Airborne Photographer Requirements

On a lazy Saturday when there is no rush, no "Air Ops or IC".

There is always an IC.

On a lazy Saturday when there is no rush, no "Air Ops or IC".

There is always an IC.

Oh geez.  Why did I ever mention trying to make training fun with a burger stop?  I should have known better with many of you guys.  Can't ever just give the gist of something here without many going nuts because it wasn't fully explained in fine details. I was talking abut just 3 guys going out on a local flight to get the practice sorties needed to pass off MS, MO, AP, etc.., not at a SAREX or real mission.

THE REASON ... I mentioned it was just simply trying to add a bit of fun factor to the new folks coming on board, especially the ones just getting started with Mission Scanner, or Observer or AP on a local level, not necessarily a SAREX. Nothing wrong with debriefing and looking at photos while having some BBQ ribs. YES YOU HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ... but its ACTUALLY OK to make it fun and have a laugh or two here and there. It helps RETENTION.

The 182 in question was scheduled for two sorties. I flew one sortie while the other was flown by the other mission pilot on the crew.  As a wing SAREX, all wing aircraft were dedicated to participation in assigned missions, excluding o-rides or other personal training. 

ALL of our sorties were productive, well briefed and debriefed and completed with a minimum of wasted time.  Our flights were accomplished with a minimum of lost time as we landed and exchanged seats and grabbed a bite in an airport in our mission area of responsibility rather than returning to our mission base, an hour round trip, to accomplish the same.

Eclipse, I don't know you or what you are.  Your snark is unnecessary and does not contribute to free exchange of ideas.  IMHO there is FAR too much sarcasm, snarky comments, and superior attitude on this forum.

If you truly believe that taking a break and hydrating interferes with mission training or completion, I am sorry for your squadron members.  That is poor leadership on your part.

Something which is regulalry noted during missions and evaluations is CAP personnel's general lack of urgency when
prosecuting missions, this goes triple during "training", because "What's the big deal man?  We'll move faster when the
'big one' hits..." except that people don't, because you fight like you train.

[Opinion] Nothing in general aviation should be rushed [/Opinion]

Our CAP aviation crew is comprised of pilots who fly irregularly with various experiences and ratings, with varied crews, on varied missions. We are not being paid to fly, and we don't do "CAP Flying" with the regularity of professional aviators.

That said, we can act professionally - and one way to do that is to slow down, take our time, and cover our bases.

If you tell me I'm "responding too slowly" to your mission, I'll hang my headset up and invite you to find someone else to fly it, but I will survive another day.

That said, we can act professionally - and one way to do that is to slow down, take our time, and cover our bases.

There is a significant difference between being "rushed" and "acting with the urgency a situation requires".

"Taking your time", in a CAP context, often means stopping by the coffee machine on the way to briefing
and discussing the latest Wing gossip.

SAR is, by definition, an emergency.  Life, property, or both are at risk, and crews from end-to-end
need to act that way, whether it's a training mission or a real-world.

People who find themselves being "rushed" are generally just not properly prepared.

That said, we can act professionally - and one way to do that is to slow down, take our time, and cover our bases.

There is a significant difference between being "rushed" and "acting with the urgency a situation requires".

"Taking your time", in a CAP context, often means stopping by the coffee machine on the way to briefing
and discussing the latest Wing gossip.

SAR is, by definition, an emergency.  Life, property, or both are at risk, and crews from end-to-end
need to act that way, whether it's a training mission or a real-world.

People who find themselves being "rushed" are generally just not properly prepared.

RUSHED? Funny.  The last couple SAREXs I've attended as a MP, I would be told to "be there for the briefing at 0830 and we want to be getting planes in the air by 0900". I'm the guy who usually arrives with our plane at 0730 to give me a few minutes to take care of business before the briefing. Not liking to be rushed.

So 0900 rolls around. Standing near the door, waiting for the release .... crickets.  Last time we were nearly an hour late. Lots of issues with folks trying to figure out how to enter all these sorties into WMIRS and going through the releases..

Its all I can do at some of these events to let folks have the protocols. I sit there with WMIRS open on my iPad and just want to "get it done" and head out to the plane. But I know better than to step on toes. Y'all talk about rushing things ... lets talk about efficiencies instead.