Does anyone have pictures of the Fresno assigned aircraft? Make/Model/year/Eqpt
I'm deliberating whether to join the squadron if it has an airworthy aircraft.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
If it is assigned to a CAP unit I would be willing to wager that the aircraft is one of or the most airworthy airframe at the airport. It has been my experience that maintenance of CAP aircraft is second to none.
If your decision to join or not hinges on the appearance of an airplane, then I'd offer that you do yourself and the squadron a favor and move on.
So let me ask you this...
Do you expect to walk into that squadron the first meeting and them tell you "hey why don't you take the aircraft for a spin"?
So other than the aircraft what would you want to join cap for? Are you interested in SAR, cadet programs or aerospace education?
I'd have to echo the above comments that the CAP aircraft fleet, from my experience here, is consistently and regularly maintained at the highest levels. The CAP aircraft regularly get painted and upgraded. For example, one of the older Cessnas near me in New York got a complete overhaul, new paint scheme, complete interior reupholstery, and some new avionics last year. And the rest of the aircraft near me are pretty new already. CAP purchases brand new airframes from Cessna every single year and auctions off older and damaged airframes. CAP's aircraft aren't going to be beaters or old clunkers with shag carpet interiors and a bunch of finicky avionics.
I'd also echo the comments that you'll probably get much better value in assessing whether or not you should join Civil Air Patrol from a visit to the squadron, a talk with local leadership, and a few weeks of observing how they operate.
Lastly, CAP isn't a flying club. Our members do get to use our fleet of aircraft at very cheap rates to help them build their hours, ratings, mission skills, and proficiency. So if your sole interest in joining CAP is for access to a cheap quality aircraft, I'd suggest checking out some other organizations instead.
I am the Squadron Commander for Fresno. Please PM me and we will discuss what it is you are looking to get out of Civil Air Patrol.