafe behavior will be addressed immediately and then reported to higher authority.
d. Commanders at all levels carry the responsibility of taking immediate action against any CAP member who places a fellow member at unnecessary risk. Punitive measures may range from counseling to the loss of membership.
e. The effectiveness of each commander’s safety efforts shall be evaluated yearly through the Annual Safety Survey (Attachment 1) process. The safety officer and commander at the next higher echelon will review and comment on the surveys of all their subordinate units.

3. Required Program Criteria:
a. Each level of command shall formally appoint a safety officer with qualifications appropriate to the local risk environment. Members in command positions should not serve as safety officer. Whenever possible, and especially in flying units, members with flying experience should be selected.
b. Within 90 days of appointment, each safety officer shall complete the AFIADL Course 02170, entitled “CAP Safety Officer” or equivalent training.
c. Each safety officer shall complete an independent comprehensive internal safety survey at least annually. Items to be addressed in this survey shall include, but are not limited to, those listed in attachment 1. This report shall be sent directly to the safety officer and the commander at the next higher echelon.
d. Safety Officers shall develop a program of regular safety education and accident prevention training for the unit(s) to which they are assigned. This program shall deliver no less than 15 minutes per month (or 3 hours per year) of face-to-face education and training to the membership. At least once annually, Operational Risk Management (ORM) will be discussed. New members will receive ORM familiarization training. Current members will receive an ORM review. Sample briefings and educational material can be downloaded from the ORM link at http://level2.cap.gov/index.cfm?nodeID=5182. Rational flexibility should be used to get the latest safety meeting information to members before they participate in a CAP activity. Any system that gets the message to the member is acceptable – e-mail with read receipt, videotaping the presentation for later playback, audio taping, read file or any other method that works. Emphasize active members participating in CAP activities and document efforts. Brief reports of topics covered and total members attending shall be forwarded to the next higher echelon of command. These reports shall be factored into the annual program assessment (Safety Survey).
e. Safety briefings shall be incorporated into all field training exercises, encampments, and other special activities where members face risk.
f. The Civil Air Patrol Safety Improvement or Hazard Report, CAPF 26, and/or FAA Form 8740-5, Safety Improvement Report, shall be used to suggest ways to reduce operational risk to members.
g. All mishaps will be promptly reported and investigated in accordance with CAPR 62-2, Mishap Reporting and Investigation. Special attention will be given to any contributing factors that can be promptly corrected.


5. Cover the CAPR 62-2 with emphasis on the following:

This regulation outlines mishap reporting and mishap board investigation procedures. It also provides for assessment of pecuniary liability.

1. Policy. The overall purpose of mishap reporting and investigation is mishap prevention. Prompt notification and reporting of all CAP mishaps to the appropriate officials is mandatory. When serious injury or death is involved, there will be no formal or informal investigation conducted by CAP unless directed by National Headquarters.

2. Mishap. An unplanned or unsought event, or series of events, that results in death, injury, or damage to or loss of equipment or property.

3. Mishap Classification:

a. Bodily Injury. These are personal injury mishaps resulting from aircraft or vehicle accidents or incidents, falls, slips, being struck by an object, sport injuries, etc. Non-traumatic illnesses (i.e., poisoning, inhalation, or absorption of hazardous materials, etc.) that occur as a result of CAP activities will be reported as bodily injuries. (See attachment 1 for a list of mishaps that are reportable on a CAPF 78, Mishap Report Form.)




b. Property Damage. A mishap associated with:
1) Aircraft.

a) Flight. Mishaps involving the operation of corporate or member-furnished aircraft during CAP activities, which take place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all persons have disembarked. These mishaps are classified as accidents or incidents, depending on the severity. The definition of an aircraft accident is found in National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) regulation, part 830 (attachment 2). Mishaps where flight is intended, which are not classified as accidents by the NTSB, are recorded as incidents.

b) Ground. Accidents involving aircraft with no intent of flight, for example, tie-downs fail and aircraft is blown over by wind, aircraft is run into by a tug while parked, etc.

c) Other. Certain events are deemed important enough to trend for mishap prevention despite the fact they do not meet mishap-reporting criteria. Report the following events:
- Loss of thrust sufficient to prevent level flight at a safe altitude.
- Emergency or precautionary landing.
- Unintentional departure from a runway or taxiway.
- Unintentional departure from controlled flight.
- In-flight loss of all pitot-static instrument indications.
- In-flight loss of all attitude instrument indications.
- Any physiological episode that affects the pilot’s ability to safely complete the flight.

