CAP Cadet Solos Today!

[etodd]

Congrats to Thomas Compton, who had a fantastic week. He became our new Cadet Commander Tuesday night, and today had his first solo flight!  Our Squadron has another Cadet in training, and she should be soloing in a couple weeks. A big shout out to the CFIs in Squadrons like ours that are willing to train Cadets. Its a huge commitment on their part.

Short video of his first solo takeoff and landing:

https://youtu.be/UACc987x5Fk

[Disenchanted]

Congratulations.  Did they cutoff a shirttail? 

[etodd]

Congratulations.  Did they cutoff a shirttail?

Yes indeed 

[Spam]

A/ Congratulations, sincerely. Great job.

B/ Best wishes as C/CC.

C/ Haircut.

V/R
Spam

[etodd]

C/ Haircut.

Just couldn't stop at A & B could you? 

Fortunately he doesn't know about CAPTalk.

[jeders]

C/ Haircut.

Just couldn't stop at A & B ignore your integrity and let a simple rule slide could you? 

FTFY

[etodd]

C/ Haircut.

Just couldn't stop at A & B ignore your integrity and let a simple rule slide could you? 

FTFY

LOL  I like that.

Sure ... But there is a time and place for everything. People that will rain on someone's parade is why we have retention problems.  Have an issue with hair? Sure, contact that person privately and discuss it. That is the proper method. NOT commenting publicly, especially in the midst of a celebration.

[Spam]

Amended:


D. Would never say a word had the pic showed him in a non USAF style uniform such as a polo/shorts as worn at some flight academies.


E. All members - that means you - are enjoined by 39-1 to correct violations. If possible privately but when the issue is made very public that doesn't negate the requirement. Especially in the case of a Cadet Officer... Triply so in one entering a command billet to serve as a role model.


F. Etodd. He posed for it with one of your officers and you posted it. I don't see the infraction being addressed so sure... I stand by a one word admonishment which you've made "a Thing".


V/r
Spam

[CAP9907]

C/ Haircut.

Just couldn't stop at A & B ignore your integrity and let a simple rule slide could you? 

FTFY

LOL  I like that.

Sure ... But there is a time and place for everything. People that will rain on someone's parade is why we have retention problems.  Have an issue with hair? Sure, contact that person privately and discuss it. That is the proper method. NOT commenting publicly, especially in the midst of a celebration.

etodd:

YOU put it out there to discuss, not us. YOU need to own all the good/bad that then comes with your post.

Uniform discussions are by far the largest single topic discussed here, and you should well know this as a frequent contributor. If I was foolish enough to pose for a picture and out of 39-1 guidance, I'd expect to get heck for it as well. This Cadet Officers  haircut is unsat in that flight suit. Sorry, we either hold ourselves and our colleagues to a standard or we do not... I know he was held to a standard to solo and get his Mitchell, this is no different.  YMMV

~9907

[etodd]

Some of you folks tickle me.  Always fun to see the predictable reactions to my posts. 

[etodd]

Uniform discussions are by far the largest single topic discussed here, and you should well know this as a frequent contributor.

For sure. I've learned to try and stay out of the uniform forum above for that very reason. It truly is the hot button topic for the average CAPTalk contributor, over any other area of CAP life.

I try to stay in my little corner as much as possible.

[Kayll'b]

[/quote]
People that will rain on someone's parade is why we have retention problems.


[/quote]

While some of our retention problems come from this I think a lot of our problems come from the absense of this.

disclaimer, that is good advice simply saying that in general we do need more of this is CAREFULL ways.

[Kayll'b]

Yes please feel free to complain about how I messed up my quote .

[Holding Pattern]

E. All members - that means you - are enjoined by 39-1 to correct violations. If possible privately but when the issue is made very public that doesn't negate the requirement. Especially in the case of a Cadet Officer... Triply so in one entering a command billet to serve as a role model.

2.12.1.6. All members will be alert to other CAP members that may be in violation of
uniform and appearance standards and provide correction to any CAP member that is in violation of
uniform and appearance standards. That correction must be provided in a way that reflects CAP's core
value of respect, both of the uniform and of the other member.

Everyone always seems to forget these parts of 39-1...

[TheSkyHornet]

E. All members - that means you - are enjoined by 39-1 to correct violations. If possible privately but when the issue is made very public that doesn't negate the requirement. Especially in the case of a Cadet Officer... Triply so in one entering a command billet to serve as a role model.

2.12.1.6. All members will be alert to other CAP members that may be in violation of
uniform and appearance standards and provide correction to any CAP member that is in violation of
uniform and appearance standards. That correction must be provided in a way that reflects CAP's core
value of respect, both of the uniform and of the other member.

Everyone always seems to forget these parts of 39-1...

Such as "Oh, hey, you're here! Well, we're gonna go flying today....just as soon as you get a haircut."

No uniform. No flight time.

[Eclipse]

2.12.1.6. All members will be alert to other CAP members that may be in violation of
uniform and appearance standards and provide correction to any CAP member that is in violation of
uniform and appearance standards. That correction must be provided in a way that reflects CAP's core
value of respect, both of the uniform and of the other member.

