Here is a link to a story about a pilot involved in saving two lives who was given an award by the "Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol", which is evidently an organization in the UK set up in 2001 to keep a look out for incidents on the ground when they are flying. Has 200 members.
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/05/02/air-crash-hero-gets-top-award-61634-20852638/
Here is a link to the organization: http://www.skywatch.org.uk/
If you ask me, that is more of a "civil air patrol" than we are.
**big bump**
The chairman of the UK's Skywatch Civil Air Patrol, Tony Cowan, recently returned to the UK after a month-long tour of the US visiting CAP units. He received a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Traveling Fellowship (link) (http://www.wcmt.org.uk/) to come to the US to study how US CAP operates. Tony visited National Capitol, VA, MD, FL, GA, AL, TX and CO wings, AFRCC and CAP NHQ. He also met with some law enforcement agencies to see their flying programs. Tony, among other things, is a retired RAF pilot and former law enforcement pilot.
The blog of his trip, with pictures, is here. (http://s227304644.websitehome.co.uk/)
SWCAP uses only member-owned aircraft and most are in the light-sport category, though at least one of their members has a GA-8. SWCAP also uses gyrocopters.
Skywatch Civil Air Patrol's new link is http://www.skywatchcivilairpatrol.org.uk/
Mike
I saw him in the ICP at the Texas DSAREX -- I didn't realize who it was at the time, I just saw a British guy and knew he was there to see our operation and get a GA-8 flight. Wish I knew more about this ahead of time. :)
Great article, thanks for sharing it with us.
This is a cool story, make no mistake.
I had heard of a "Civil Air Patrol" in Brazil, but I didn't know there was one in the UK.
This sounds like a distant cousin to the (now-disbanded) Royal Observer Corps, without the connection to the RAF.
These are some dedicated people.