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Newsletter -
October, 2006 |
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How do you measure success?
That's a tough one, because it
depends not only on the circumstances but especially on the
people involved. What comes easy to one might be extremely
arduous to another, and the former keeps "succeeding" while
the latter doesn't seem to ever measure up. Again and again.
No one has truly lived until that ugly monster has reared
its evil head. No one has suffered until seeing utter
loneliness loom on the horizon. And no one knows the meaning
of leadership unless that ability to succeed, learned or
innate, is directed to the service of those eager to learn.
We are all teachers. Just
by walking on the face of this planet, by our actions, our
commitment, and the company we keep, we set an example that
others can follow. Heavy responsibility indeed, especially
when the young are around us. Need we be perfect, then? No
one is. But everyone can try, honestly and repeatedly,
reaching for what seems unattainable, if for nothing else
just to test our mettle.
War tests us in unexpected ways,
and at times drives us to acts of madness in a moment of
despair that others, from the safety of a remote
headquarters, later judge a proof of heroism. Ordinary
people placed in extraordinary circumstances can rise to the
occasion and show how much the human spirit can overcome.
And some do. Sadly, the first casualty of war is often
ethics.
It is no news that today we are
at war. A new war that has neither face nor boundaries. A
war of ideas and obstinacy that has turned ugly, and another
war of ideas and principles that wages its battles in our
innermost being. The outside war is up to the politicians;
that's our way of life. But the internal strife, the daily
rejection of evil and the reaching out for the goodness in
ourselves and others, is something very much up to us. Each
one of us.
Making the right choice is the
best lesson we can teach the younger generation. Through our
example and behavior, through our understanding of others,
and above all through our understanding of our own self. And
this last one, knowing who we are and what we are and how
much we can accomplish lies at the very foundation of
success. Because true success does not depend on
competition; it is a personal triumph that involves no one
else.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor
|
|
|
Group Staff Messages |
| Group III's
New Emblem |
 The
Group III Emblem was
designed in accordance
with Air Force Instruction
AFI 84-105. Group and wing emblems are shield-shaped, while squadron
emblems are on a disc.
The heraldic blazon (the
unique language used to describe heraldic emblems) is as follows:
On a
shield sable with a diminutive border or, the Texas state flag in the
outline of the state of Texas proper, with a Roman numeral III gules in
the field argent. On upper sinister quadrant, the Air Force emblem
argent, on lower dexter quadrant a triangle argent with a three-bladed
propeller gules. Motto: TERTIA SEMPER PRIMORIS (Third [Group] Is Always
First).
In plain English, the
above means:
On a black shield with
a small gold border, the Texas state flag in the outline of the state of
Texas (in its proper colors [of red, white and blue]), with a red Roman
numeral III in the white field. On the upper left quadrant (as worn by
the bearer), the Air Force symbol in white, on the lower right quadrant
a white triangle with a red three-bladed propeller (the CAP emblem).
Motto: TERTIA SEMPER PRIMORIS (Third [Group] Is Always First).
The emblem design was
co-authored by 1st Lt Charles E. Corway and Capt Arthur E. Woodgate. The
finishing touches were the result of a collaborative effort by a Group
III team.
1st Lt Charles E.
Corway, Admin & Personnel Officer, Addison Eagles CS |
|
Group Commander
 |
Commander’s Thoughts
Interesting concept, communications.
No,
not how to talk on CAP radios but, rather, back to
the basics: face-to-face, one-on-one
conversation. Do you remember how to do
it? Sadly, it has become a vanishing art. It
wasn't so long ago that, when we needed
information or had a question, we would need to
get up and travel to the person with the answers
–
and actually talk with that person.
In the early 19th century, the telegraph was
invented. This was likely the first electronic
means of communications. Prior to that time,
the spoken and written word were the only tools
of communications available to us. Schools
emphasized reading and writing, as well as the
art of conversation. Some 50 years after
the telegraph, the
telephone saw the light of day and at that point conversation
began its journey towards becoming a long-distance process. The skills to
discern and interpret non-verbal communications began to
decline. Some studies estimate that as much as
94% of understanding during communication
results from non-verbal cues. If this is
true, then the telephone has stolen from us a good deal of our
ability to understand with ease.
In the latter part of the 19th century, the
typewriter made it possible to create cold,
printed pages that took away the elegance of
formerly handwritten messages. An appreciation
for the quality of the paper, the color of the
ink, the stroke of the pen and the firmness of
the fold evaporated into the misty realms of a
less hurried time. And what did we gain? We
replaced the language of pen on paper with
endless pages created with the clickety-clack of
totally impersonal typewriters. If at
mid-century we had been able to clearly
recognize Aunt Mary's handwritten note as hers,
by the end of the century that cue had begun to
shrink to just her signature, leaving us no
proof that the writer was, indeed, the person
who had signed it.
In the
late 20th century, the computer engulfed our
senses, blunted our social skills, and gave rise to e-mail
–
placing us yet another step away from the
person with whom we wish to communicate. Now we
can't even hear the inflection, tone, quality
and tempo of the
communication. With e-mail, the closest we
can come to
intonation is CAPITALIZING in order to SHOUT. Not
terribly courteous (or effective) in getting a
point across.
Why bother with this brief history lesson? I
wanted to
emphasize how much is lost when we write an
e-mail. We desperately need to reprioritize
the way we communicate, not only at home but in CAP. E-mail is great for passing out
information en masse, but should be limited when
working one-on-one. It should never be used
as electronic salvos in a debate, inevitably
colored by the heat of the moment. There is
a better way. Pick up the phone and call. Better
yet, take a walk and meet in
person instead.
Let's look at what some authorities consider the preferred
methods for communications, in order of
precedence (first being best).
1. Talk face-to-face – There is no
substitute for this when you need to fully
understand what a person
is trying to say.
2. Telephone – You still lose a lot of
the non-verbal cues (only aural hints come
through), but at least it is interactive.
3. E-mail – In most cases, this is the
worst choice.
Group III Staff members have been
asked to develop a regular contact schedule with
their Squadron and Wing peers. If you are
assigned to a squadron, pick up the phone and contact
your Group III peer. Only by actively seeking
to engage each other can we develop the
relationships we need in order to succeed. Take full
advantage of the PAO program to achieve wider
and higher quality communications outside of CAP. And
remember at all times that talking to non-members is by
far the best recruiting tool you have at your
disposal. Let’s all make an effort to use it
effectively.
Realistically, e-mail is here to stay, but use it
judiciously. If a person sits at a desk 20 feet
from you, then go and visit
–
the personal
interaction alone is worth the effort. "No
man is an island," observed John Donne at the
dawn of the 17th century. A wise man indeed.
Yet, although forewarned, we are
becoming a society of isolationists, a
collection of forlorn little human islands. We
rely far too
much on our computer and the
Internet, dismissing the confining effect that
such a choice has on our life.
We need to get out, meet people,
communicate, and build relationships. Try it.
You'll be happier if you do.
Maj
Patrick L. Benoit, CAP
|
| Group Chief
of Staff |
Commanders Call, Group III Staff, and CAC
Meetings - 21 October, Waco
Where: Harbor Restaurant, Waco.
Click here for MapQuest map.
Click here for last-leg map
detail.
Who:
Squadron Commanders
or their representatives, Group Deputy
Commanders, and the Group Vice Commander. Attendance at
the Group Staff meeting is highly encouraged for all Group Staff, as it
is the only time each quarter that we get together
face-to-face. Squadron
Commanders are also welcome to attend the Group Staff meeting;
alternatively, they might find the PAO Seminar interesting. CAC
representatives as required.
What: Commanders Call and Group Staff meetings.
The agenda is as follows:
-
1000-1200
- Commanders Call. Open to
Squadron CCs or
representatives, Group CDs, Group CV and Group CC only.
-
1200-1300
- Lunch break, Harbor Restaurant.
-
1300-1500
- Group Staff meeting. Open to all Group III Staff and Group
members.
Questions?
Maj Laurie Lancaster,
COS |
| Chaplain |
Last month I touched
upon the Civil Air Patrol’s core value of Respect. We show
respect when we honor and appreciate the intrinsic worth of someone or
something. Without respect, it is almost impossible to develop enduring
and effective interpersonal relations. It is also important to recognize
that respect needs to include respect for our own self.
