CAP Heritage Flight?

[stevetupper]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

[I'll begin this thread by sayng that, if anyone has already done a CAP heritage flight or has one in the works, please tell me about it and where I can go to see it.]

I started a thread about this a little over a year ago and then abandoned it due to family and work commitments.  I have now reallocated some time and am thinking about pursuing this anew.

You're probably already familiar with "heritage flights."  A vintage warbird flies with its antecedent(s) on its wing(s).  E.g. P-51 Mustang with an F-16 on its wing.  Usually two ships, but sometimes more.  Usually three passes.  (Great examples at http://www.aero-pix.com/memorial/hfpage.htm).  You get the picture.

I think that it would be a great idea if CAP could arrange its own heritage flight at one or more events, be they air shows or other events.  An L-4A Grasshopper with a C-172.  Or other WWII CAP aircraft paired with their modern-day equivalents.  ( I understand that there are CAP-livery aircraft that remain airworthy whose airspeeds better match the C-172, C-182, etc., but the L-4A is all that comes to mind.)

I am aware of the CAP prohibition on formation flight and of the prohibiition on participation in the aerial parts of air shows.  If you post to this thread about obstacles (regulatory or otherwise), please do so in the spirit of idenifying problems to be solved, as opposed to declaring stoppers.

I am the legal officer of the Oakland Composite Squadron and (if I read the CAP NHQ duty assignment that came down after NLOC in Boston this summer) assistant legal officer of the Michigan Wing.  All of which is only to say that I can put sentences together and understand regs reasonably well.  I would be happy to make the proper inquiries, shepherd the process, do such white papers as the operational command might require (or by which they might be persuaded), etc.

I fully undestand that this suggestion might be squashed, and for good reasons, be they safety or otherwise.  And it won't break my heart if that happens.

But can you imagine the public relations mileage (not to mention the inspiration to our cadets and senior members alike) associated with a formation of cadets with color guard mustering at Show Center and standing at attention while a WWII CAP shore patrol or transport aircraft and a current CAP Cessna go by in formation as the announcer tells the audience how men, women, boys, and girls just like them have played a vital hole in homeland defense?

Many of us see ghosts in the sky when we see an F-22 on the wing of a P-51, such as at OSH this year.  But, for most audience members, they are someone else's ghosts.  We get choked up mostly out of pride at what others have done.  Wouldn't it be amazing to see out own ghost flight with our current iron on the wing - And have our hearts beat with pride in ourselves for the aircraft on the wing in addition to respect for the lead ship?  Ahhhhhhh.  That would be quite a thing, yes?

Please contribute to this thread by sugesting aircraft types, identifying surviving and airworthy aircraft that are still in CAP livery that might participate, identifying regional and national personnel who might be in the decision chain for such an exercise, operational considerations (such as what formation certification, etc. might be involved and what mission rules might apply), etc.

You can also reach me directly at steve@airspeedonline.com or 248-470-7944.

Best regards and thanks in advance for your contributions of data, information, knowledge, and - most of all - wisdom.

- Steve

Stephen L. Tupper, Capt, CAP
Legal Officer and Recruiting Officer
Oakland Composite Squadron (GLR-MI-238)
US Civil Air Patrol
248-470-7944
steve@airspeedonline.com
www.airspeedonline.com

[ZigZag911]

Even if you couldn't get the OK for formation flying, a WWII era CAP aircraft, perhaps with something from 50s-70s timeframe, together with a current  C172 (or, ideally, GA8!) would be one impressive static display.

[JohnKachenmeister]

It would be cheating, but there are Piper Cub lookalikes out there.  They could be marked with WWII insignia. 

A Cub, an L-19, and a C-172 would work.

Now... regulations...

No formation flight, CAP can't use light sport aircraft.  (The Cub re-makes are LSA's)

[IceNine]

(The Cub re-makes are LSA's)

No way!... Mix that with the fact that they travel somewhere close to, but not quite the speed of smell, and you've got an impressive display.

OT- I know a guy that has 58,000 hours mostly in a cub... he flew pipelines 8 hours a day for 40 something years

[BillB]

There is a CAP member in Gainesville Composite Squadron (Florida) that has an L-4 in 1944 USAAF markings. National has waived the no formation flying based on pilot qualifications on a Wing Commanders request in the past. The other aircraft flown by CAP were the L-5 which could maintain airspeed equal to a 172 and L-16 which was somewhat slower but could maintain formation with a 172 throttled back.
You may find L-5's rather rare in Trade-a-Plane, the only one I saw was one with a radial engine, which CAP didn't have back in the 50's and 60's.

[SJFedor]

I remember another discussion about this. Can't remember if it was here or CivilAirPortal, back in the day.

I'd love to see a 182, a T-34, a L-4, and a Cub. That'd be neato.