CAP Training Helps Rhode Island Couple Survive Watery Crash | |
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A pair of experienced Rhode Island Wing members, 1st Lt. Alysia Larson and her husband, Capt. Paul Larson, were about a half-mile from Quonset State Airport in Kingston on March 30 when Lt. Larson added a bit of power to their 1961 Piper Comanche to counter 20-knot headwinds on her runway approach.
But instead of a surge, the aircraft’s engine lost power.
Alysia immediately began an engine checklist. She was about 75% done when she and her husband realized they wouldn’t reach the runway. Instead, the four-seater hit the choppy, frigid waters of Narragansett Bay 2,600 feet offshore, wheels down and poised to sink.
What had been a pleasant Saturday turned into a trial of survival.
“There was a moment where I was, like, ‘I’m not sure if we’re going to make it,’” she told a local television news crew, recounting the difficulties of swimming with heavy clothing in rough waters once the plane submerged completely.
“And then I’m, like, ‘Nope, we’re not going to die today. We’re going to make it. We’ll just keep swimming.’”
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Registration Opens for Conference | |
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Registrations are now open for the 2024 Civil Air Patrol National Conference. Join your fellow CAP members, senior leadership, and special guests Aug. 15-17 as we gather at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter for CAP’s annual National Conference and triennial national Change of Command.
Basic registration cost is $179 if you register before July 12, and includes beverage breaks, breakfast, and lunch on Friday and Saturday.
Don’t miss the outstanding education and training opportunity to participate in numerous learning sessions covering a range of areas and topics. In addition, we are bringing back four one-day preconference sessions on Thursday, Aug. 15 (limited availability, optional purchase for $20) so you have the chance to take a deep dive into selected topics.
“The Hangar” is back as our hub and our social space. This multipurpose space houses sponsor tables and beverage breaks. And we’ll cap things off with our Saturday evening event, the National Commander’s Reception, with food, music, and fun (optional cost of $85 if purchased by July 12).
Our host hotel is the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, and rooms are $169/night. To make reservations, click here. Hurry, though, this special rate expires July 12.
Title sponsor for this year’s National Conference is Textron Aviation.
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Lt. Col. Liz Dunster, the North Carolina Wing's assistant public affairs officer, took this photo of the April 8 total solar eclipse visible in much of the nation's midsection.
“Captured totality in Erie, and the long drives were totally worth it,” she said.
Dunster's once-in-a-lifetime image was taken from the beach of Presque Isle State Park, a Pennsylvania peninsula that arches into Lake Erie. She shared her shot with the Marketing and Communications team so we could share it with CAP membership.
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Massive Mission in Support of NASA: 'Teamwork on a Continental Scale' | |
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At least 4,000 CAP members turned out April 8 for what's likely the organization's largest single-day mission ever — assisting NASA by collecting more than a quarter-million data points from the total solar eclipse.
In all, some 400 CAP teams gathered at 630 data collection sites, focused on generating information for scientists to use in gauging the eclipse’s effects on weather and VHF radio operations.
The 2024 Solar Eclipse Mission stretched across seven time zones, 50 states, and two U.S. territories.
At the same time, the CAP Solar Eclipse Classroom Program involved educator members and more than 40,000 K-12 students in participating schools, libraries, museums, and homeschool programs. They collected and submitted eclipse data as part of NASA’s GLOBE Observer Program.
The eclipse mission enabled CAP “to demonstrate teamwork on a continental scale,” said Capt. Shannon Babb, mission director and Rocky Mountain Region deputy chief of staff for aerospace. She shared her thoughts about the CAP mission in this interview with WRAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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In addition to the aforementioned mission, other Civil Air Patrol units were in the skies from Texas to the Northeast Region. In all, 13 CAP missions involved activity associated with the eclipse, including aerial photography to help monitor traffic on the ground. One of our favorite missions was this TOP Flight of sorts in Massachusetts, involving aerospace education member Amanda Gallerini: | |
No. 300: Alaska Wing's Clifton Hits Cadet Wings Milestone with Private Pilot Certificate | |
CAP’s Cadet Wings program is marking a major milestone after Cadet Maj. Thomas Clifton of the Alaska Wing’s Southeast Composite Squadron became the 300th cadet to earn his private pilot certificate through the program.
Clifton, 17, received his certificate after a check ride with a Federal Aviation Administration examiner April 9 at Eugene Airport in Oregon.
“It is a great honor to be a part of this milestone,” said Clifton (pictured with FAA examiner Joe May), who wants to be a commercial pilot.
Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP’s national commander and CEO, led the recognition of Clifton.
“Congratulations to Cadet Clifton, Civil Air Patrol’s 300th Cadet Wings program graduate,” Phelka said. “He has achieved an important personal goal in his aviation journey, made even more important as it represents another milestone in this critical CAP program helping to replenish America’s pilot ranks.”
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92 Cadets Awarded $155K+ in Scholarships | |
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Ninety-two cadets from 38 wings in all eight Civil Air Patrol regions have been awarded academic, flight, and activity scholarships collectively worth a record $155,585. The total includes:
- 61 academic scholarships with a total value of $123,500,
- 20 flight scholarships with a total value of $24,000, and
- 11 scholarships with a total value of $8,085 for National Cadet Special Activity and other activity fees.
Three of last year’s recipients — (pictured, from left) Maxyn Hallare, James Dewey, and Molly Towles — spoke recently about how their scholarships helped them obtain pilot private certificates, additional flight training, educational opportunities, and leadership lessons.