Self-Respect
refers to the acceptance of one’s own worth, abilities, and
intelligence. Those who do not respect their own self seldom achieve
genuine respect of others. As Eric Hoffer states, “The capacity for
getting along with our neighbor depends to a large extent on the
capacity for getting along with ourselves. The self-respecting
individual will try to be as tolerant of his neighbor’s shortcomings as
he is of his own.”
I firmly believe that
the foundation for self-respect is rooted in the knowledge that we are
created in the image and likeness of God. This tells us that our
benevolent Creator places great value on our lives and has given each of
us gifts that make us capable of great accomplishments. Additionally,
other people’s behavior toward us may have a tremendous impact upon our
feeling of self-worth. Other people can build us up or tear us down. Of
course, others cannot really make you feel worthless unless they have
your permission. Finally, our own personal behavior will determine
whether we respect ourselves.
While we have little
control over others’ behavior toward us, we do have control and
responsibility for our own behavior. Self-respect is enhanced when we do
the “right things.” For example, telling the truth, keeping our
commitments, finishing what we start, following rules, and showing love
and kindness to others; all of these build self-respect. Self-respect is
largely earned and retained by how we behave. It is better to do what we
know to be right, even if it displeases others, than to lose our
self-respect.
As we work together to
fulfill the Civil Air Patrol mission, we should always show respect
toward others and ourselves. As your Chaplain, I pray that you are able
to experience the greatness that God has placed in you, and have the
wisdom and kindness to use this greatness to help meet the needs of
others.
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, CAP |
| Chaplain's
Sad Mission |
A Young Life is Lost
During the weekend of 16-17 September, I
was tasked to assist CAP's Colorado Wing in comforting the family of
Mark Cochran, 27, who lived in Dallas. He died instantly on the
morning of Friday, 15 September in a tragic accident while flying
from Addison, TX to Telluride, CO. The Beech Debonair he was
piloting hit Wilson Peak a few feet below its peak. It was confirmed
that he and three passengers were lost in the crash.
The chaplain's job comes with many joys
that nurture the spirit. It also comes with more transcendental
pastoral duties, such as when someone dies (especially when in the
bloom of youth) and the survivors, in their anguish, ask the eternal
question, "Why?" It is human nature to thrive on causality, to crave
explanations, and ultimately rest on assurances. What we all seek,
though, is restitution, which is not up to the chaplain.
The chaplain cannot give the child, or
cousin, or spouse back to the loved ones. He can only hope that his
own faith can balance the tragedy of personal loss against the
promise of salvation and eternal life. When it really matters, when
it is for keeps, we put our trust in our Creator. The eternal Father
whose will we accept and observe; the compassionate source of all
goodness, who is our comfort in our direst need.
May the Lord bless and keep Mark
Cochran, may He make his face shine upon him, and may He grant him
peace. And may his family find comfort in the knowledge that Mark is
now in God's hands.
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, CAP |
|
Communications |
ACUT (AROA) Class - 11 November
Group
III (South) is offering an ACUT (AROA) class on Saturday,
November 11, 2006 hosted by Pegasus CS at Camp Mabry,
Building 30, Austin, TX. (An air conditioned facility!) Any CAP member with
an ROA card is welcome (both Senior Members
and Cadets).
Check in: 0830. Class: 0900-1500. Cost: $15 for
catered lunch, soft drinks, and class materials.
Any
CAP uniform authorized. Please submit
CAPF 17A to Capt. Steve
Barclay ASAP. We must know how many people will attend.
Capt Steve Barclay, DCA
-
512-459-4745
Communications
Over the past several issues we have examined
CAP's overall radio communications strategy,
delved into HF and VHF, and now will look at
another level in CAP's communications arsenal:
Inter Squad Radios
– generally known as ISRs. These
small, lightweight, and easy-to-use radios have
a variety of useful features and fill a critical
gap left by our "main" communications
capability.
If ISRs appear extremely similar to the standard
FRS radios one finds in many sporting-goods
stores and retail outlets, it is because they
are. However, their resemblance is only
superficial. The ISRs issued to CAP squadrons
are programmed with USAF frequencies. Unlike
many of the VHF and HF frequencies we use, these
ISR frequencies are active USAF/military
frequencies that we're allowed to share with the
USAF
–
though
not as primary users.
As secondary users of ISR
frequencies, CAP is authorized to use any
available frequencies programmed into the
radios, as long as they are not in use by USAF
or other military personnel at the
time. Therefore, the first rule you must adhere
to when using an ISR is to listen carefully to
the frequency (live channel) you plan to use.
Before you enter a new frequency area, it is
your responsibility to select one that is not in
use. Should it be
taken,
have a designated backup frequency on your plan
– and switch to it. Furthermore, if a USAF client starts
using your selected frequency (which you thought
was available), be prepared to move to an
alternate at once. In short, if
USAF personnel
ask you to vacate the frequency, you
must vacate the frequency! After
all, we are the secondary users, while the USAF
is the primary user
of these frequencies.
We
mentioned above the existence of a gap in the
CAP communications spectrum.
▪
HF radio gives us long distance communications.
▪
HF ALE radio gives us networked distant
communications.
▪
VHF radio provides the backbone of our
communications. VHF makes it possible for us to
have clear, reliable, short-range communications
with aircraft, ground teams, vehicles, and
extended range via repeaters.
The gap falls within the short-range area of
operations, that is communications from various
points of a mission base or staging area, such
as from flight line to operations (for
example). It can also consist of point-to-point
communications in any area-distributed
operation. This can include public service
events such as parades, air shows, or any other
function or ceremony. It also includes missions,
where ground teams
must achieve a more critical use. Individual
members of a ground team executing a line search
in brushy terrain may have visual contact with
only the two individuals nearest them (left and
right). Not only does this make visual
communications difficult, but normally
impossible past those immediately adjacent to
them. Verbal communications past these
individuals become very difficult as well. In
this situation, a ground team would use ISRs for
team communications, achieving a clear, concise,
and error-free exchange of information, instead
of needing to rely on a verbal message with its
attendant unreliability. Additionally, ISRs keep
all team members informed of the situation at
all times.
CAP Communications covers a wide range of signal
transmission methods. We use a variety of radio
types for different purposes in order to
complete the mission at hand. As communicators,
we
have a wide arsenal to choose from
–
long-range communications, short-range
communications, area communications, and the
traditional land-line telephone. If you haven't
had a chance to use or practice on these tools
(if they are available in your area), I urge you
to do so. If you have any questions, contact
your squadron communications officer for more
information.
Next month we will look at other communications
methods and how CAP uses them.
|
| Drug
Demand Reduction (CAP National) |
Cadet Ken's
Availability
|
| Emergency
Services |
Training FTX / Bivouac, 17-19 November
Where: This fall, Group III is holding its
semi-annual training FTX / Bivouac at Waxahachie Midway airport.
When: FTX starts at 1800 Friday, 17 November; ends
at 1500 Sunday, 19 November.
What: Lots of events, ranging from beginning UDF,
ROA and first aid to more advanced MRO, GT1 and GTL training. Some
mission staff training will be available as well.
Bring: Those interested in GT2, GT1 or GTL
training need to bring along a complete 72-hour pack that they can carry
and be prepared to spend the nights away from the airport. Everyone else
needs to come prepared to bivouac on the airport grounds.
Cost: $15.
Reserve your spot and put this on your calendar now.
Watch for further announcements concerning this great training
opportunity.
1st Lt Opal McKinney, HGO |
|
Honor Guard |
September News
 
The Honor Guard had a special treat
this month when they posted the colors at the Air Force Association's
quarterly meeting, held at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. The
speaker for the event was Col Paul Tibbets IV, the grandson of Paul
Tibbets Jr., pilot of the Enola Gay. He talked a bit about his
grandfather and quite a lot about the future of the 509th Bomb Wing, at
Whitman AFB, Knob Knoster, MO. Several of the Honor Guard cadets were
asked to sit at Col Tibbets' table
during the dinner, and got a history lesson along with a wonderful
meal.
