Request aviation related information

[Dover]

Howdy,

I've been doing research into joining CAP and I am looking for specific aviation related information.  I'm an active duty military pilot and hold a Commercial SEL/MEL/ROT (ROT CFI/CFII) certificate.  I am well versed in SAR operations and have maintained currency in light GA aircraft.  CAP sounds like a great way to expand my aviation knowledge and to see another professional program as well as a good mentorship program.  Since I don't have a ton of free time, I would like to know exactly what I would be getting myself into. 

Now, on to my specific aviation related questions. Would somebody we willing to give me a break down of the following:

- What would I would be able to offer CAP as a pilot and are you able to join as a pilot? 

- How many flight hours a year are CAP pilots flying?  (assuming it depends on location)

- Are these flights generally dedicated missions or proficiency flights?

- Are most flights local or do they go cross country?

- Does CAP pay for the flight hours or do members actually pay per flight hour?

- Is there a standard syllabus and mission qualifications or it that dictated by each wing?

Thank you for any and all help you can provide.

- Dover

[Flying Pig]

What's "ROT"?    Rotorcraft?

[Cliff_Chambliss]

Dover:

I've been doing research into joining CAP and I am looking for specific aviation related information.  I'm an active duty military pilot and hold a Commercial SEL/MEL/ROT (ROT CFI/CFII) certificate.  I am well versed in SAR operations and have maintained currency in light GA aircraft.  CAP sounds like a great way to expand my aviation knowledge and to see another professional program as well as a good mentorship program.  Since I don't have a ton of free time, I would like to know exactly what I would be getting myself into. 

Now, on to my specific aviation related questions. Would somebody we willing to give me a break down of the following:

Speaking as a former CAP Member:

- What would I would be able to offer CAP as a pilot and are you able to join as a pilot? 

Can you join as a pilot?  Yes, but you may be asked (tasked) additional duties & responsibilities.  As a CAP Pilot there is the SAR Environment, Sometimes assistance to various EMA's, depending on funding and such possible assistance supporting the war on drugs (Go high & orbit and act as an airborne communications repeater).  Providing orientation rides to cadets, and if you want, providing no charge flight instruction.  (All certificates a7 rating for cadets, but only advanced certificates/ratings for senior members).

- How many flight hours a year are CAP pilots flying?  (assuming it depends on location) 

As an ideal, CAP would like to get 200 hours per year on each airframe.  How much time each pilot gets just depends.

- Are these flights generally dedicated missions or proficiency flights? 

both.

- Are most flights local or do they go cross country? 

both

- Does CAP pay for the flight hours or do members actually pay per flight hour? 

CAP pays flying hour costs for actual missions, SAR exercises, Cadet Orientation, DEA Support missions (if they ever come back) and some maintenance flights, and depending on funding maybe some proficiency flights.  All other flying is member paid. 

- Is there a standard syllabus and mission qualifications or it that dictated by each wing? 

CAP Instruction (Reg) 60-1 outlines the basic requirements for pilots.  CAP National does provide a standardized guide for mission and aircrew training.  Some states have approved supplements.

One big downside is that as soon as members discover you are a CFI they will try to load you up like fleas on a dog to provide free flight instruction.

As I said at the start, I am a former CAP Member and have not been in or around a CAP airplane for the last couple of years.   

Thank you for any and all help you can provide.

[Panzerbjorn]

Dover, welcome to CAPTalk and some excellent questions!

1. With your level of experience, what you could offer CAP as a pilot is nearly limitless.  From being a Mission Pilot to an Orientation Flight Pilot for cadets to an Instructor Pilot.  With the kind of credentials that you're carrying, the flying doors pretty much fling open wide.  There are hoops to jump through, but they're worth it in the end.

2. The number of hours flown depends on several factors, but mainly your availability.  As a Mission Pilot, you fly a lot more hours than other CAP pilots.  Myself, last fiscal year, I few about 80 hours just with CAP.  This fiscal year already I'm at half that amount with five more months left in the FY.  I'm in North Carolina and this Wing (State) is one of the top in the nation for number of flight hours flown.  Location will also be a factor in how much you fly.  It's been my experience that Wings in coastal and mountainous areas fly more than those that are not.  This is not a guarantee, but it's been my personal experience.

3. The flying is a mix of both.  The good Wings and Squadrons have a mix of the mission and proficiency type of flying.  CAP has come to realize that in order to maintain a roster of good pilots, it needs to accommodate flying that keeps the proficiency up, so there has been a lot of emphasis lately on keeping those fundamental skills sharp.  There's a tremendous amount of training flight dedicated to qualifying and maintaining aircrew proficiency in search and rescue tasks.  Actual mission flying is never predictable because it, of course, relies on people being in trouble or a natural disaster occurring.

