US AIR FORCE DONATES CESSNA 182 - Civil Air Patrol ready to soar with new airplane

The tie-downs holding the Cessna 182 strained against winds whipping across the Helena Valley.



With each gust the airplane rocked, as did a collection of other single-engine planes at the Helena Regional Airport Saturday. A crowd of camouflage-clad kids and adults from the Lewis and Clark Composite Squadron of Montana Civil Air Patrol approached the newest addition to their squadron, but after a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that cadets’ orientation flights would have to stay grounded for the day.

“If it’s going to be their first flight, we want it to be a positive experience,” pilot Jay Bonde said of a potentially nasty ride in the gusty skies.

Montana Civil Air Patrol is wing of a nationwide network of Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Individual squadrons have three missions: aerospace education, cadet programs focused on leadership and aiding emergency services or law enforcement during natural disasters and search and rescue. Squadrons include both cadet and senior members.

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The Cessna arrived in Helena recently from Colorado -- assigned to the Lewis and Clark Composite Squadron by the Air Force. Having its own airplane is a big deal for the squadron and its missions, shaving time to get airborne for a search and giving cadets a plane to work with as they learn, Bonde said.

“It’s big here locally for the cadet program to let them practice, but it’s also a big deal as a (statewide) volunteer organization because now it means we have another crew available to respond if we need to,” he said.

Before the squadron got the Cessna, participating in a search and rescue meant a plane from another squadron while Lewis and Clark operated on the ground with important tasks such as communications. Squadrons train about once a month for searches with pilots and spotters. Other than some special equipment for tracking emergency locators set off during an airplane crash, the Civil Air Patrol’s Cessnas are pretty standard, Bonde said.

A private pilot interested in flying for Civil Air Patrol does not require a great deal of flight time, he said; 200 to 300 hours is typically the minimum threshold. For pilots in training, the Cessna can be rented for lessons by members at a discounted rate, he added.

Civil Air Patrol needs volunteers with a variety of skills, with crisis management, medical training and communications important for emergencies, but anyone can join and contribute as little or as much as he or she wants, Trena Bonde said.

“With a volunteer-run organization we all bring different skills, and it doesn’t mean you ever have to get in a plane. You can be as involved as you want to be and you’re only limited by motivation,” she said.

Maj. Spencer Gilchrist runs the local cadet program aimed at youth ages 12 to 18 and teaching them leadership, integrity, excellence, service and respect, he said. The current squadron is rebuilding from low numbers recently, growing to 18 cadets, but eager to add more.

“We follow a military model, and teaching cadets is part of teaching our future leaders,” he said. “My goal is to help develop our future leaders because there are not many people out there anymore that can take it from start to finish, and I love this program.”

Gilchrist emphasized that although many cadets do go on to enlist in the military, there is no pressure to do so and the organization does not have a combat role. Cadets do have the opportunity to participate in search and rescue and disaster relief, he said.

Cadets advance through phases of the program, first following and then working their way to leading teams and developing goals and objectives for flights. For those cadets that do decide on a military career, advancement in the program allows them to enlist at a higher grade.

The U.S. Air Force Academy also holds a number of its coveted slots for Civil Air Patrol cadets, Trena Bonde said.

Cadet Christopher J. Meier said he is interested in joining the Air Force as a pilot. He described the weekly cadet meetings with topics such as character, physical training and fun as an important asset to help get him there.

Both cadets and senior members can benefit professionally from Civil Air Patrol, Gilchrist said. He earned his first job out of high school with his cadet training while many adult members use the program in their professional development.

“For people who are interested, I’d say come and check out a couple of meetings,” he said.

(Culled from helenair.com)