Training Bivouac, 20-22 October
The next Honor
Guard training bivouac will be at Lake Whitney State Park. This is a
great training opportunity for cadets interested in performing in the
Honor Guard. Any Honor Guard cadets who are also on the Group CAC will be
transported to and from Waco for their quarterly meeting on 21 October. The bivouac will run from 1800 Friday through 1500 Sunday. Parents
are encouraged to attend a presentation by the cadets at 1400 on
Sunday. Anyone who plans to attend this event should e-mail one of the
two contacts listed below for more information and a list of items to
bring. (Picture at right, C/Sgt Hamm, Asst C/CC.)
Departing Member
The Honor Guard will be saying good bye to one of its own this month, as
C/Capt Papson will be leaving for the U.S. Marine Corps at the end of
October. We know that he'll be an asset to the Marines and we wish him
well.
Anyone interested in joining the Group III Honor Guard or who would like the
Honor Guard to perform at a function, please contact C/Capt McKinney or
1st Lt McKinney via e-mail.
1st Lt Opal McKinney, HGO |
|
Inspector
General |
Notes from the Wing Commanders Call
At the Wing Commanders Call
in Houston, 23 September, Col Eldridge and the Wing IG
were very pleased with Group III's progress implementing
the IG program, which directly reflects our members'
dedication in preparing for SUI's and submitting
their Unit Self Assessments by the 30 September
deadline.
Many thanks, also, to those
who volunteered to participate as members of the
inspection teams. Most of them said it was quite an
education and their new knowledge would be most helpful
as they prepare for their own SUI.
Some of you had trouble
downloading Assessment guides from the wing IG
webpage. The problem has not only been corrected, but
the USA checklist has been updated to better conform
with unit functions vs. higher echelon functions. This
eliminates a lot of confusion for those who never
completed an assessment in the past.
Changes have been made to
the SUI checklist also. Many of the references to
regulations, pamphlets, forms, and so on have been
updated for easier reference by the OPR's and inspection
team members. The Safety Tab is one of these. If you are
still using the old checklist/guide dated prior to
September 2006, I suggest you use the new one instead.
To download, please visit
http://www.txwgcap.org/inspector/iglinks3.htm.
If anyone has any
difficulty completing the guides/checklists, or if you
are unclear as to what regulation applies to a question
or item, please feel free to contact me, Maj Bill Ervin
or 1st Lt Vanessa Smith by phone or email. We'll assist
you in any way possible, gladly.
A couple of reminders: Units
who have undergone a Subordinate Unit Inspection during
the fiscal year are exempt from submitting a Unit Self
Assessment for that fiscal year. No SUI's are scheduled
for October to allow units breathing room to get other
required reports in on time. No SUI's are scheduled for
December due to holiday festivities.
A final note — When
completing USA's and preparing for SUI's, it is
extremely difficult for one member to complete the
entire project. No one person is thoroughly
knowledgeable of all the functions. Please break it out
into parts and allow the officer of primary
responsibility to complete his/her section. You'll find
the job is much easier this way.
Capt Steve Manley, IG
|
|
Professional Development |
OPSEC Training
This training is mandatory for all CAP
senior members. It is an on-line course which
members can access at https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec. This is a secure website and the
initial screen will ask some questions to verify your identity.
Starting this month, this training is part of the new
Level 1 training course.
If you
haven't taken the online OPSEC test, please do so now.
Training Opportunities
|
Date |
Course |
Place |
Comments |
| 21
Oct 06 |
Level I, CPPT, GES, ROA |
Addison |
|
|
21-22 Oct 06 |
CLC
|
Palestine |
Project
Officer, 2nd Lt Vanessa
Smith (H)
903-389-6938 (C)
903-388-2920 |
|
11-12 Nov 06 |
SLS |
Addison |
|
| 6-7
Jan 07 |
PCT |
Addison |
|
|
20-21 Jan 07 |
CLC |
Addison |
|
|
17-18 Mar 07 |
ECI-13 Workshop |
Addison |
|
|
19-20 Apr 07 |
SLS |
Addison |
Course
Directors / Staff Members needed. (Level IV & V req.) |
| 21
Apr 07 |
Level I, CPPT, GES, ROA |
Addison |
|
|
18-19 Aug 07 |
CLC |
Addison |
Course
Directors / Staff Members needed. (Level IV & V req.) |
Course
Directors and Staff Members are needed for the 2007 SLS and
CLC
courses. Participation as a Staff member or Director of an SLS or
CLC is a requirement to complete the Level IV and V Leadership part
of the Professional Development Program. You will find this activity
a fun and rewarding experience. Interested persons, please contact
the Group III PDO.
Capt Alan O'Martin, PDO |
|
Public
Affairs |
CAP
National posts Group III Media Relations Video
During the TEXAS SENTRY COWBOY
Graded Training Exercise, your Group III PAO assets were very busy.
My congratulations to
Lt Col H. M. "Butch" Ragland
and
Lt Col Gary
Stevens, who ran the IO duties ever so smoothly and professionally that
the media kept coming back for more. The resulting video got burned to
DVD, went to National, and Julie DeBardelaben, Deputy Director, Public
Affairs, wrote back, "Great coverage!
We plan to post it online on capchannel.com to let other PAOs see
firsthand the results of good media relations."
Old Army wisdom, "You cannot lead from behind."
|
PAO
Seminar - 21 October, Waco
Where: Texas Wing Headquarters, Waco.
Click here for MapQuest map.
Who: All PAOs, Assistant PAOs, Cadet PAOs, and interested parties in Group III are invited to
attend.
What: PAO Seminar, to run in conjunction with Group III's
Staff & Commanders Call. The event will run in two separate sessions: 1000-1200 and
1300-1500. The afternoon session will not be a repeat of
the morning session. The agenda is as follows:
-
1000-1200
- Writing fundamentals, basic
duties of the PAO, and how to establish and nurture media relations.
-
1300-1500
- Planning and covering a known
event, the PAO's place within the unit's staff, the PAO's importance
to unit life, and the impact of PA work on recruiting and retention.
How: Within the framework of each session, which will be
conducted in a seminar format, orderly dialog with and among the class
will be encouraged. I look forward to working with you.
|
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, PAO |
| Safety |
Squadron Safety Officer Contact
Information
To all squadron commanders in Group III
–
Please send me your safety
officer's contact information at
melaniecapehart@ev1.net.
Seasonal Advice
As the weather cools and the fall colors
appear, many of us will want to travel more. If you do, think safety
first. Take your time and don't rush. At dusk or at night, watch out
for animals, both small and large. Deer are bound to stay
unpredictable, so extra caution will spare both an animal and your
car. If a deer freezes in front of your car, stop safely and turn
your lights off
–
this helps the
deer move on. And remember – hitting a large animal will also hit
your bank account in car repairs.
Even though the days may cool, you can
still dehydrate if you engage in vigorous exercise or other
activities. Water is your best friend.
|
Group III Safety Officer
Vacancy Announcement
Starting in September, I became the new Texas Wing
Director of Safety. I will continue to serve as the
Group III Safety Officer until 1 January 2007, or a new
Safety Officer is appointed. Persons interested in
serving as Group III Safety Officer please contact Maj
Pat Benoit, Group III Commander. |
Lt Col Melanie Capehart, SO
Monthly Safety Briefing
Presenting both a flight safety briefing and a ground
safety briefing is a mandatory monthly requirement. This need not be a
lengthy presentation — a 10 to 20 minute talk (and optional group discussion)
is enough.
Maj Jeff Yevcak, the Randolph AFB safety officer
who is also the Randolph AFB liaison officer to CAP, has kindly offered
the following for the month of October, should you want to use them at your
own squadron.
October Flight
Safety Briefing (MS Word document)
October Ground
Safety Briefing (MS Word document) |
|
Transportation |
Caring
for your CAP Van
-
Tire
Pressure
– The correct pressure for your vehicle is recommended
in the owner's manual. The correct pressure is NOT on the
tire.
-
Purchase Tires
– Always ask the total price of the tire,
installed. The add-on costs of mounting and balancing vary widely.
