First BFR in 20 years

[Terry Carraway]

I can understand that.

But different squadrons have different personalities. And overall , the organization does some very good things.

[A. Niemyer]

That's what pushed me away from the CAP. I had enough military happy horsepoop when I was being paid to tolerate it. Doing it as a volunteer? Nuh-uh,,,,

I vividly recall casually asking at a recruiting open house of the then-local squadron about flying CAP SAR (No revealing my interesting experience as a California CAP Cadet a long time ago [It didn't end well]). I was standing there with a former multiple-tour Navy P-3 SAR-qualified Patrol Plane Commander; I was a trained and certified Combat SAR OSC. The young "Captain" very frankly told both of us that we were essentially completely and utterly untrained and unqualified in "how we do it in CAP; we're really the SAR experts" and we brought nothing to the table that would be "of any use at all" to CAP. OK, we'll FO, then, Captain, sorry for wasting your very valuable time. I consider it one of the very best decisions I've made in the past 30 years.

[Dave Siciliano]

As Terry said, very different personalities. Here, the unit I went to was very geared to kids and the parents ran the unit. Even if you were an expert in an area, you couldn't be disruptive to the folks currently tasked with that. I recall sitting through a basic map reading course, and it was all I could do to be quiet. I tried for awhile. They didn't want me to be a captain; I should start at the bottom rung. They also started tasking what I would do in my plane and that didn't last long.

[A. Niemyer]

Dave,
We both agreed it wasn't about doing the training for peacetime, overland domestic SAR mission, we both understood our skillsets were combat-oriented SAR, and we would need to be trained in how CAP did their mission. It had more to do with a very dismissive attitude that a couple of rubes like us were barely bringing anything to the team worthy of the barest consideration. It was the classic 2ndLT-dressed-up-as-a-Captain "In my vast experience" kind of thing.

[Ray Tackett]

>>> It was the classic 2ndLT-dressed-up-as-a-Captain "In my vast experience" kind of thing.

You can always tell a 2LT, but you can't tell him much.

[Terry Carraway]

Again, each unit is different. My current unit embraces whatever talents, skills, and experience that you bring to the table. There are some strange issues that come from higher HQ (who hasn't heard that before), but nothing that bad.

In some areas they don't seem to have designed different tracks based on background. To train to be a Mission Pilot, you need to be qualified as a Mission Scanner. A Mission Scanner sits behind the pilot and does the visual scanning to that side of the aircraft so the pilot can concentrate on flying. No problem, it is good to start with the basics, somewhat. The ground training for MS is a lot of VERY basic things to a pilot. Like plotting a course on a sectional, what the forces are on a plane in flight, what the controls do, phonetic alphabet. All things the scanner needs to know, but inherent to a certificated pilot. We did my "ground training" over a beer in about 45 minutes. There were a couple of areas to actually talk about, such as the CAP SAR Grid for locations and search areas. I have to do two training rides, and then I will be good to start working on Mission Pilot. There is also a Mission Observer, which sits left seat and does other things, like run the direction finding equipment and the CAP VHF-FM radio.

As for rank, if you were up to an O-5, once you complete some basic online training (mainly on differences between CAP and Military), you can get your old rank. Not that rank means much in CAP. My current squadron commander is a 1st LT. There are several LtCols in the unit, and once I get my paperwork done, I will go back to being a Capt and out rank him. Senior NCOs can join and get a CAP NCO, that is the only way to be an CAP Senior Member NCO.

As for your personal airplane, CAP does very little with personally owned aircraft these days. Maryland Wing has 16 aircraft (IIRC), mainly C-182s, most with G1000 panels, a couple of C-172 and a Gibbs Aero GA-8 Airvan. Over, in 2019 CAP had 560 airplanes and 50 gliders. And right now, the big problem seems to be actually putting the expected number of hours on the planes. So they need pilots, ones that actually fly. Along with free flying for various missions and flights, you can also just fly that aircraft about about $60 per hour dry. Only downside is, you can't take non-CAP along.