Everyone always seems to forget these parts of 39-1...

Exactly, and THANK YOU!

There's nothing more disrespectful to another member then allowing them to go around with
obvious uniform or grooming issues without being corrected.

[etodd]

Back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Congrats to Thomas Compton, who had a fantastic week. He became our new Cadet Commander Tuesday night, and Saturday had his first solo flight!  Our Squadron has another Cadet in training, and she should be soloing in a couple weeks. A big shout out to the CFIs in Squadrons like ours that are willing to train Cadets. Its a huge commitment on their part.

Short video of his first solo takeoff and landing:

https://youtu.be/UACc987x5Fk

[jeders]

First, congratulations to cadet Compton on soloing, it's a great accomplishment and one which he will never forget. I still remember when I soloed; my instructor told me to go do 3 touch and go's...I did 7. Also, good on you and everyone involved in getting these cadets to the point where they can achieve the dream of flight.

However, after watching that video, there are some things that are worrisome and even scare the living bejeezus out of me, much more than a fluffy hairdo. Admittedly, some of this is based purely on the training I received while getting my PPL, I know different instructors have different techniques; but some things just breed mistakes and laziness. Also, I don't know where this flight occurred and whether it is a towered field or not.

The first is the cadet's takeoff roll. He starts off with a rolling takeoff instead of a static full power takeoff; this is one of those technique things, however, there is little as useless as runway behind you. It becomes more worrisome when he doesn't even advance the throttle to takeoff power until after reaching the numbers; giving him less room to abort if the engine fails to reach full power.

The next thing that worries me, and it's harder to tell due to the angle of the camera and complicated by the fact that the 172 doesn't exactly take off like a rocket sled on wheels, is that he seems to be flying a wide low pattern. In the event of engine failure, is he going to have enough altitude to get back to the runway?

This is the one that really scares me, who released a first solo with weather that close? My solo endorsement was restricted to 3,000' ceiling and 5 miles visibility; the ceiling in this video appears to be lower than that and visibility goes to near 0 as he climbs through the rain.

Last, because we can hear marker indicators and other noises, I would expect to hear some communication; but I don't hear or see the cadet make even a single position call (non-towered) or respond to ATC instructions (towered). It's possible that he was making position calls while his head was turned away from the camera (explaining the lack of comm audio in the video), but I don't think so.

I'm glad to see cadets soloing and congratulations to this cadet; but if we get into such a rush to train people that we aren't training them properly, then we're just asking for future fatal incidents. etodd, if I'm wrong and the video is just telling a false story (there was a clear blue sky, the rain wasn't known, you heard the radio traffic from the ground, his pattern was practically on top of the runway) then please accept my apologies for further derailing this thread. If, however, that's not the case, please understand that my criticisms are not an attack on your, your squadron, or this cadet; my only concern is for the training of SAFE aviators. The things that I've mentioned were beaten into me by my instructor because he knew the consequences of failing to abide by them.

[etodd]

However, after watching that video, there are some things that are worrisome ....

Yeah. "appears" that way.  There was some sprinkles, that we waited for 30 minutes to move on by. It was about 2500 scattered when he finally took off.  When using the shorter runway, we will often runup and release brakes, but never bother as much with the 6500 foot runway which he was using this day.  Yes, towered field and he was talking to them. He did 3 and taxied back each time.  My grabbing the GoPro was a last minute deal and did not have time to setup for audio. Wish I had that. All you can hear is engine noise.

1000 foot agl pattern.  The very wide lens of the GoPro makes it look much farther away that it was. He was close. Engine out on down wind would have been easy to land.

His CFI is a great guy who is very particular. Flew F4s in Viet Nam. He is overly cautious and doesn't get into a hurry letting anyone solo.  Last time he gave me a Form 5, I was sweating bullets. He goes over everything, leaves nothing out and makes sure I know it, which of course makes us all better pilots.

[jeders]

However, after watching that video, there are some things that are worrisome ....

Yeah. "appears" that way.  There was some sprinkles, that we waited for 30 minutes to move on by. It was about 2500 scattered when he finally took off.  When using the shorter runway, we will often runup and release brakes, but never bother as much with the 6500 foot runway which he was using this day.  Yes, towered field and he was talking to them. He did 3 and taxied back each time.  My grabbing the GoPro was a last minute deal and did not have time to setup for audio. Wish I had that. All you can hear is engine noise.

1000 foot agl pattern.  The very wide lens of the GoPro makes it look much farther away that it was. He was close. Engine out on down wind would have been easy to land.

His CFI is a great guy who is very particular. Flew F4s in Viet Nam. He is overly cautious and doesn't get into a hurry letting anyone solo.  Last time he gave me a Form 5, I was sweating bullets. He goes over everything, leaves nothing out and makes sure I know it, which of course makes us all better pilots.

Then I stand corrected. I still don't like the close weather or the rolling takeoff, but those are purely personal opinions based on my own training.

As for the audio, if you want you can check out Friendly Skies Film's video on a homemade audio recorder adapter.