SC SDF air wing?

[RiverAux]

For you CAP members in South Carolina, there is a bill in the legislature to establish an emergency air wing within the SC State Guard using private pilots and airplanes.  http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/bills/225.htm

Sort of a bad deal for the pilot as the state will only accept liability when it goes over 1 million -- the 1st 1 mil is on you. 

The SDF in VA has a similar set up.  I've always thought them a waste of time since CAP can perform almost all the missions they're likely to do, with the exceptions of the rare case where the NG might help out in non-CD related law enforcement. 

[flyguy06]

Sounds like a good idea. It may cause some people in SC to leave CAP and join the SDF

[vmstan]

I don't get it, what could this group do that CAP can't already do and probably do better with their existing infrastructure?

[lordmonar]

I don't get it, what could this group do that CAP can't already do and probably do better with their existing infrastructure?

Direct law enforcment support--radar speed traps, overwatch during drug busts, escaped prisoner searchs, missing person searches where foul play is suspected, survailance of suspected drug sites.

Direct support of military operations--artillary spotting, point to point transport of military assets in support of COMBAT operations.

Direct support of National Guard DR operations--since the SDF's fall under the NG for state level deployments no one has to go the NOC for authorisation.  The can be deployed and used for the duration (I assume SC has some sort of activation process) of the emergency.

The state does not have to fight with Nationa/Regional/Wing level CAP politics....nor compete with the USAF for assets.

[RiverAux]

While those are things that certainly could be done with an SDF air wing, the chances of any of them actually taking place are about 0 based on what I have observed about how states use their SDFs.  The combat uses are just about as unlikely as CAP getting bombs again. 

There are two states with flying SDF units (Alaska and VA) and AK may have disbanded their aviation unit as there isn't a mention of it on their web page anymore.  VA uses their people for air SAR, comm relay, aerial recon, and transport.  In other words, typical CAP missions.  Probably the biggest mission they've had publicity on in recent years was doing some aerial wildlife and fisheries surveys. 

FYI, there some other SDFs with units that provide support to the Air NG, but they don't fly.

[Spike]

I agree with RiverAux that the possibility of the "air wing" of the SC SDF being utilized is practically never in regard to combat support.

I guess they read about "meter reading" in Alabama by CAP planes and are getting a jump on the issue in SC.

[wuzafuzz]

We have dual charters with BSA, why not with a SDF?   :angel:  Switch hats so you can do an end run around CAP rules.

BTW, I'm kidding.

[RiverAux]

That has been seriously suggested here before.  The idea was that we would sort of have a relationship like the National Guard has with the feds  -- most of the time under the control of the state as part of the SDF, but able to be called up by the feds for AFAMs. 

I never really thought it was all that workable (would require changes in federal law and changes in the laws of every single state in order to make it work) given that the concept of SDFs is that they don't have any federal obligations. 

[Spike]

Since a SDF is part of a States National Guard, why can't the SDF ask the National Guard to ask for CAP assets and manpower??

It would just be another "state" mission we all seem to be doing already. 

[RiverAux]

They certainly could.  Back during WWII it was very common for CAP and SDFs to work together on exercises.  The thing is that most SDFs have almost 0 funding of their own so couldn't support CAP out of their own budget.  Their NG could, of course.  Given that most states don't want to spend anything on their SDFs, I'm sort of surprised that SC is looking into getting into such an expensive area -- even if they're not buying and maintaining the planes, fuel ain't cheap. 

[DG]

1.  Will they accept CAP Mission Pilot credentials?

2.  From a [darn] Yankee?

[heliodoc]

Maybe SC SDF only requires FAA PTS Standards and the every 2 yr Flight Review as an already established program

No extra Form 5 type repeats of a Flight Review

SC SDF, if it exists, proves that other organizations, can give CAP a run for it money......CAPers feeling threatened??  How could somebody encroach on "our territory."  Kinda like CAP encroaching oncivilian meter readers in Alabama, huh??

OMG, we may have "competition" in the future!!