Does the external AE program need more focus?

[RiverAux]

I have never really wrapped my head around what we're supposed to be doing as part of our external aerospace education program.  I know about a lot of the specific activities (fly a teacher, the K-6 program, etc.), but I've never really been sure what we're trying to achieve.  Is it to just raise awareness of aerospace in the public?  For what purpose?

I compare this with the CG Aux focus on recreational boating safety.  There are a ton of different programs, but all of them are focused on making boating safer and reducing accidents.  You know what your ultimate goal is. 

CAP's AE program is just sort of an amporphus blob that can be just about anything.  And while that allows a lot of flexibility to try various things, is it really getting anything accomplished? 

Now, this isn't just my standard rant about how CAP doesn't do a good job of measuring actual results.  In this case, I'm not even sure what our goal really is. 

These are the relevant purposes that are part of the federal law about CAP:

--encourage and aid citizens of the United States in contributing their efforts, services, and resources in developing aviation and in maintaining air supremacy; and
---To provide aviation education and training especially to its senior and cadet members.
---To encourage and foster civil aviation in local communities.

Now, I've talked about our failure to really do anything to encourage and foster civil aviation in other threads, so I'll leave that alone.

Lets stipulate that the second one is more focused on internal AE, though it leaves open the possibility to provide aviation training to non-members.

So, what does the first mean? 

"Developing aviation":  Not sure what that means at all.  Probably why we've got such a wide range of programs going in all different directions.

"maintaining air supremacy".  This one is quite specific, but I'm still not sure what this means in terms of CAP.  Are we supposed to be convincing folks that its a good idea for the AF to purchase new high-tech fighters? 

So, is it just me (and it often is on CAPTalk), or should we try to come up with some more specific goals that we can focus our AE program on?  What might they be? 

Some goals that I might like to see (not all inclusive) would be:
1.  Improve General Aviation Safety (sure AOPA does this, but there is no reason in the world that it can't be something CAP focuses on as well). 
    How to implement:  CAP designed safety seminars for GA pilots and similar such activities. 
2.  Encourage more people to become pilots. 
   How to implement:  Focus most of the external AE program on flying, routes to becoming pilots, "o-rides" to non member youths.  Allow flight training in CAP planes for "dedicated" senior members.  More National Flight Academy's for cadets.  Funded flight training for cadets at local level.   

Just a few thoughts. 

[FW]

Up until recently, we were the major sponsor and supporter of "NCASE".  Unfortunately, all it did was drain our corporate budget.

Since the AF does not allow us to use our appropriated dollars to spend on external AE, we must rely on our own money and resources to accomplish this mission.  As we are woefully lacking in donors, benifactors and a sense of need to do much, I wouldn't expect any significant changes in the future. 
Right now, the "goals" of external AE seem to be the "status quo".  There is no vision, no direction and, no leadership emphisis.  Without this, nothing will change. 

That being said, Riv, there is nothing keeping us CAPTALKers from coming up with said vision, direction and "nudge" to our leadership for emphisis.  I hope there is interest in keeping this thread moving.

[RiverAux]

Hmm, if we are in fact prohibited from using AF money to do external AE, I agree that coming up with much of anything meaningful will be difficult.  Such funding restrictions would be another good reason to have a tight focus on what we're doing so as to maximize the $ we do have. 

What drive I do see in external AE program is the ACE (the k-6 cadet-light program).  Apparently they're opening it up to any school.   That seems to have been pretty successful in getting kids and schools signed up in the test program, but I'm just not sure where we're heading with it.