CAP not at Air Shows anymore?

Started by Stonewall, October 27, 2008, 01:27:49 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Stonewall

I've been to two air shows since moving to Florida and I didn't see CAP at either of them.  As a cadet, we had displays at every air show here...at the same exact base I was at today.  Heck, I didn't even see Sea Cadets and it was a Navy base.

Wonder what was so important that CAP couldn't land a friggin plane, set up some gear or at least pass out some brochures.

Wonder why membership continues to struggle...

Anyway, here are some pictures from NAS Jacksonville 2008.

Me and my son with Peltor noise cancelling hearing protection...he loved'em.


Our very own Christie Ducote, former Spaatz cadet from LAWG, she came up to visit.


Heritage Flight I


Heritage Flight II


Waste of gas...


Son with "Navy Diver"


Son with EOD dude.


Kneeling by his future trainer.


82nd Airborne bringing in Old Glory.


Prepare to land...


Demos were sort of decent, but I miss Andrews AFB where they have about 4 hangars filled with 100s of booths and about 100 more static displays.
Serving since 1987.

RiverAux

Ask the local units.  We've had several threads on recruiting at airshows on the board and it seems to be a popular method.  Had a CAP News article on one last week I believe.

When it comes right down to it airshows are an entirely local CAP matter.  If someone local doesn't take the initiative to get CAP involved it won't get done by National or Wing.  Might want to think about that. 

I don't think theres been an airshow in my state that hasn't had CAP at it in many years (not counting very small local "shows" in towns without CAP units). 

CFI_Ed

OK Wing's supported airshows this Summer at Altus, Tinker and Vance AFB; along with three or more shows at local airports.  It's been a busy airshow season... :clap:
Ed Angala, Lt Col, CAP
Oklahoma Wing/DO

Eclipse

Ditto for my wing, though we had a couple called off because of fuel expenses.

We were definitely highly visible and involved in the Chicago show, Rockford show, and the one at Scott.

"That Others May Zoom"

Stonewall

Glad to hear someone's doing it.  Having 3 squadrons in the vicinity of the navy base, I don't think there's an excuse to NOT have something for the public to see.
Serving since 1987.

LtCol057

At a couple of air shows around here, even if we didn't for whatever have a CAP booth, we took cadets in uniform. Just walking around in uniform, we've had people come up to us asking about CAP. We always made sure that we had some brochures and contact info available even if we didn't have a booth.

JoeTomasone


Here in Group 3 (Tampa area), we participate in two airshows annually; Sun & Fun in Lakeland, and the MacDill (AFB) Airfest. 


Here's one of my shots from Airfest this year:


PHall

CAP is considered to be "part of the family" at the Edwards AFB and March ARB airshows.
The Security Forces Squadrons depend on us for about half of their manpower.

CASH172

Quote from: Stonewall on October 27, 2008, 01:27:49 AM
Heck, I didn't even see Sea Cadets and it was a Navy base.

There were at least three dozen Sea Cadets when I was there Saturday.  They were handing out brochures, assisting the attendees with special needs, and other duties. 

Stonewall

Quote from: CASH172 on October 27, 2008, 04:18:17 AM
Quote from: Stonewall on October 27, 2008, 01:27:49 AM
Heck, I didn't even see Sea Cadets and it was a Navy base.

There were at least three dozen Sea Cadets when I was there Saturday.  They were handing out brochures, assisting the attendees with special needs, and other duties. 

You were in Jacksonville?
Serving since 1987.

CASH172

Quote from: Stonewall on October 27, 2008, 04:55:41 AM
Quote from: CASH172 on October 27, 2008, 04:18:17 AM
Quote from: Stonewall on October 27, 2008, 01:27:49 AM
Heck, I didn't even see Sea Cadets and it was a Navy base.

There were at least three dozen Sea Cadets when I was there Saturday.  They were handing out brochures, assisting the attendees with special needs, and other duties. 

You were in Jacksonville?

That's right. 

Stonewall

What are you here for?

Anyway, I did see a couple of older "Young Marines" walking into the show as I left, but didn't see a single cadet anything other than those two.

In DC (Andrews AFB), we had one or two CAP planes, a van set up with all the GSAR gear, sold icecream or hamburgers, and put on demos with the L'per.

I've just never heard of an air show without CAP involved, just blows my mind.
Serving since 1987.

CASH172

I'm currently in school in ERAU at Daytona.  I find it strange the Sea Cadets were there for only one day.  I was also expecting some sort of a CAP presence and was amazed how there was absolutely none. 

