Should CAP have airlift capability?

Another cadet and I were discussing on the ride back from encampment. Should CAP have airlift capability? He argued that it would make certain things easier. For disaster relief, we could airdrop packages with ELTs attached to them and then send ground teams to find them and distribute them. He also said that for missing planes, we could airdrop packages with notes saying they were found, and to stay put until a SAR team got to them.

Personally, I think this is a bad idea, since none of the planes in the CAP fleet are really designed for airlift.

What do you think, Captalk?

I have no idea what you're trying to convey, and not sure that you do either. Why airdrop ELTs, unless you meant MREs, which would make more sense? Drops shouldn't have to be located, that's why they're left to the pros.

Airlift is more of a big airplane game. Think C-17, C-5, C-130, etc.

AirDROP is more along the lines of your post.

...For disaster relief, we could airdrop packages with ELTs attached to them and then send ground teams to find them and distribute them. He also said that for missing planes, we could airdrop packages with notes saying they were found, and to stay put until a SAR team got to them.

CAPR 60-1
2-1. Basic Rules.
b. ...dropping of objects (except to save a life) from CAP aircraft [is] prohibited.

Hi, T8nker.

CAP from its beginning has leveraged the skill sets of average citizen pilots who flew small civilian planes; it would make no sense at all to try to buy big planes and train to fly/maintain them on a volunteer basis, for the rare DR mission, when the Guard/Reserve already fill that airlift niche.

However, CAP members can, within our currently authorized mission set and with limited training, augment existing DoD airlift organizations during disaster missions.

A case example is during the Hurricane Katrina response, where Atlanta area unit personnel worked at a local base assisting in making up water, ration, and first aid pallets to be flown downrange to the affected area on Guard/Reserve aircraft. We (I was one of them) performed manual labor under minimal Guard/Reserve loadmaster supervision, thus freeing up Guard/Reserve personnel duty hours and crew hours for actual flight ops down into the storm area.  We were free, we showed up as a disciplined unit ready to sweat, we were familiar with their aircraft and mission and terms, etc. It was a win-win, and the low risk involved with the work allowed us to employ members who either weren't ground team qualified, or weren't able to devote days off to drive to work in the DR threat areas. So, I'd encourage units to consider working with their Wing Operations staff to approach their state Guard/Reserve components to work to put in place (and train to) plans and agreements so that CAP can step in to assist in these sort of airlift augmentee roles, where we can provide real value to their mission.

Remember, as always, any such response needs to be coordinated through your chain of command - don't just show up.


V/r
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