Also buying a "cheap" tire can be a false economy and possibly an
unsafe choice. Refer to your owner’s manual for correct tire size
and load rating.
-
Post
Body Repair Inspection
– After any collision repair is
completed, have a trained technician inspect the mechanical aspects
of the van, (i.e. mounts, suspension, steering), which a body shop
might have missed.
-
Engine Warning Lights
– The two most important lights on your
dash are engine oil and engine coolant temperature.
An engine oil light describes low oil pressure (not always low oil
level), and can indicate an immediate problem requiring instant
engine shut-down. An engine overheat light, accompanied with the
temperature needle going to hot will very quickly damage the engine,
sometimes in as little as 2 or 3 minutes.
-
Finding A Technician
– Convenience is no assurance of quality.
Many people use proximity as the single biggest factor in choosing a
garage. We believe it is very difficult for one technician to be
knowledgeable and experienced in the repair of all vehicles. Look
for a garage that is best for your van.
-
Purchasing New Parts
– I recommend using only factory (original
equipment) or after-market parts. Quality after-market parts can be
found at competitive prices. I believe they will serve you better
than generic or rebuilt parts.
-
Characterizing Van Problems
– Don't rush to diagnosis; a good
technician won't. Describe the symptom of the problem, and when it
happens. Make a list of anything you have noticed. Together you can
determine the best solution.
-
First
Aid Kits
– Take time to inspect the contents of your first aid
kit. You may find missing and/or expired items.
-
Potentially deadly items
– Remove or secure all loose items in
your CAP van. In the event of an accident, they can become deadly
missiles.
-
Extra
Inspections
– At your next oil change, take the opportunity to
inspect the tires for nails. Check the exhaust for leaks, and any
looseness in the steering. Also, this is a good time to check the
brakes for wear.
1st Lt Bob Mullen, LGT |
| A USAF Air
Combat Command Officer's Guest Commentary
 |
Katrina Lets Airmen Help
in New Way
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.
– I've always heard the Air Force takes care of its own in times of
need. I have also seen this put into practice when Airmen and their
families are struck by tragedy. The events following Hurricane Katrina
last year showed me this concept in a brand new way as 347th Rescue Wing
Airmen put their skills to the test; not to help their fellow military
members as they do so often in combat, but to rescue fellow Americans in
their greatest time of need.
The Category 3 storm made
landfall in the early morning of Aug. 29 near the Louisiana/Mississippi
border, devastating the coastal area. When the levees surrounding New
Orleans breached, a disastrous situation turned catastrophic. Although
Moody officials had already planned to conduct civilian rescue
operations, as is normal with any natural disaster of Katrina's scope,
the unforeseen damage that occurred put those plans into action -
quickly.
Aircrews and pararescuemen,
some of whom had returned only days before from deployments to Iraq,
volunteered to immediately redeploy and assist with the recovery effort.
Maintenance and support Airmen were given a couple of hours' notice that
they too would be heading to support the effort. Only a day after the
hurricane made landfall, 347th RQW Airmen and their Air Force Reserve
and Air National Guard partners were already in the skies above the
disaster zone, coming to the aid of their fellow Americans throughout
the Gulf Coast region.
For three weeks, rescue
operations continued, culminating in the largest rescue operation in Air
Force history, with more than 4,300 people owing their well-being to the
fine Airmen of the 347th RQW and their fellow rescue units.
I arrived to the 347th
Expeditionary Rescue Group's staging area at Allen C. Thompson Air
National Guard Base in Jackson, Miss., two days after operations began.
Even though we were conducting business at home in the United States, I
quickly noticed the work conditions were not much different from a
wartime environment. While Jackson escaped the full brunt of Katrina's
fury, it was still recovering from a significant blow. No electricity or
phones, and extreme shortages of gas and other supplies made support
operations difficult.
Yet, once again, a group of
dedicated Airmen answered the challenge, working day and night to ensure
the rescue mission continued. Many of these Airmen were members of the
Mississippi Air National Guard, who were still recovering at home or had
family members in the disaster area. Not once did I ever hear any of
them complain about being at work. Actually, they went out of their way
to thank the more than 400 deployed Airmen for helping their state. This
help meant 24-hour-a-day operations for the first week of the rescue
effort. The operations tempo was hectic to say the least.
More than 20 HH-60G Pave
Hawks lined the runway when not flying eight- to 12-hour missions. C-130
and C-17 aircraft arrived several times a day, bringing needed supplies
and people as well as rescued victims. Aircrews constantly prepared for
their next mission while maintenance Airmen scurried between aircraft,
ensuring everything was ready for the next round of takeoffs, timed
every couple of hours.
Once the helicopters took to
the air, the aircrews and PJs faced staggering challenges. The sheer
number of victims that needed rescuing put the crews' capabilities and
training to the test. One crew recorded more than 200 saves in one
mission alone. But the Airmen couldn't rely solely on past training and
experience. Creative planning and execution was required since missions
varied from picking up large groups of people from interstates to having
PJs break through roofs to pull out stranded victims. Despite the
challenging environment, the 347th ERQG stood at the forefront of a
rescue mission the likes of which the Air Force had never seen before.
As this year's hurricane
season hits its stride, Americans are once again preparing to deal with
Mother Nature's fury. They can take comfort in the knowledge that the
Air Force will carry on its tradition of helping its own when needed
most.
Capt Dustin Hart,
347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs |
|
Upcoming Events |
October
|
7-15 |
Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta |
|
7 |
Midland
–
Commemorative Air Force show
—
Apollo will assist; anyone interested,
contact Lt Fischler |
|
14 |
Mesquite
– "Wheels & Wings" +
Pancakes breakfast. Other squadrons are invited to assist |
|
20 |
Houston
– Ellington Field, C-17
O-flight |
|
21 |
Waco
– Group III Meeting + PAO
Seminar |
|
21 |
Addison
– Level 1, CPPT, GES, ROA |
|
21-22 |
Palestine
– CLC |
|
21-22 |
Houston
– Ellington Field,
"Wings Over Houston" Air Show |
|
27-29 |
Dallas
– SWR Conference, Crowne
Plaza Hotel, Market Center, Plano. Details:
http://swr.cap.gov |
November
|
3-5 |
Waco
–
CERT Basic training (Ed Brown, Penny Brady
and local CERT group). More info soon |
|
10-12 |
Alpine
– (rescheduled
from earlier date) |
|
10-12 |
Austin
–
Camp Mabry, CTEP/STEP Leadership School -
applications due soon |
|
11 |
Dallas
–
Veteran's Day Parade - Honor Guard will be
present, good opportunity for recruiting. Look for similar
events in your areas and see how you can get involved |
|
11 |
Austin
–
Camp Mabry, hosted by Pegasus CS to improve
communications program - $15.00 fee includes catered lunch,
soft drinks and class materials. Submit CAPF17A to Capt
Steve Barclay at
sbarclay@fastmail.fm |
|
11-12 |
Addison
– SLS Course |
|
Canceled |
Dallas
–
In Addison, DSAREX and concurrent bivouac,
may be rescheduled elsewhere in Group III |
December
|
1-3 |
Camp Swift
–
Ground Team Competition (rescheduled) - more
details soon |
|
2 |
Austin
– Camp Mabry - Pegasus
Holiday Party |
|
4 |
Waco
– Holiday Party, Waco CS |
|
16 |
Dallas
–
Group III Holiday Party at Crowne Plaza, near
the Galleria in Addison - project officer needed for this
event |
|
26-30 |
Bastrop
– Winter Encampment |
2007
|
6-7 Jan |
Addison - Pilot Continuation training - National Check
Pilot training |
|
20-21 Jan |
Addison
–
CLC Course |
|
2-4 Mar |
ALS |
|
17-18 Mar |
Addison - ECI -13 course workshop |
|
April |
San Antonio
–
CTEP in San Antonio - hosted by Pegasus |
|
13-15 Apr |
Austin
–
TXWG Conference, Austin-Bergstrom Airport
Hilton. |
| 19-20 Apr |
Addison
– SLS |
|
21 Apr |
Addison
–
Level One, CPPT, GES, ROA |
|
20 May |
Dallas
– Addison Airport, Group
III
Run the Runway - If successful, it can become
an annual event. Needed: CAP personnel in uniform for
road guards, traffic control, static display of aircraft.