For most people here, once you pass your initial checkride, you can probably be designated as a Orientation Pilot and Transport Mission Pilot. Orientation flying is giving the cadets their orientation flights. The get 5 power and 5 glider rides as Cadets, up to age 18. They have a syllabus of which each flight should cover. You take two Cadets, one left seat, one in the back, do a 1 hour O-ride, then swap the Cadets. The two can be on different rides in syllabus. In 2018, they flew over 35,000 Orientation Rides. Transport Mission Pilots can move aircraft from one location to another or during SAR work, they can fly High Bird to relay radio traffic (SAR aircraft are at 1000 AGL).

And again, yes, there are some "interesting" people in the organization. Like any group. Heck, even here on AVSIG we have had our occasional "interesting" person.

But like I said, this is my third time with CAP and so far, a MUCH better experience. Not that my Cadet experience was bad at all.

[Steve Hguabmots]

Wow, this thread makes me think - I don't know that I've ever done a flight review (can't remember when they started). The first couple years as a pilot I got new ratings every year or so, then I was a 135 pilot, then corporate with annual proficiency checks, now annual check rides that count as flight reviews. Hmmmm, what will I do in retirement?

[Terry Carraway]

Get Flight Reviews.

So I just passed my CAP Initial Checkride. And it was also a G1000 qualification (VFR and IFR).

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Great news Terry. I've got a commercial student who had checked out in a CAP 182 (round gauges) and then they changed to G1000 airplanes. Now he can get the G1000 182 checkout and satisfy the TAA commercial requirement (yeah, he'll fly with a CAP CFI for that).

[Terry Carraway]

Not only that, he gets two flights to transition, that are free to him.

The CAP online training is basically some You Tube videos. They have good info, but are not enough to learn the G1000.

The SIMiONICS iPad G1000 apps are very good. With 2 iPad you have your PFD and MRD and they are linked. And you can link them to a PC based sim. I know you can link them to XPlane.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Thanks, Terry. I've pass on the app idea! His CAP G1000 TAA checkout may be tough, they've got on CFI and I hear he's pretty fully booked. So he'll have to rent a G1000 172 and go from there.

[Terry Carraway]

He can use a CAP instructor from any squadron in the wing. It only gets complicated if he goes outside the wing. He may have to drive to get to the instructor and airplane.

[Terry Carraway]

Just added tailwheel currency and a checkout in the local 7GCBC. 180 HP Citabria. And the FBO has an 8KCAB Super Decathalon that they bought damaged. They are going to put the aluminum spar wings on.

WooHoo, aerobatics. Need to get my CFI renewed so I can do some teaching.

[Ray Tackett]

WooHoo, aerobatics. Need to get my CFI renewed so I can do some teaching.

Here's an aerobatic teaching tip I discovered accidentally. A family friend was my instrument student. Come BFR time, I found out he was deathly afraid of stalls. I invited him to come out to Van Sant for a Stearman ride. My intent was to do loops and spins with him in that very tame bird. However, the usual preflight briefing, "Today we will do loops. To loop an airplane ...", was going to do nothing but cause panic. Instead, I told him we'd get him some tailwheel time, and a feel for an airplane rather different from Cessnas and PA28s.

We went up, and I had him do the standard PPL maneuvers. Then, a power-off stall. A Stearman is a total pussycat in that condition. It just kinda floats around waiting for you to do something else. That calmed him down where I wanted him. For the power-on stall, I had him put the nose down just a touch to pick up an extra 10 MPH, then pitch up aggressively for the stall. Coming over the top of the loop, he let out a cheer and had a big grin. "Keep some back pressure, and maybe it will stall nest time around." Swindle accomplished.

After that, spins were easy. A Stearman's spin entry is so slow you can narrate it, and any relaxation of pro-spin controls gets you out.

His first words after we landed and parked were, "What was I so afraid of?"

[A. Niemyer]

Ray,
What a great story, and great way to teach them to the hesitant, too!

Very best,
Andy