Anyone else having pilots quiting over the FEMA courses?

[Short Field]

Member-owned airplanes are not excluded - but CAP wants to see CAP airplanes beomg fully utilized before before paying a member to fly their personnal airplane.  The few who quit around here did so because CAP stopped funding the operation of their personnal aircraft.   I was surprised the first time I flew my airplane at how well I was reimbursed. 

[Trung Si Ma]

If only 10% of current CAP pilots fitted their planes with CAP radios and have them maintained to CAP standards ...

This is the narrow band radio issue again.  I have ham radio gear that I can use from my aircraft, but the $10k+ for a Teksonic puts it farther down the wishlist.

Since I do not use my aircraft for commercial purposes, I don't get the 100 hour inspections, but that would be easier to justify than the radio.

I do have an Aircraft Information File paterned after the CAP one since it was a minor expansion of what I was already carrying.

I also have to agree with LittleIron Pilot that there just isn't enough time available to fly mine and the CAP birds.  With the mods to mine, it doesn't fly like the CAP 172's.  Besides, mine likes off airport landings better 

[RiverAux]

I wouldn't have a problem with CAP buying and installing our radios on private planes provided we had ironclad contracts to get them back if neeeded.  This would be a very cheap way to quickly increase our capabilities.  At 10K each you could double or triple most wing's fleets for less than the cost of a new 182. 

[isuhawkeye]

The coast guard Auxiliary requires that a marine band radio be installed before a private aircraft can be used to support the Coat Guard

[Trung Si Ma]

The coast guard Auxiliary requires that a marine band radio be installed before a private aircraft can be used to support the Coat Guard

Which are not narrow band compliant and are readily and cheaply available due to the large numbers of boaters out there.

There are also several out there that are TSO compliant for aircraft usage with the right impedance for aircraft radio systems.

[LittleIronPilot]

A comment on flying CAP planes instead of member owned planes...

How many member-owned a/c have DF equipment? Have CAP radios? How many pilots are willing to let someone else fly their plane? Let the AOBD dictate who they take with them on a flight?

These issues are directly related to the insistance on using CAP aircraft. As a cadet, I remember helping pilots jury-rig L'pers to use in their aircraft for missions and training. I have seen pilots refuse to take personnel assigned to the sortie because they weren't the pilot's buddies.

I also remember, as a cadet, doing 25+ ofights in a member owned a/c because the few CAP a/c weren't within 100 miles and the 'approved' pilots refused to fly cadets because the a/c had to be ready for a 'real' mission on a moments notice. I remember, as a cadet officer, 'supervising' the cadets at the airport who were waiting for their oflights. We usually had three or four pilots and a/c with about 12-15 cadets each oflight day.

Today, we have pilots who want to fly cadets for oflights in CAP a/c, but we have problems getting cadets who want to fly oflights.

Crews are assigned based (generally) on ability, not being the pilots buddy. Pilots who decide they don't like the crew, don't fly.

If the pilot throws a tantrum, they are told to leave, but the a/c remains available for the mission.

Aircraft are generally equipped with the same DF equipment, properly mounted. Training for aircrew is basically standardized, with most of the focus on operating the equipment, not compensating for improper installation, or figuring out how to jury rig the equipment in the a/c.

Just a point of order...I was NOT suggesting using my aircraft for CAP missions. No way, no how.

What I was trying to say was that as an aircraft owner in these tough times, what free time/money I have is better spent on MY aircraft, not the CAP's.

I know of several aircraft owners that feel the same way.

[a2capt]

..and another ironic twist, it seems that CAWG is trying to utilize member owned aircraft for CD missions as they "don't have the money" for the maintenance that the CD mission funding doesn't seem to cover, so lump that over to .. the member?

After they have spent the last few years basically running off member owned aircraft suddenly they need them, for this - and for O-rides at encampment.

Yeah, when you need them.. just wait until they throw up more bureaucracy to run them off - again. It is seemingly impossible to get checkrides in member owned aircraft too, as you have to bust through the vail of the clique to schedule an airplane at a unit that has one if yours does not.

..and then you do all this, and since you are not *the* aircrew that is the "favorite" of the particular IC, since you are not the one that "*always*" responds, you will get the run around and harsh treatment anyway. "Your radio is broken, RTB" "You don't know how to operate your radio" ..

It makes AE and Cadet programs look sooo much more interesting.

So, for all this, you wanna bust your arse and deal with a FEMA 300 course?

As for DF equipment, I can wing shadow just fine, and we have also demonstrated  the use of a handheld L-Per from within the aircraft works just fine.

For the Comm radio, a hand held works AMAZINGLY well from the air. It's basically line of sight, for all intents, with any repeater nearby. A simple cable into the audio in on the intercom, and pick up the radio to speak into it works great.

As for who comes onboard my aircraft? Well, me, personally, if I am flying for CAP, I understand that the AOBD and/or IC are going to be directing my flight, who comes on board, etc. Fine. As long as W&B and safety of flight are not breached, I'm there.

After all, I am flying for CAP, right?

Now the one line to cross is.. while yes it is an asset available to the mission, so are you, it's pilot. No one else can fly that one, but.. again, you are there. So, assign you to that airplane and put a crew in it. If that pilot pisses a fit about who's in it, don't use 'em. Period. Simple.

[Rotorhead]

..and another ironic twist, it seems that CAWG is trying to utilize member owned aircraft for CD missions as they "don't have the money" for the maintenance that the CD mission funding doesn't seem to cover, so lump that over to .. the member?

Forgive me, but this is a pet peeve of mine.

"CAWG" or any other Wing is not a monolithic, secret agency with a hidden HQ.

It's a bunch of CAP members, just like you and me.

If you have a problem with what's being done, call them up and tell them.

[a2capt]

Well, the opposite of that pet peeve is.. you get folks who say "not in our wing" .. so, I only have experience with whats going on here, so .. I can only say "CAWG".

Not CAP at large, and as much I have heard no real evidence of this being pushed by any higher headquarters .. so .. maybe it happens elsewhere ..

When people name a specific wing, keep in mind not everyone is at the region level and not everyone has moved around to 10 different wings.

[Short Field]

[If you have a problem with what's being done, call them up and tell them.

Have you heard the phrase "like water off a duck's back".   If you complain, you get minimized.  It would be nice to think the Wing/CC and his staff want to fix the problems - but too often they just want the problem to go away.   

[Always Ready]

Well, the opposite of that pet peeve is.. you get folks who say "not in our wing" .. so, I only have experience with whats going on here, so .. I can only say "CAWG".

Not CAP at large, and as much I have heard no real evidence of this being pushed by any higher headquarters .. so .. maybe it happens elsewhere ..

When people name a specific wing, keep in mind not everyone is at the region level and not everyone has moved around to 10 different wings.

^+1
Each wing is different anyways. Yeah we all are supposed to be following the same regs, but each Region, Wing, Group, Squadron, and Flight have their own SOPs which may or may not be the same as everyone else's.

On topic: We haven't had any pilots flat out quit, but we have had pilots stop being active. Most of the SMs in my squadron are pilots. I noticed the Pilot meetings...err umm...Senior meetings have gone from about 15 people to about 7 people. We already have issues keeping pilots active, mostly because of MP training issues, but the FEMA courses didn't help our cause.