CAP Pilot Info.

[tgiovan]

Hello,
My name is Tony and I am considering joining the Civil Air Patrol as a Pilot. I have more than the required 175 hours, and am instrument rated. I also am a full time firefighter/paramedic so I have a unique schedule with plenty of time to get involved in my local unit (Squadron 57, San Diego). I have not attended a squadron meeting yet, as I am trying to gather information first. However, with that said I have a few questions that I was unable to get answered through the course of my research. My questions are as follows:
1. If I join as a pilot will I be able to fly right away? Having an extensive search and rescue background in the fire service, I would like to start acting as a mission pilot as quickly as possible. I realize there is certain steps I must take first, I am just not quite clear on what these steps entail.
2. What is the usual monthly time commitment? Although, I do have a somewhat flexible schedule, there are inevitably months where I am gone a lot due to my job.
3. What are some of the other flying opportunities or missions carried out by CAP? I found limited and sporadic info on this topic online, with no definitive answers.
4. I am not looking to build hours however, I love to fly. How many hours a month can I expect to fly with CAP? I plan on continuing to fly outside of CAP with the Wife, but would like a general estimate of how many hours pilots usually get.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

-Tony

[Garibaldi]

Hello,
My name is Tony and I am considering joining the Civil Air Patrol as a Pilot. I have more than the required 175 hours, and am instrument rated. I also am a full time firefighter/paramedic so I have a unique schedule with plenty of time to get involved in my local unit (Squadron 57, San Diego). I have not attended a squadron meeting yet, as I am trying to gather information first. However, with that said I have a few questions that I was unable to get answered through the course of my research. My questions are as follows:
1. If I join as a pilot will I be able to fly right away? Having an extensive search and rescue background in the fire service, I would like to start acting as a mission pilot as quickly as possible. I realize there is certain steps I must take first, I am just not quite clear on what these steps entail.
2. What is the usual monthly time commitment? Although, I do have a somewhat flexible schedule, there are inevitably months where I am gone a lot due to my job.
3. What are some of the other flying opportunities or missions carried out by CAP? I found limited and sporadic info on this topic online, with no definitive answers.
4. I am not looking to build hours however, I love to fly. How many hours a month can I expect to fly with CAP? I plan on continuing to fly outside of CAP with the Wife, but would like a general estimate of how many hours pilots usually get.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

-Tony

Hi Tony,

First, being a Mission Pilot (hereinafter referred to as MP) requires a couple prerequisites. First, you need to get a Mission Observer (MO) rating. Every CAP Pilot has to have the training, as not all pilots can be PIC on a mission and sometimes need to fly right seat. Once you do that, you have to jump through a few more hoops. Good news is, 80% of what you need to do is done in the plane.

Second, the monthly time commitment is what you deem it to be. If you can afford to spend every meeting night and one or two weekends per month in CAP, or one meeting a month and no weekends, it's up to you. There's plenty to do.

Thirdly, outside of mission flying there are cadet orientation flights, counter-drug (But there's a few more stringent pre-req's for that), various homeland security missions, and transport.

Fourth, the number of hours you can fly depends on a number of factors, not entirely limited to aircraft availability. Someone else can tell you a roundabout figure. I haven't flown in 20 years or so and some of my info would be very dated. Your best bet, if you want to fly, is to become a cadet orientation pilot. The CAP regs spell out the requirements for hours and whatnot, and it's a fun job. Some pilots just fly those flights.

Other than that, I'm sure a lot of people here will be glad to tell you what's what.

Welcome to CAPTalk and CAP.