Good opportunity for fundraising - concession stand. |
|
18-19 Aug |
Addison
–
CLC Course |
Maj Laurie Lancaster, COS |
|
Useful Links |
Air and Space Power
Journal (Published by Air University, USAF)
Air Combat
Command News Service (Published by USAF ACC)
Air Force Media
Player
–
Daily Radio and TV news from around the Air Force.
Air Force Policy Letter Digest
– Policy news from throughout the Air
Force.
Air
Force Press Releases
Airman Magazine
– A quarterly magazine of in-depth news and features
showcasing America's Air Force.
FAA Safety Website
–
"Safer Skies Through Education"
Global Security
– DHS, military, and general security issues
Intercom
(Published by AFCA/PA)
The
Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center (Part of the Center
for Special Studies)
US Decorations Rack
Builder
–
All military, auxiliary, and civilian decorations
The Sentinel
–
Official Safety Newsletter of Civil Air Patrol
|
|
|
Squadron and Group News
(click on an image to enlarge it) |
|
Addison CS |
Unit Training Highlights
While last year saw many Addison CS members giving aid and succor in the
aftermath of both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
this year’s relatively quiet hurricane season has made it possible for
us to concentrate on training and Cadet Activities
For senior members, the squadron hosted Mission Aircrew/Ground
Training and IC/MM courses. Also, Maj Scott
McCleneghan treated the whole squadron to an AE program on jet
propulsion and basic engine design
– many left the lecture wondering whether the excited Addison
cadets might be able to build their own ramjet engine, some day.
However, the cadets didn't garner all their learning via classroom work
this month
– they got “hands-on” knowledge of aviation and the thrill of
flight during O-Flights, held the weekend of 23-24
September. In all, more than twenty O-Flights took place, with squadron
CC Maj Randy Russell bragging about how much fun he had during
the four flights he piloted, and the adventures won’t stop there.
For the final weekend of September, several squadron members are
scheduled to assist during the Alliance Air Show, a
regional show held at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth. This year’s guests
will include the AF Thunderbirds, and the squadron has
been promised pictures. (Expect full coverage next month.)
Promotions and Awards:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Capt.
Richard Hunt was promoted to Maj, 2nd Lt Virgil Wall to
1st Lt. [1] 1st Lt Wall received the Yeager Award, and [2]
1st Lt Chuck Corway earned his Observer Wings. C/SSgts [3]
Heather Kennedy and John LeRoy were promoted to C/TSgt, [4] C/A1C
Scott Gulliksen to C/SAmn, and [5] C/Amn Andrew Ludwig
to C/A1C. (My apologies to
those whose pictures suffered from irreparable flash failure.)
National Preparedness Month
As a community outreach project, the squadron decided to prepare a
hand-out with practical instructions on what to do in the event of a
disaster. We gave it out to anyone who was interested, and hoped that it
would help one and all prepare for the worst. Titled
Are You Prepared? just click on
the link to download this PDF document.
Addison Squadron in 2005
Aren't you tired of people talking about the Civil Air Patrol being "the
best-kept little secret in America"? We are, so decided to let people
know about all the good things that we did during 2005. Titled
Addison Squadron in 2005,
just click on the link to download this PDF document.
(1st Lt
Laura Lee Woodward) |
|
Apollo CS |
Texas Wing SAREX
- 15-17 September
Two members of Apollo CS and one member of Phantom/Kittinger SS flew the
Apollo plane to Decatur, TX. for a disaster relief
operational readiness exercise. After arrival, the pilot,
Capt Len Laws from Apollo CS, and the observer, 2nd Lt. Richard Hacker
from Kittinger SS, flew multiple sorties on the first day of operations
– mostly photography missions. On the second day, however,
they were unable to fly due to adverse weather.
On the ground, Apollo's C/MSgt Michael Moody participated in multiple
field sorties on the first day. These included communicating with
aircrews in order to locate a helicopter that had a practice beacon on
it (which succeeded relatively quickly), and some excellent practice
doing real-world flight-line marshaling. Ironically, all ground teams
were also "grounded" on the second day due to poor weather, so we didn't
go out on the expected ground sorties.
When the exercise was over, Capt Laws opted for leaving the plane at
Decatur for safety reasons (it got flown back later, when the weather
was better), and all three participants agreed that the exercise had
been excellent training. Best of all, they had greatly enjoyed the
experience. Personally, I had a lot of fun.
Promotions
- 19 September
   
On Tuesday 19 September cadets Justin S. Benavides, Mark A. Davidson,
Stephen F. Corly, Jonathan L. Kokel, and Sherman L.
Burwell were promoted. The images at left are in the order mentioned,
except that Cdt Burwell's didn't come out. All the cadets were very
proud of their achievement and excited about their new responsibilities.
Newton's
Laws of Motion Can Be Fun - (Update 1)
Mr. Bernie Royko, a member of the Burnet Commemorative Air
Force and an engineer, upon seeing a demonstration of the
hovercraft we used in teaching Newton's Laws of Motion,
decided to write a $400 check payable to Apollo CS. His
instructions to me were short and clear, "Now go and solve
the propulsion mechanism. Floating in one place all day long
isn't much fun."
Newton's
Laws of Motion Can Be Fun - (Update 2)
Lt Col Brooks Cima, TXWG ES Training Officer, is also a
school teacher in the Katy ISD, north of Houston. Upon
reading the September issue of this newsletter, and learning
about the ride-on hovercraft we used to teach Newton's Laws
of Motion, she contacted the squadron and asked if the
teaching was exportable. It turned out that she wanted us to
teach the Katy 4th & 5th graders some elementary physics in
November. As the chief instructor, I immediately volunteered
to do it
myself – with the squadron commander's consent, of course. I
know this presentation will be fun.
Apollo's First Lego Robotics Competition (Update 1)
The Apollo CS robotics team met regularly during September, and is
doing very well. The cadets are building, rebuilding, and starting
to program the robot. All of the field setup (a table built to
specifications) is complete, so now the team can practice on the
real thing. All the cadets are having a great time while learning a
lot about robotics and programming. The competition will take place
on 6 January, 2007. Hope to see you there.
(C/MSgt
Michael G. Moody)
|
|
Black Sheep CS |
Cadets Get New
Quarters
On 5 Sept 2006, the cadets held a dedication ceremony for
their newly-built office and meeting space. The Cadet
Commander, C/1st Lt Johnilea Petty, spoke about the unit's
founding in 1978, when the squadron was addressed by
the original USMC "Black Sheep Squadron" commander, Lt
Col Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of WW II fame.
C/1st Lt Petty thanked the unit's senior members who
devoted
much time and effort renovating the space for them, and
acknowledge the material contributions made by Ryland Homes.
A framed photo of the cadets, with a message of gratitude
and all their signatures, was then presented to Lt Col Mike Eberle, Squadron Commander.
Upon entering the new space, C/1st Lt Petty and C/Capt Rebecca
McKinney hung a photo of Lt Col Boyington by the front
door. In commemoration of the event, 2d Lt Kelly Castillo,
Black Sheep Squadron's Historian and Public Affairs Officer,
presented laminated clippings of this year's published
articles concerning the squadron. "These words and images
reflect contributions made by the cadets and senior members
this year", he said. "They will also show future cadets how
you were involved in serving our community." The cadets will
convert their old quarters to much-needed storage space.
Dallas
Freedom Run
On 9
Sept 2006, squadron members took part in the Freedom Run
in downtown Dallas, held to pay tribute to the heroes
and victims of the September 11th tragedy. Squadron
members included 1st Lt Opal McKinney, SM Terri
Kleinmeier, C/Capt Rebecca McKinney, C/TSgt Brittany
Stelting, and C/A1C Tim Kleinmeier. All but C/A1C
Kleinmeier made the run with members of other CAP Group
III squadrons, while the rest handed out information
about the Civil Air Patrol to interested persons.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1]
C/Capt
Rebecca McKinney (left) and C/TSgt Brittany Stelting
sort the hand-outs they’ll be giving away. [2]
The City of Dallas Police Honor Guard answers questions
from small persons. [3] 1st Lt Opal McKinney
assists C/A1C Kleinmeier with his racing numbers. [4]
Black
Sheep Squadron and other Group III squadron cadets enjoy
the run.
