Ground Team Missing Airplane Find Experience

[RiverAux]

It recently occurred to me that most of the people I know that have been ground team qualified for a while have been in on at least one find of a missing aircraft.  Several of them have been in on multiple finds.  This got me to wondering how common that is.

The other related issue is that the majority of our ground team members are cadets and since cadets are usually only in for a few years, it seems likely that a majority of CAP ground team members are never in on a find during their CAP career.

That is how it worked for me.  Just before I joined as a cadet, the unit I joined found a crashed plane, which actually prompted me to join.  Of course, after I joined we never got called out again for a mission during the 2-3 years I was a cadet. 

As a senior, I've been GT qualified for over 10 years, but have not been on a missing aircraft find ground team.  I've been part of a team that made a find, but wasn't on the part of the group that actually went to the aircraft, so I'm not counting that.  If I was more of a regular GT member (I usually do other things), I'm fairly sure I would have been in on at least one find by now. 

[MIKE]

Two non-distress "Finds" as a cadet.   One airplane, one boat.

[Stonewall]

Been a ground team member since 1988.

Been a ground team leader since 1993.

Been a ground operations branch director since 1997.

Been on at least 10 missions for actual missing planes, at least 3 or 4 were official "Finds".  I was never on the individual team that found the A/C, but I did arrive to see the "Find".

The picture below wasn't hard to find, but we did crash site surveillance on it for a half day.  Really the police did, but they let us stay there for GP.

[Eclipse]

The other related issue is that the majority of our ground team members are cadets

Cite please.  You make this assertion all the time and I don't buy it.

I think some of it is tied to where you live.  If you're in a fairly populous area with a healthy aviation community, finds are fairly common (or were, at least until this month).

If you live nowhere near an aviation community, then obviously your opportunity for any pane-related missions will be pretty limited.

[PHall]

I've been GT rated for years (20+), but the only finds (3) I have are as aircrew.
But one of those finds was a save too, so I'll take it.

Ground teams here in California don't get many finds. Lots of area to cover and we're not in charge, the Sheriff Department is.

Non-distress ELT "finds" are very, very common.

[JoeTomasone]

I never kept any records before coming back out of Patron status in 2006 - silly me -- but since qualifying in UDF/GTM3 exactly one year ago, I have 10 non-distress finds and one "shoulda had" since we had AOS but could not get permission to enter a boat yard to locate/silence. 

[PHall]

I never kept any records before coming back out of Patron status in 2006 - silly me -- but since qualifying in UDF/GTM3 exactly one year ago, I have 10 non-distress finds and one "shoulda had" since we had AOS but could not get permission to enter a boat yard to locate/silence. 

That's what the cops are for. If you have to enter private property it's always a good idea to have the cops with you since just their being there usually takes care of the idiots who don't want to let you in.

[JoeTomasone]

I never kept any records before coming back out of Patron status in 2006 - silly me -- but since qualifying in UDF/GTM3 exactly one year ago, I have 10 non-distress finds and one "shoulda had" since we had AOS but could not get permission to enter a boat yard to locate/silence. 

That's what the cops are for. If you have to enter private property it's always a good idea to have the cops with you since just their being there usually takes care of the idiots who don't want to let you in.

Agreed.  However, this boatyard was closed for the week (Christmas to New Years) and had several large dogs patrolling it.        Private property should never be entered without permission or Law Enforcement.

[RiverAux]

Two non-distress "Finds" as a cadet.   One airplane, one boat.

Just to be clear I am talking about DISTRESS finds.

Eclipse, I've been a member in 3 wings and in my personal experience most CAP ground team members are cadets.  The last time I checked the data for my current wing IIRC it was about 60% cadets. 

[Stonewall]

Eclipse, I've been a member in 3 wings and in my personal experience most CAP ground team members are cadets.  The last time I checked the data for my current wing IIRC it was about 60% cadets. 

I don't know what it is in FLWG, but in DCWG this rings true.  My best guestimate is that more than 60% of [active] ground team members in National Capital Wing are cadets.  There are those seniors who primarily fly yet are GTM qualified, but I wouldn't count them as ground assets because they did it purely to check a box for IC.

I can speak for my current squadron, that while we have a small handful (maybe 6) of cadets that are GT qualified, they are not used for REDCAPs. 

[Stonewall]

Just to be clear I am talking about DISTRESS finds.

I honestly couldn't tell you how many non-distress finds I have if asked.  Could be in the 60s or 70s for all I know.  I know I've had 3 finds in a single day twice, and 2 finds in a single day at least 5 times.  Not to mention about 5 or 6 missing person searches over the years.  There is no doubt that my FIND and SAR ribbon do not accurately represent my mission experience and I don't care.  It got to the point that 2a's were a pain in the butt to constantly complete after a quick 2 or 3 hour ELT search.

[PA Guy]

I never bothered to keep count of non-distress (ELT) finds.  7 distress finds and 1 save.  20+ yrs. ground team qualified.