[tsrup]

Hello,
My name is Tony and I am considering joining the Civil Air Patrol as a Pilot. I have more than the required 175 hours, and am instrument rated. I also am a full time firefighter/paramedic so I have a unique schedule with plenty of time to get involved in my local unit (Squadron 57, San Diego). I have not attended a squadron meeting yet, as I am trying to gather information first. However, with that said I have a few questions that I was unable to get answered through the course of my research. My questions are as follows:
1. If I join as a pilot will I be able to fly right away? Having an extensive search and rescue background in the fire service, I would like to start acting as a mission pilot as quickly as possible. I realize there is certain steps I must take first, I am just not quite clear on what these steps entail.
2. What is the usual monthly time commitment? Although, I do have a somewhat flexible schedule, there are inevitably months where I am gone a lot due to my job.
3. What are some of the other flying opportunities or missions carried out by CAP? I found limited and sporadic info on this topic online, with no definitive answers.
4. I am not looking to build hours however, I love to fly. How many hours a month can I expect to fly with CAP? I plan on continuing to fly outside of CAP with the Wife, but would like a general estimate of how many hours pilots usually get.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

-Tony

Hi Tony,

First, being a Mission Pilot (hereinafter referred to as MP) requires a couple prerequisites. First, you need to get a Mission Observer (MO) rating. Every CAP Pilot has to have the training, as not all pilots can be PIC on a mission and sometimes need to fly right seat. Once you do that, you have to jump through a few more hoops. Good news is, 80% of what you need to do is done in the plane.

Second, the monthly time commitment is what you deem it to be. If you can afford to spend every meeting night and one or two weekends per month in CAP, or one meeting a month and no weekends, it's up to you. There's plenty to do.

Thirdly, outside of mission flying there are cadet orientation flights, counter-drug (But there's a few more stringent pre-req's for that), various homeland security missions, and transport.

Fourth, the number of hours you can fly depends on a number of factors, not entirely limited to aircraft availability. Someone else can tell you a roundabout figure. I haven't flown in 20 years or so and some of my info would be very dated. Your best bet, if you want to fly, is to become a cadet orientation pilot. The CAP regs spell out the requirements for hours and whatnot, and it's a fun job. Some pilots just fly those flights.

Other than that, I'm sure a lot of people here will be glad to tell you what's what.

Welcome to CAPTalk and CAP.

Mission Observer is not required for MP, Mission Scanner, however, is. 

[Garibaldi]

D'oh. Told you my info might be outdated. Last time I was MO qualified, I was told that MO was a prereq for MP. That was 1993 or 94.

[SarDragon]

PM sent. That's my unit.

[JeffDG]

PM sent. That's my unit.

OK, just listen to him.

While much of the information is universal in nature, how specifically it works on the ground is unit-specific.  So, now you have a contact in the unit, work with that!

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

Hi Tony,

Welcome to CAPTalk!

To become an MP in CAP is a process that involves training and commitment. The reason for the extensive (maybe not as extensive as some SAR organizations but a good balance between needs of the organization and the cost bourne by the volunteer) training is that you will be entrusted with the lives of two other crew members to fly at 1,000 in hostile terrain. In CAWG, there are some great squadrons, and SQ57 is one of the best and run by a great SQ Commander.  You will not go wrong by joining that SQ.

The process of becoming an MP is detailed in this page I put together for our SQ (Note a lot of steps are to assist in ouronline system called eServices): http://www.squadron188.org/home/New-Member-Guide/mission-pilot-guide  In short, the steps are as follows:

1. Join
2. Complete your Level I
3. Train for and Complete your CAP checkride, called a Form 5
4. Train for and Complete your Mission Scanner (MS) rating (minimum of two flights in a SAREX or real-world mission)
5. Train for and Complete your Mission Pilot (MP) rating (Approximately four training flights plus a minumum of two flights in a SAREX or real world mission)

This takes about a year unless you can attend the National Emergency Services Academy in Indiana for a week in July/Aug or attend CAWG's Mission Aircrew School for two weekends in the summer.

As a volunteer organization that is funded in part by Congress our missions and hours vary from year to year and will be variable depending on your availability and time in.  The longer you are in CAP the more opportunities will be available.  This is not OBC but a function of experience, availability and trust.  As an example I did 85 PIC and about 120 total in a CAP airplane last year, and was in the top 10 of pilots in California Wing for hours.  In the first couple of years your hours may be less.  My hours included SAREX's, training CAP Mission Pilots, Counter-Drug, Real world missions, etc.  This did not include Cadet Orientation rides of which there are many opportunities.

Go check out Squadron 57.

[tgiovan]

Thank you all for the helpfull information. I will be attending the next meeting in hopes of joining!