2) Vehicles. Ground mishaps involving corporate or member-owned vehicles during CAP activities, including damage to structures such as buildings, fences, etc.

c. Other. Damage to or loss of equipment not resulting in personal injury will be reported and accounted for in accordance with CAPR 67-1, Civil Air Patrol Supply Regulation.

4. CAP Mishap Notification Procedures:

a. The unit or activity commander will immediately notify the wing commander and wing safety officer in accordance with the procedures outlined in the wing’s accident reporting procedures when any mishap occurs during a CAP activity.
b. Wing commanders or their designees will immediately notify National Headquarters of all accidents involving substantial damage, serious injury or death. Notify the National Operations Center, (NOC), by calling toll-free at 888-211-1812 (24 hrs/day).
The NOC will notify NHQ CAP/DO and CAP-USAF/XO, who will notify NHQ CAP/EX and CAP-USAF/CC respectively. In addition, the wing will also immediately notify their state director’s office, and both the CAP-USAF liaison region and CAP region commanders or their designees of all aircraft accidents or incidents, and all other mishaps involving death and/or serious injury.

c. If a CAP corporate aircraft is damaged and a Hull Self Insurance (HSI) claim will be made, refer to CAPR 900-6 for additional reporting requirements.

d. If a CAP corporate vehicle is damaged and a Vehicle Self Insurance (VSI) claim will be made, refer to CAPR 900-7 for additional reporting requirements.

e. Wings will develop mishap-reporting procedures, publish in a letter or supplement to this regulation and comply with the procedures when reporting a mishap.

CAWG CAP- 07-T-6351 - WHITEMAN SAREX - CLOSING TRAFFIC

WHITEMAN BASE ceased operations Sunday 26Aug2007 at 2000hrs. The weather cooperated and we had a terrific weekend with excellent participation at all levels. There were 28 Air Sorties as well as extensive ground team and UDF training. We had a wireless network set up with about a dozen computers so that we could conduct WMIRS, IMU and MRO training throughout the weekend.
This was a multi-agency exercise. The Santa Clarita Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Coast Guard both participated by conducting joint operations with CAP. Two Sheriff's deputies were flown in CAP aircraft to demonstrate how we can support different scenarios such as a downed aircraft or missing vehicle. The Coast Guard participated in a scenario involving a practice ELT hidden in a boat on Lake Castaic. The exercise utilized a High Bird for comm as well as DF aircraft working with ground team resources.
Air-to-ground coordination was practiced with CAP resources talking directly with representatives from the other agencies on common frequencies. This was a great demonstration of CAP's capability to work with and support other agencies.
There was also very good cadet participation. Many thanks to all of the cadets that came and worked so hard.
We tried something new this time... base command staff positions (including the IC position) were rotated every 6 hours to simulate missions with extended periods of operations. In effect, we squeezed 4 days of operations into a two-day weekend. Everyone had a chance to work multiple positions.
We experienced first-hand the difficulties of maintaining command continuity during extended periods of operations. By the last operational period on Sunday afternoon, we were all fatigued enough that confusion began to find it's way into our operations. This was an excellent simulation of the conditions that would occur in a real-world scenario leading to burn-out, stress, miscommunications and mistakes.

CAWG CAP- 07M1587 Mission closing

Search mission 07M1587 was opened and closed 26 August 2007 for an ELT signal in the Temecula area. Signal was located by a US CAP aircrew and secured by a US CAP UDF team at Perris Valley Airport in a Cessna 182, N6438A. Non distress finds are authorized for aircrew members Richard Akita, Sharrie VanDuzer and Cladutte DeCouley, CA256 and UDF member Bob Miller, CA001. Additional thanks to Shane Terpstra, Rich Lovick, Matt Pipkin, Frank Duarte and the County Sheriff aircrews. Also thanks to the Group 3 alerting officer and John and Andrea Binder. More thanks to Mark McKibben at Whiteman Base and Ron Butts for their help too.

CAWG CAP- Mission closing 07M1566

Search mission 07M1566 was opened and closed 24 August 2007 for an ELT signal in the San Diego area. Signal was df'ed to a boat (Instinct) at Harbor Island and secured. Non distress finds authorized for Tom Charpentier, CA006 and Bob Keilholtz CA001.