4. MOST of the flying is relatively local for training and such.  There are also A LOT of cross country flights.  You are allowed to fly typically within the boundaries of your Wing and the surrounding States.  It's plenty of area to cover, and, of course, any flight terminating over 50nm away from your departure point is a cross country flight.  I get creative when I fly cadets for orientation flights and do things like destination rides such as flying them out to First Flight or an airport on the coast here that has a CAP museum on the field.  There are also opportunities to ferry aircraft and people around for long distance cross countries.  I've done things like fly out of Chicago to Duluth, MN, pick up a member who was supporting an actual SAR mission up there, fly him down to Scott AFB, then back to Chicago.  There is a lot of cross country type of flying that can be done, but you'll still find that the MAJORITY of your flying will be local flying doing various things.

5. Last fiscal year I flew right around 80 hours.  Not a single one of those hours was paid for out of my own pocket.  This year, I used a CAP plane to complete my Instrument rating.  Those hours were paid for out of my own pocket at a dry rate of $47/hr (Tach) for a 2012 Cessna 182T Skylane equipped with a G1000 glass cockpit.  So it depends on the kind of flying you're doing.  The biggest caveat is that CAP aircraft aren't for throwing the family into it and flying to a vacation destination.  It always has to be for CAP business.

6. Qualifications, such as Mission Pilot, are standardized.  But each Wing with National HQ approval can add restrictions.  My Wing, for example, requires you to have an Instrument Rating and 300 PIC before being qualified to fly the Cessna 206 or the Gibbsland GA-8, but that's not a National requirement.  But you're not going to find things like you have to have an Instrument rating to be a Mission Pilot anywhere.  The training and qualifications ARE standardized, but there will always be some extra thrown in based on your instructors and local flying conditions.  A Mission Pilot in a mountainous area isn't necessarily going to be trained to fly the same way as a flatland Mission Pilot on the coast.  But they both will have the same standardized training to become qualified Mission Pilots.

Hope that helps out some and encourages you to join us!

[Panzerbjorn]

As Cliff said, yes, when a squadron sees those CFI letters, it will garner you more attention.  But most of the time, it'll be more to become a CAP Instructor Pilot and Check Pilot than to suddenly provide free flight instruction.  A much more common request is to become a Squadron's STAN/EVAL Officer and help with checkrides for the squadron's pilots.

A CFI can't charge for instruction in a CAP aircraft under any circumstances.  Because of that, it's very difficult to find a CFI who would be willing to devote that much time to helping someone earn a Rating.  Even then, only cadets are permitted to receive primary flight instruction in a CAP aircraft except under extraordinary circumstances.

For some CFIs, such as myself in the very near future, providing some instruction is a means of giving back for everything that CAP has given to me.  My personal plan after some Dual Given experience and I'm blessed off as a CAP Instructor Pilot is not necessarily take cadets the whole way to their PPLs, but I'd be willing to take them as far as their first solo.  After that, I'll guide them over to the flight school I'll be working at to take them the rest of the way.

[Dover]

Flying Pig - Yes Rotorcraft/Helicopter. 

Thank you all for the information you provided, that was exactly what I was looking for.  I will more than likely contact the Wing and feel them out a little bit for the specifics in my area.  It sounds like it could be a lot of fun but my only worry is I do not have enough time to devote to the organization.  Thanks again and fly safe.



- Dover

[Flying Pig]

My goodness gracious........   You guys made it sound like there are just oodles of hours waiting to be snatched up.    Get with the a local squadron, attend some meetings and talk to people.  Ask how you can help out with the unit at the squadron level.   If of my biggest irritations as a squadron commander was people coming in and right out of the gate I got "how much can I fly?"    There isnt a lot of flying to go around for the most part.  It's hit and miss.   The majority of flying you will do in CAP , plan on paying for it yourself.  You are flying a 182 or a 206 for the most part in CAP.  It's general aviation.  You don't need to contact the wing.   CAP does not fly rescue missions. CAP flies search missions.   
Depending on where you are your CAP experience will vary greatly.   Step 1 is to find a squadron near you and go to a meeting.  Ask how you can help.  Watch what they do at a meeting.  Because sometimes they won't be doing anything!   Remember you are joining civil air patrol.  You aren't joining a branch of the military. CAP doesn't just happen. it's made to happen by a small percentage of the membership.  The larger percentage stands around and only shows up when something fun happens.   I've had  few people join who were always to busy to show up on squadron clean up day or to help a mother stock the uniform closet for cadets but always somehow managed to clear their schedule for a day of flying.    In my unit those people never made it onto the flying schedule.  I had a couple military pilots who couldn't be bothered to help with anything, but yet I have a single 40yr old father of 3 who shows up on his day off and takes it upon himself to wash and detail the airplane without anyone asking.  Just some observations.