To
start the event, that involved
a 5K
run and a one mile walk,
the
City of Dallas Police Honor Guard presented the colors,
followed by the pledge of allegiance and the National
Anthem.
All
participants finished the event, with no injuries
reported. On this day, similar activities took place
across the Nation, as part of a national day of
remembrance, five years after the 9/11 terrorist attack.
(2nd Lt
Kelly Castillo) |
|
Dallas Stealth
CS |
Dallas Freedom Run
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
[1] The squadron
comes together [2 to 6] Stretching before the run [7 to 9]
The run, with Lt Col Owen Younger, squadron CC, and Maj Pat Benoit,
Group III CC, leading the runners [10] At the finish line [11]
The squadron team after the race.
(S.M.
Susan Cathcart) |
|
Gladewater Corsairs CS |
Gladewater Cadet
Earns AFA Cadet of the Year Award
– 12 September
C/Maj Kyle Vaughn was awarded the prestigious Air Force Association
Cadet of the Year award for 2005. As there was no AFA representative
available in the local area, the award was presented by1st Lt Harold
Parks, his squadron commander.
C/Maj Vaughn, the Gladewater Corsairs’ Cadet Commander, is very active
in his community and his church, and is also an Eagle Scout. This Mount
Pleasant High School senior has a can-do attitude and is always willing
to lend a hand without being asked. He is an excellent student and last
summer completed a CAP Solo Flight Encampment. After completing his
college education, Kyle plans to become a military aviator. The
Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron is proud to have this outstanding
young man in a leadership position, where he can help guide cadets and
help them achieve their full potential.
POW/MIA Participation
Announced
– 13 September
The Longview News-Journal
published an article
announcing the squadron's participation in a POW/MIA ceremony in
observance of National POW/MIA Day.
Squadron in Fly-Over
and Attendance at VFW Ceremony
– 16 September
 Friday,
September 15 was National POW/MIA Recognition Day. On the following day,
to honor the sacrifices made through history by these men and women, VFW
Post 4002 in Longview, TX offered a program of remembrance. The squadron
opened the ceremonies honoring former POWs, MIAs and their families with
a flyover of 6 aircraft, coordinated by Capt Charles Mouton, sqn AEO,
with a group of five pilots who base their aircraft at Gladewater
Airport. They overflew the area at exactly 2:00 pm, the program’s
scheduled opening time.
U.S.
Representative Louie Ghomert, the main speaker for the event, was clear
and to the point. "There are still 1801 Americans unaccounted for from
the Vietnam War," he said. He also described the government
organizations that are still working to find prisoners of war and
missing service members. The ceremony provided by the VFW Post and
Auxiliary was very moving and an inspiration to all those present
In
addition to the pilots participating in the flyover, five other
Gladewater Squadron members attended the program and enjoyed the
refreshments that were served afterwards. Present were 1st Lt
Harold Parks, C/Maj Steven Mouton, C/MSgt Jarred Alexander, C/SMSgt
Andrew Alexander and C/Amn John Ryan. All greeted and enjoyed visiting
with Congressman Ghomert, who graciously agreed to pose for a photograph
with the cadets.
Local Paper Reports
VFW Ceremony
– 17 September
The Longview News-Journal
gave Page 1 coverage to
the POW/MIA Ceremony and the squadron's fly-over.
(1st Lt
Harold Parks) |
| Pegasus CS |
During September...
Finds – Two confirmed finds (Bergstrom and
Fort
Hood) proved easier to locate
thanks to the new antennas we installed on the van.
Building – We insulated half the building
and purchased a new 25,000 BTU window unit, making for a much better
work environment.
Communications – Capt Steve Barclay is
holding an ACUT class on 11 Nov at our building, to improve unit
members’ skills.
CTEP is purchasing sixteen 8' mess tables to
use at Building 30. Pegasus will refurbish, paint, and store them.
CTEP gets to use the building, Pegasus gains tables for the
classrooms.
Cadet Programs – Nine visitors from Bastrop
Faith Baptist academy visited this month, with a view to starting a
flight and the middle school initiative. They’ll join Pegasus and
use their van to bring cadets to Saturday meetings for at least
three months. Once they’re trained, they’ll start the flight, with a
minimum of 8 members (3 seniors). The school will have something to
compete against ROTC at the public HS and, once the flight is
running, we’ll start the middle school initiative.
ALS – Scheduled for Feb/March, billeting
arrangements to be announced. Group III cadets get first choice; if
we have the space, we’ll open it to TXWG too.
Venture Crew – Eleven entrants have
contributed $380 towards the October BSA Merit badge workshop.
Recruiting – We’ve had 5 more requests from
Volunteer Match this month. We bought the $79 upgrade that lists us
in the Austin and surrounding areas. $1790 buys all of Texas.
(1st Lt
Daren Jaeger) |
|
Phantom / Kittinger SS |
Texas Wing SAREX
- 15-17 September
Twelve
aircraft and air and grounds crews from across Texas Wing
participated in a disaster relief
operational readiness exercise
(disaster simulation) in Decatur,
Texas. Capt Leonard Laws (Apollo CS), flew the
Apollo Cessna with
Lt Richard Hacker (Phantom SS) and Cdt Michael Moody (Apollo
CS) from KAUS to KLUD. The Incident Commander, Lt Col Tom
Bishop, planned the exercise to simulate an emergency in which
squadrons would consolidate near the disaster site. Over 40 sorties
were flown, the majority photography missions which are CAP's
typical role in a disaster.
Col Bishop also positioned a practice
beacon using his Brantley helicopter as the target aircraft, giving
both flight crews and ground crews some practice at coordinated
operations. Because of low ceilings with embedded thunderstorms,
Capt Laws decided to keep the plane positioned in Decatur at the end
of the SAREX. Thanks to 1st Lt Cheri Fischler, Apollo CS CC, for giving
Capt Laws and 2Lt Hacker a land ride back to Austin on Sunday.
Apollo's plane is now back home.
1.
2.
3.
[1] An aircrew prepares for an upcoming mission [2]
Mobile communications trailer. [3] Typical aerial photograph
(a power relay station).
Distributed
SAREX
Steve Barclay, Baron Carter, Joe Chasnoff, Richard Hacker,
Alexis Allen, Juanita Londenberg, Gary Houck, and Maj Gordie
White of Austin/Houston Ellington Squadron (who was PIC on most
flights) participated in the most recent Distributed SAREX. During
the SAREX, Alexis Allen met the requirements for both Mission
Scanner and Mission Observer, Joe Chasnoff completed Mission
Observer, and Juanita Londenberg completed her first flight
toward Mission Scanner.
(2nd Lt
Richard Hacker) |
|
Tyler / Robert's Raiders CS |
Squadron Thanks Local Business, 19 September
Lt Col Terry L. Howlett (left), squadron commander, presented a
Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Elmer Ellis (center), Chief Executive
Officer of East Texas Medical Center, for ETMC’s support to the squadron
since 1989. ETMC has provided space for communications equipment in
their climate-controlled equipment room, as well as a CAP antenna on the
hospital’s tower. This equipment has made it possible for the squadron
to communicate with aircraft and ground teams throughout East Texas for
Emergency Services missions in support of the community and Nation.
Looking on is
Lt Col Dennis
Bennett (right), a former Group 7 Commander, Texas Wing.
ETMC and Mr. Ellis
provided misting machines and the ETMC canopy, both of which were used
at the squadron’s Staging Area in support of the Incident Command Post
during the TEXAS SENTRY COWBOY USAF Guided Search and Rescue Training
Exercise in August. “These items were especially helpful for our ground
teams and aircrews, in the prevailing triple-digit temperatures,” said
Lt Col Howlett.
During Exercise TEXAS
SENTRY COWBOY, Group lll, Texas Wing's Command Post, hosted by
Tyler/Robert’s Raiders Composite Squadron, coordinated 100 air and over
30 ground missions statewide, setting a new national record for the
Civil Air Patrol.