DC

Quote from: CASH172 on October 27, 2008, 05:40:24 AM
I'm currently in school in ERAU at Daytona.  I find it strange the Sea Cadets were there for only one day.  I was also expecting some sort of a CAP presence and was amazed how there was absolutely none. 
Yeah, I'm pretty shocked with Jacksonville, with three squadrons in that city alone, plus several others in nearby towns, there should have been somebody there...

Maj Ballard

The two recent occasions there were air shows in Gainesville, we had a lot of trouble participating. They wanted to charge us $1,200+ to have a booth of any kind (even a card table with brochures on it). To volunteer for them, they wanted to split our folks up (we couldn't ensure senior member supervision of our cadets) and wouldn't allow anyone under 16 to participate. One year we ended up selling lemonade through a 3rd party vendor, and the other we had a static display (aircraft) and a bunch of folks in uniform. I'm just saying sometimes the "powers that be" make it pretty difficult to have the kind of presence we want to. No idea if that happened in this situation.
L. Ballard, Major, CAP

BillB

Captain B  The Air Show you mention wanted to charge $1200 was an error on their part. The Air Show Director knew better. The Airport Authority made provision for CAP to set up a booth area and have the 172 on display both days. The 172 was on a mission the first day and couldn't appear. I was Airport Authority Liaison with the air show and made arraingements for CAP and the Air Explorers to have a presence at the air show. The Young Marines also took part parking cars, but they made their own arraingements
Gil Robb Wilson # 19
Gil Robb Wilson # 104

jimmydeanno

I think Airshows are one of our essential recruiting and public awareness venues - and sadly - not well utilized.

The last airshow that we had here in NH (August 07) we hit hard.  CAP was "in charge" of parking duty for the 160K people over both days, cadets provided assistance for flight line "security" (stand here and just ask people to step back from the barriers) and we had a display. 

Our display entailed not 1, but 2 aircraft.  A 182 glass and one with the Archer.  We also had our communications 4X4 there with the mobile repeater in the back.  We had a 50 X 100 spot and lots of volunteers.  We handed out TONS of material which resulted in a lot of people being recruited.

When I was in VAWG, the Airpower over Hampton Roads Airshow was a fantastic success after our recruiting efforts there.  We also provided some volunteer help.  The base gave us VIP tickets to the VIP tent and the "commander's dinner."  It enabled the cadets to rub elbows with the airshow pilots, VIPs, DVs, etc.  It was a great time. 

Sometimes people trying to get a spot for CAP at them get discouraged because they expect to vend out of their booth (selling sodas, or something) and the host expects the vending fee to be paid - sometimes upwards of $600.00.  Unsure of if they are going to get that money back, they opt out entirely.

But, I think that we could say that this is a problem with the Wing's relationship with the AF locally.  Airshows are usually held anually in most states, you might get 2 or 3 max.  The wing should be taking the initiative to get the SD on the horn with the airshow coordinators to make sure that we have the opportunity to set up there and even help with some of the volunteer duties.  You can't expect the local squadron to establish that sort of relationship or even know how to get in. 

Airshows are an important recruiting resource, one that IMO is underutilized.  IMO, a wing like RI could easily double their cadet membership at one successful airshow.
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

NIN

Quote from: jimmydeanno on October 27, 2008, 12:33:44 PM
Airshows are an important recruiting resource, one that IMO is underutilized.  IMO, a wing like RI could easily double their cadet membership at one successful airshow.

Come on, dude, I doubled RI's membership just in my last recruiting drive :)

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

jimmydeanno

Quote from: NIN on October 27, 2008, 04:37:43 PM
Quote from: jimmydeanno on October 27, 2008, 12:33:44 PM
Airshows are an important recruiting resource, one that IMO is underutilized.  IMO, a wing like RI could easily double their cadet membership at one successful airshow.

Come on, dude, I doubled RI's membership just in my last recruiting drive :)

Ouch... >:D
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

RADIOMAN015

We also have found that airshow attendance (2 days) with a CAP booth & aircraft displays have been the most successful in bringing in new members.   Even squadron open houses & other venues have not been as successful.  I'm very surprised that the PAO at National Headquarters doesn't take a more proactive role in ensuring that at least the larger air shows are covered by CAP.   BTW a great place to get an idea of when/where all the airshows are going to be held is at the International Council of Airshows website http://www.icashq.org/
RADIOMAN015