California CAP Members Can No Longer Marshal Non-CAP Planes

[SoCalCAPOfficer]

We were advised this week that neither Cadets or Senior Members could Marshal Non-CAP airplanes.  This will put a halt to a major portion of our activities at Air Shows.

Is this just a California policy or do other wings also prohibit marshaling private aircraft?

(Grammar corrected, thank you for catching it)

[Eclipse]

Nothing like that here to date.

[PHall]

We were advised this week that neither Cadets or Senior Members could Marshall Non-CAP airplanes.  This will put a halt to a major portion of our activities at Air Shows.

Is this just a California policy or do other wings also prohibit marshalling private aircraft?

At what airshow in California have we ever marshalled non-CAP airplanes?
Because I can't think of any airshow where we have marshalled aircraft, period.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Point of order from the resident grammarian:

You marshal airplanes. Marshall is a university in West Virginia.

And no, he's not the State Fire Marshall unless his name is Marshall, too. He's a marshal, like Marshal Dillon on "Gunsmoke." Not that I watch old TV westerns.

(grumbling)

[es_g0d]

The flightline program, in its entirety, is worthy of review.  Save for such activities such as Blue Beret, I must wonder whether or not the benefit is worth the risk.  So while I don't necessarily agree with the new CAWG policy, I can see some of its reasoning.  It will be interesting to see what shakes out.

(I'm glad for the grammatical point of order!  I'm hopeful that we can also keep hangar and hanger, brake and break, and chock and chalk apart!)

[SarDragon]

We were advised this week that neither Cadets or Senior Members could Marshall Non-CAP airplanes.  This will put a halt to a major portion of our activities at Air Shows.

Is this just a California policy or do other wings also prohibit marshalling private aircraft?

At what airshow in California have we ever marshalled non-CAP airplanes?
Because I can't think of any airshow where we have marshalled aircraft, period.

We did it a couple of years at Hemet-Ryan. Not sure about other places.

[SaBeR33]

We were advised this week that neither Cadets or Senior Members could Marshall Non-CAP airplanes.  This will put a halt to a major portion of our activities at Air Shows.

Is this just a California policy or do other wings also prohibit marshalling private aircraft?

At what airshow in California have we ever marshalled non-CAP airplanes?
Because I can't think of any airshow where we have marshalled aircraft, period.

We did it a couple of years at Hemet-Ryan. Not sure about other places.

My old squadron nonetheless...and I participated in said activities there as a cadet. from 1990 - 1995.

[Pylon]

Does that prohibit CAWG members from marshaling aircraft when they attend NCSAs like NBB?

[Eclipse]

And I'd have to ask who advised you?  Wing King?

[Flying Pig]

I believe we are only allowed to Marshal CAP Aircraft in CAWG now, by direction of the Wing CC.  Did something happen, or did some risk management nerd suggest this to solve a problem that didnt exist.

[A.Member]

Silly.

[Major Lord]

When I first joined, CAP ran the flight line at the Nut Tree airshow, including the "fly-away" aircraft/CAP radio box, and ran ground controls. I have not seen anything like that in recent times. It seems a shame to pull our badgers away from such a high profile aeronautical duty at an airshow, since it conflicts with a number of our goals; Recruit and retain cadets, and external AE education. I suppose we will have to add a new specialty badge soon....Ground Team Lawyer.

Major Lord

[Gunner C]

Ground Team Lawyer.

:clap:

The wave of the future . . . 

[Al Sayre]

This is probably going to get me flamed, but unfortunately in my experience, quite a few GA pilots are not used to having marshalers beyond the line boy at the local FBO.  They don't watch for marshalers, and they either don't know most of the signals beyond stop and come forward or they ignore them completely and taxi to where ever they want, this creates a dangerous situation for the marshalers and others who may be on the flight line. 

I've worked as a line boy in High School, as an LSE in the Navy on some pretty small decks, and marshaled a lot of GA aircraft at airshows both for CAP and other organizations, and nothing scares me more than a pilot who doesn't follow the instructions of the marshaler.

If you are marshaling non-CAP aircraft and someone has an accident, you will probably need a good lawyer.  I don't necessarily agree with a total ban, but I also don't generally think it's a good idea to have our cadets doing it either.

[Always Ready]

This is probably going to get me flamed, but unfortunately in my experience, quite a few GA pilots are not used to having marshalers beyond the line boy at the local FBO.  They don't watch for marshalers, and they either don't know most of the signals beyond stop and come forward or they ignore them completely and taxi to where ever they want, this creates a dangerous situation for the marshalers and others who may be on the flight line. 

No flaming required. Here's my observation/opinion. In my experience, there are a significant number (more than one, less than most) of CAP pilots who don't pay attention at all or pick and choose which commands to pay attention to. At the airshows/fly-ins I've marshaled at, GA pilots tend to pay more attention to their surroundings and to me because I am trying to keep their baby safe and it's a mutual goal. Most CAP pilots are not flying their baby, they are flying something covered by someone else's insurance. I've been in several situations where the CAP pilot completely ignored my commands or just told me to move out of the way so they could park closer to the Mission Base instead of where I needed them.

Just another reason to stay out of California (just kidding)

[Major Lord]

"you will probably need a good lawyer"

Are there "good" lawyers?

Major Lord

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Ground Team Lawyer.

:clap:
The wave of the future . . . 

They don't have to wear a uniform. 

[notaNCO forever]

Ground Team Lawyer.

:clap:

The wave of the future . . . 

I can see it now Hawk Mountain lawyer school.

[Flying Pig]

This is probably going to get me flamed, but unfortunately in my experience, quite a few GA pilots are not used to having marshalers beyond the line boy at the local FBO.  They don't watch for marshalers, and they either don't know most of the signals beyond stop and come forward or they ignore them completely and taxi to where ever they want, this creates a dangerous situation for the marshalers and others who may be on the flight line. 

I've worked as a line boy in High School, as an LSE in the Navy on some pretty small decks, and marshaled a lot of GA aircraft at airshows both for CAP and other organizations, and nothing scares me more than a pilot who doesn't follow the instructions of the marshaler.

If you are marshaling non-CAP aircraft and someone has an accident, you will probably need a good lawyer.  I don't necessarily agree with a total ban, but I also don't generally think it's a good idea to have our cadets doing it either.

I was going to point out the same thing.  Most GA pilots would completely blow you off, or not even understand the signals to begin with. 

[Larry Mangum]

It is probably more a response to CAPR900-5 to quote:

7. Air Shows.
a. Prohibited Activities. No unit or member of CAP is authorized to sponsor or cosponsor any air show. CAP members may not:
1) Accept rides in an air show as a part of any official CAP activity.
2) Be used as security guards, or damage control.
3) Taxi non-CAP aircraft before, during, or after an air show.
4) Direct parking of aircraft unless having received training on aircraft marshalling and having a flight line authorization on CAPF 101 or CAPF 101T.

It is probably easier to ban all marshalling rather then have the headaches associcated witch making sure that all personnel are properly trained and documented.