Local News Coverage,
24 September
The
Tyler Morning Telegraph reported presentation of the
squadron's award in recognition of the East Texas Medical Center's
and Mr. Elmer Ellis' generosity in donating space and equipment in
support of local CAP operations.
(Lt Col H.
M. "Butch" Ragland) |
|
Waxahachie
Talon CS |
Mitchell Ceremony Held at Waxahachie Talon CS
Cadet Benjamin Josse was honored with his Mitchell Award
Ceremony, and had the new rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant
bestowed upon him by Colonel Frank Eldridge, Texas Wing
Commander, assisted by Cdt Josse's grandfather, Commander B.K.
West, USN (Ret). Afterwards, Col Eldridge presented him with his
certificate.
The General Billy Mitchell Award is normally presented with an
elaborate ceremony involving members of the cadet's unit. The
ceremony stresses the Civil Air Patrol's core values, with
special emphasis on honor and service, and symbolizes the
arduous path a cadet must follow in order to reach that level of
achievement. It’s a path so demanding that only 15% of all CAP
cadets ever get there
– though all want it.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Josse of Red Oak, and a member of
the Waxahachie Talon Composite Squadron at Waxahachie-Midlothian
Midway Airport, he cut a fine figure in his dress-blue uniform.
His obvious excitement was shared by all unit members present,
as well as his relatives who had been invited to witness the
event.
Cadet Josse joined
the Civil Air Patrol in August, 2004, attended the Oklahoma NCSA
Flight Academy where he received his solo wings, and serves as
chairman of the Group III Cadet Advisory Council (CAC) and an
Alternate for the Texas Wing CAC. In 2005 he was selected Honor
Cadet at his basic encampment in the winter, and his squadron
recognized him as Outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer of the
Year.
His specialty
qualifications include Search and Rescue Ground Team Member and
Urban Direction Finder Team Member
– both
responsible positions. He has served as Flight Sergeant, Flight
Commander, Deputy Commander, and recently assumed command of the
Waxahachie Composite Squadron Cadet Corps. Cadet Josse is also
active in Creative Arts and Theatre. He maintains high academic
standards and is currently a junior in high school in his home
school program. His goal is to attend the Air Force Academy and
become a military pilot.
(Lt Col Gary
Stevens) |
|
|
Links or references
to individuals or companies do not constitute an endorsement of any
information, product or service you may receive from such sources |
|
Stray Items of Interest
(even if remote) |
| August 31 |
Inquiry sought on tower staffing (Louisville Courier-Journal) |
| August 31 |
Private Jet Boom
(Forbes) |
| August 31 |
  During
August, Oregon Wing, along with other CAP Wings,
participated in an
extensive six-state seismic survey mission in cooperation with
the United States Geological Survey and the California Office of
Emergency Services Clearinghouse. These photographs were taken by the
flight crews. (Left) Hikers along the rim of Mt. Baker. (Right) Sunset
over Oregon, taken by Lt Nick Ham, Salem CS, ORWG. These high-resolution
images are suitable for use as PC wallpaper! Please
e-mail me for the full-size image (Mt Baker=900K, Sunset=1.6M).
(Images sent in by Lt Col Tom Traver, ORWG PAO) |
| September 1 |
The Founding Fathers' Homeland Security Policy (Front Page
Magazine) |
| September 1 |
Lockheed Wins Job of Building
Next Spaceship
(The New York Times) |
| September 1 |
High-tech guide can give pilots sound advice (Chicago Tribune) |
| September 1 |
Military members transition into life after deployment -
Texas helps heal marriages (Air Force Link) |
|
September 2 |
The birth of the mini jet (The Observer, UK) |
| September 2 |
Airport Security Beset by Technology Failures
(TruthDig) |
| September 2 |
New FAA Runway Landing Length Requirements Recommended
(Aero-News Network) |
| September 3 |
High-tech system could have averted jet crash, experts say
(The Seattle Times) |
| September 3 |
New Mexico sees its future in space-tech firms (Ventura County
Star) |
| September 3 |
Safer air travel (Charlotte Observer) |
| September 3 |
USAF Lt Gen Harry Goodall (Ret) dies (Waco Tribune) ||
USAF bio ||
High Beam bio |
|
September 4 |
A better way to fly? (Albany Democrat Herald) |
|
September 4 |
9/11 spawned tech-security market (CNN International) |
| September 4 |
Business aviation current troubles (Flight International) |
| September 4 |
Albania hires ex-US DHS chief Tom Ridge as consultant
(International Herald Tribune) |
| September 4 |
Short-staffing a safety problem at all major airports (The
Eagle-Tribune) |
|
September 5 |
|
|
September 5 |
The Six Cs of Private Aviation
(Helium Report) |
| September 6 |
Airport
Business Takes Off In Fort Worth (CBS 11-TV) |
| September 6 |
New database merges FBI, DHS fingerprint systems
(San Jose Mercury News) |
| September 6 |
EFJ, Inc. Receives $4.4 Million Order From the Civil Air Patrol
(PR Newswire) |
| September 6 |
China to Launch Communication Satellite in October
(America's Network) |
| September 6 |
FAA to Approve New Safety
Harness (The Wall Street Journal) |
| September 6 |
Waiving Visas Risks National Security (Judicial Watch,
Washington, DC) |
| September 6 |
Senator says DHS is not succeeding
(Plattsburgh Press Republican) |
| September 6 |
America's fortress not as strong as we once hoped
(Chicago Tribune) |
| September 6 |
Iran Unveils a Home-grown Fighter Jet (Aero-News
Network) |
|
September 6 |
|
| September 6 |
FAA Approves New Child Safety Device for Airliners (Aero-News
Network) |
| September 7 |
Schumer says parts of NY lack security (Press &
Sun-Bulletin) |
| September 7 |
FAA To Pilots: Be Sure To
Use The Right Runway (Aero-News
Network) |
| September 7 |
Helium Report Study: Private Jet share ownership isn't simple
(Business Wire) |
| September 7 |
Strengthening Military and Homeland Security Demands
Better Technology (Market Wire) |
| September 7 |
Hammer ACE
team ready for hurricanes, more (Air Combat Command) |
| September 8 |
F-35 Lightning II Test Program Marks Milestone (Aero-News
Network) |
| September 8 |
Senate
adds border security funding to Defense bill
(GovExec.com) |
| September 8 |
Airlines in dogfight for scarce pilots (Asia Times Online) |
| September 8 |
Congress urged to pass chem security bill (United Press
International) |
| September 9 |
Port of Wilmington, maritime sites not top security priority (The
News Journal) |
|
September
9 |
|
| September 9 |
Airbus Lags Boeing Badly (Aero-News
Network) |
| September
9 |
 USS Texas
(SSN 775), Newest Submarine Commissioned
(Commander Naval Submarine Forces)
First Lady's Remarks at Christening of USS Texas (The White House)
USS
Texas Sub at Sea (Subsim) |
| September 11 |
US Army wants file and fly ability in national airspace
within two years (Flight International) |
| September
12 |
Could UAVs Be In National Airspace Soon? (Aero-News
Net) |
|
September
12 |
|
|
September
12 |
|
| September 12 |
 The
MQ-9 Raptor-B becomes the Reaper -
The Air Force is the Department of Defense's
executive agent for designating and naming military aerospace vehicles.
The MQ-9
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, an improved version of the MQ-1 Raptor
(later designated Raptor-A when the MQ-9 entered service) was initially
named Raptor-B in spite of its enhanced hunter-killer capabilities
compared to the MQ-1. To better distinguish the new UAV from its
less-capable sibling, the MQ-9 has just been
named
Reaper, a moniker suggested by the airmen who operate it.
(US Air Force Press Release + Air Force Link) |
| September 13 |
How
Much Is Too Much for Port Security?
