Technology and History

[BillB]

When CAP was organized, the Office of Civilian Defense, the US Army Air Corp and CAP members recorded the activity on 16mm motion picture film. In the 1950's and 60's, 16mm was still the norm for TV stations and USAF Film units but the members of CAP recorded Encampments, missions and activities on 8mm home movies. In the 1970's the Sony Beta video tape appeared along with JVC's VHS tape systems for home video while 3/4 inch wasd the norm for professional video along with 2 inch video tape for commercial video recording. Today DC-mini, DC-pro video tapes and memory cards, thumb drives are used for video recording. The point being the CAP Historian needs to have examples of the machines to play all the obsolete formats of film and video. Howe many parents shot 8mm film of little Johnny and no longer have an 8mm projector? Or as you found out how to transfer the Air Force 16mm films to DVD from 16mm.
Much of the history of CAP is in motion picture film, videotape, Kodachrome negatives which no longer can be copied by the average CAP Squadron. Early attempts at an Oral History Project may be lost when the reel to reel audio player is no longer available. What is needed is a staff position at National with a budget to purchase examples of the obsolete recording equipment to copy the old formats to modern CD's or DVD's Even at this there are problems. the home 8mm films were shot at 18 frames per second, which doesn't match up with the refresh rate for computer video/DVD recording. About 10% of 16mm home movie film was also shot at 18 frames while the other 90 was shot at 24 frames.
But unless an effort is made by CAP now to transfer the historical films and videos, much of the history of CAP will be lost.

[Spike]

No more staff or purchases at Maxwell are needed.  The Air Force will do this for us, as will DVIDS (The DoD picture and video office).  All we need is a National Leadership Officer (With stars on her shoulders) to ask CAP-USAF for this assistance in coordinating these efforts.