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California Cadet, Championship Kicker,
Pursues New Dream — Becoming a Navy Pilot
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In advance of this year’s Summer Olympic Games, CAP is focusing on its elite athletes who exemplify CAP’s Five Pillars of Strength and Resilience. Each of the cadets featured in this series compete at the top level of their sports. Today the focus is on Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Marcus Lee of the California Wing's Fullerton Composite Squadron 56.
Every football player who ever laced up a cleat has visualized what Lee has actually accomplished. As a junior at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, he kicked a field goal that gave the Braves the 2022 national championship — a dream come true.
Today, the new dream for this inspiring miliary aviator includes an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he'll play football for at least his first year, but hopes to become a Navy pilot.
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Maryland Cadet Siblings Earn Mitchell Awards | |
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Sibling rivalry isn’t an issue for the White family. The four oldest have promoted together in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program since they became members of the Maryland Wing’s Granite Cadet Squadron.
That togetherness culminated recently in the four cadets earning the Gen. Billy Mitchell Award within weeks of each other.
Cadet 2nd Lts. Marlee (19), Tucker (18), Dylin (16), and Talon White (13) have excelled in the cadet program from the start. Joining together in May 2022, they’ve navigated the promotion process as a team and encouraged each other along the way.
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Daniels Introduced as National Recruiting Manager | |
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Lt. Col. Michael Daniels of the Mid-Atlantic Region has joined the Marketing and Strategic Communications national staff as national recruiting manager effective April 1. A 29-year member of CAP, Daniels brings broad experience as a public affairs officer at the squadron, wing, and region levels.
In January 2023, recruiting and retention responsibilities were realigned, with recruiting becoming a marketing function and retention considered a command responsibility at all levels. Recruiting is now part of the broader marketing effort, which already involves developing key messaging and new marketing material including advertising campaigns, open house materials, recruiting brochures, and more.
Daniels will be a resource for region, wing, and unit PAOs and recruiting officers and other volunteers to discuss and provide solutions for common questions or issues with recruitment efforts.
“My goal is to develop strategies that encourage people to volunteer with an organization that supports and benefits communities while providing skills and personal growth opportunities,” he said.
Daniels replaces Maj. Michael W. Moore, who served as national recruiting manager starting in March 2020. “Managing recruiting efforts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult assignment, but Michael and his team helped lead the organization back into the positive growth trend that we’re experiencing now with cadets and adult members alike. We appreciate Michael’s service over the last four years and look forward to Lt. Col. Daniels' efforts to continue that positive trend,” said Randy Bolinger, CAP's chief of marketing.
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CAP Invited to Toast of Doolittle Raiders | |
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The Air & Space Forces Association's Doolittle Leadership Center is hosting the first Doolittle Raiders Memorial Toast on April 18, starting at 5:45 EDT.
Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, will be the keynote speaker.
The AFA expects the formal part of the ceremony to take no longer than 45 minutes. In addition to an in-person, invitation-only event at the Doolittle Building in Rosslyn, Virginia, the AFA will livestream the event so organizations across the world can participate simultaneously or through use of the recording on YouTube.
“We think this event is the perfect occasion to bring past, present, and future airmen into a service-wide tradition that honors courage, innovation, selflessness, and skill and emphasizes the strategic impact of airpower,” said retired U.S. Air Force Col. Patrick H. Donley, director of the Doolittle Leadership Center.
Donley encourages CAP and its members to join as well via livestreaming or YouTube and asks that participating wings and squadrons take photos of their gatherings and share them on the center's website.
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Coming Soon: A New Learning System for CAP | |
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National Headquarters is unveiling a new learning management system, Absorb LMS, and plans to transition to it this summer.
“This is part of our commitment to continuous improvement and supporting the remarkable growth of the organization over the past few years,” said Jared Peregoy, CAP's senior director of learning. Peregoy said members can prepare now for the change.
“Get ready to embark on a transformative learning experience that will elevate our capabilities and propel us toward even greater achievements,” he said.
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Your Chance to Help a Cadet Experience IACE | |
Silvered Wings Artwork Series Continues in 2024 | |
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Maj. Ron Finger's second series of vintage aircraft artwork — the Silvered Wings Series — continues in 2024 with this 16th installment.
Debuting in August 2022 and continuing into 2023, the series features the work and writing of Finger, a volunteer staff member on the Marketing and Communications team who serves as CAP's national artist.
Check out the latest vintage CAP aircraft in this Silvered Wings Series, as posted on CAP.news:
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Conference's Bronze-Level Sponsor Announced | |
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CAP bronze-level sponsor Yingling Aviation is returning to the National Conference in August.
Sponsors and exhibitors are welcome. Gain visibility for your brand while making a meaningful impact on aerospace education, youth development, and emergency services across the nation.
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“Blue Angels Honor 'Hometown Hero' from Montgomery [Ala.] with Exhilarating Flight”
-1819News.com
“98-Year-Old World War II Vet Receives France's Legion of Honor”
-YouTube.com
(WGN News)
“Civil Air Patrol Cadets Gather Data in Brookings [S.D.] during Solar Eclipse”
-BrookingsRegister.com
“Worthington [Minn.] Civil Air Patrol Earn Drone Pilot Wings”
-dglobe.com
“Middle School Student Receives a Promotion in Civil Air Patrol”
-PowellTribune.com
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For more information, go to Operation Pulse Lift's new webpage on GoCivilAirPatrol.com. There you will find the latest Blood Donation Center schedules, instructions on how to set up a BDC, and other mission information. | |
CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications
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