(ABC News) |
| September 13 |
US officials rush to plug travel security holes
(USA Today) |
|
September 14 |
|
| September 14 |
Tiny Cessna Is First; Eclipse Rival Has Full FAA Ticket
(AMT Online) |
|
September 15 |
|
|
September 15 |
|
| September 16 |
Look Out Reaper, Here Comes MALE (Aero-News Net) |
|
September 16 |
|
| September 16 |
Sandia Labs getting a bigger role within DHS
(Albuquerque Tribune) |
| September
18 |
Comms in a box - Radio-bridging device connects disparate first
responders. (Washington Technology) |
| September 18 |
One Week From Deadline, T-3A Fleet Nearly Gone
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 18 |
Sensors, UAVs could cure border problems
(Washington Technology) |
| September
18 |
Fifteen World-Widening Years - Birth and growth of the
Internet. (Information Week) |
| September 19 |
USAF Plane To Fly On Ultra-Clean Fuel
(Aero-News Net) |
|
September 19 |
|
| September 19 |
Razor's Edge Halts Sales Of AirPlan Flight Planner
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 19 |
Flying eyes
(Washington Technology) |
| September 19 |
Private spaceport
wins permit (MSNBC) |
| September 19 |
Plano, TX DHS Puts Scouting Badge Requirements on Web ||
DHS (Government Technology) |
| September 19 |
Plane wanders into airspace restricted for Bush visit
(Press of Atlantic City) |
| September 20 |
Aeroflot Signs With Boeing -- Well, Sort Of
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 20 |
Fighters Escort GA Plane Out Of UN Restricted Airspace
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 20 |
Cessna Opens New Plant in Mexico
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 20 |
FedEx Testing Anti-Missile Defense System
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 20 |
Sky-Nets Creates Wi-Fi Hotspot Network for General Aviation
(eMediaWire) |
| September
21 |
Downed Cessna Pilot Aided By British Airways Crew (Aero-News Net) |
| September 21 |
DHS plans data systems to supplement surveillance
(Washington Technology) |
| September 21 |
Despite protests, wind farm projects picking up speed (The
Reporter - Fond du Lac) |
| September 23 |
Analysis: Nuke security B+ hard to qualify (United Press
International) |
| September 24 |
Understaffed air traffic control in Houston flying under
the radar (The Houston Chronicle) |
| September 24 |
Bolivia Reaches for a
Slice of the Coast
That Got Away
(The New York Times) |
| September 24 |
A Boat Racing on
Biodiesel, but Running Low on
Money (The New
York Times) |
| September 24 |
 Sunset
or Sunrise? This picture was taken in the USA, but ... is it a
sunrise over the Long Island Sound or a sunset across the San Francisco
Bay? Or the other way around? You decide. To further confuse you, the
lady in the picture is an Azerbaijani named Sabina, according to the
photographer
– my friend Muldoon Elder
– who sent me this image. Either way, it is a
fine example of Nature's ability to turn air pollution into beautiful
colors. For a larger version of this image (233K) suitable for use as PC
wallpaper, just ask for it.
|
| September 24 |
Should Boeing Build A Fence?
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 24 |
Private Space Industry Prepares To Fire Up In NM
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 24 |
Race Is On for Security Gear (Los Angeles Times) |
| September 25 |
Report: Real ID will cost states more than $11 billion
(Washington Technology) |
| September 25 |
Private jet business
soars (Sarasota Herald-Tribune) |
| September 25 |
Lawmakers settle on measure to protect chemical plants
(GovExec) |
| September 25 |
How new technical fixes could help defend the homeland
(U.S. News & World Report) |
| September 25 |
Natural
Language Processing for State Security
(SlashDot) |
| September 26 |
Inaugural Flight From Spaceport America Ends Prematurely
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 26 |
Altair UAV Re-Certified For High-Altitude Ops
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 26 |
Put On Your Shades! Japan's Solar-B Sun Probe Blasts Off
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 26 |
FCC Creates Homeland Security Bureau
(Streaming Magazine) |
| September 27 |
HondaJet To Formally Go On Sale At NBAA 2006 (Aero-News Net) |
| September 28 |
Doctors Perform First-Ever Human Surgery In Zero-G (Aero-News Net) |
| September 28 |
Defense
Spending Bill Could Help Local Aviation - CAP will spend $10M on
Cessnas in FY 2007 (KAKE-ABC) |
| September 28 |
Textron, Embraer "Light" Jets Fuel US Airline-Delay Concerns
(Bloomberg - USA) |
| September 28 |
Russia
Seeks Entree into Europe's Aviation Market (Eurasia
Daily Monitor) |
| September 28 |
FAA, GA Leaders Agree On Impact Of Very Light Jets (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
Cockpit safety device sees what pilots can't
(Arizona Republic) |
| September 29 |
Lockheed, FAA Working To Integrate UAVs In US Airspace (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
Mars Rover Opportunity Reaches Victoria Crater (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
SpaceDev Founder Wants In On Space-Tourism Market (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
NASA Chief Reluctant To Partner With China (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
Private aircrafts‘ performance steals limelight at air show
(The Herald, South Africa) |
| September 29 |
Solar flares will disrupt GPS in 2011
(New Scientist Space) |
|
September 29 |
|
| September 29 |
Adam Aircraft soaring with prop plane (Denver Post) |
| September 30 |
Congress passes security bills; Pascrell says US won't be safer
(NorthJersey.com) |
| September 30 |
A380 Wake Turbulence Testing Complete (Aero-News Net) |
|
|
Links or references
to individuals or companies do not constitute an endorsement of any
information, product or service you may receive from such sources |
|
Found on the Internet
(click on link to view the story) |
|
August 31 |
CAP proves worth during Katrina relief - The Air Force
praises CAP. (Air Force Link) |
|
September 4 |
|
|
September 5 |
|
| September 5 |
 The
US Navy's
F4F Wildcat, probably the most successful WWII American plane in
the Pacific, was designed by Grumman in the late 30s and ordered into
production in 1939. This lovingly restored survivor of the species, an
Oshkosh Air Show
participant, accidentally ran into a small aerobatic plane on the
take-off queue, killing the pilot. "Safety is always a major concern in
any air show," said Lt Col Tom Traver, ORWG PAO, who sent
me this photo. |
| September 7 |
NASA
Rover's Martian progress (NASA Fact)
NASA Rover nears Martian bowl goal
(Aero-News Network) |
| September 7 |
One-plane crop
dusting in Fort Worth (Fort Worth Star Telegram) |
|
September 7 |
New story, old tale of Civil Air Patrol (Walker Pilot
Independent) |
| September 7 |
After 12 years, DOS is back - FreeDOS
PC Operating System (ZD Net) |
| September 8 |
Freedom Walks to commemorate 9/11, honor veterans
(Air Force Today) |
| September 9 |
Radford U takes
scholarly look at homeland security (Roanoke Times) |
|
September
9 |
 Warship
built out of Twin Towers wreckage -
From the Twin Towers' wreckage after their collapse on September 11,
2001, came 24 tons of salvageable steel
—
now
incorporated into the Navy's newest warship, the LPD-21 USS New
York. This newest of 9 "San Antonio"
class amphibious transport ships ordered by the U.S. Navy is part of the
fleet modernization program. I'm grateful to Chaplain (Lt Col)
George Kelly for this item.
|
| September
9 |
Redefining time. Physicist Jim Bergquist has been busy creating
a more accurate clock. The cesium clock currently in use will neither
win nor lose a second in 70 million years. Bergquist's experimental mercury
optical clock would push that figure to 400 million years. (National
Institute of Standards and Technology) |
| September 10 |
Port practices security during drills
(The Brownsville Times) |
|
September 11 |
|
| September 12 |
Memorial dedicated to
soldiers serving in Afghanistan, Iraq
- Georgetown (Austin American-Statesman) |
| September 12 |
Lockheed to Build Border Security Plant
(The Houston Chronicle) |
|
September 14 |
|
| September 14 |
  The
message read, "Mt. St. Helens
continues
to spew ash, while it forms a
lava dome in the crater and still has minor tremors. Brent & Jan LeBaron
took the sunrise and full-day shots at left, showing lenticular
formations over the crater, created when the moisture condenses from a
vapor to small particles at the higher altitude." I asked
Lt Col Tom Traver, ORWG PAO,
for an opinion, and he promised to ask "his buds." The verdict is in.
Tom's friend Ted said, "For the sunrise, please visit
http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/sthelens.asp; the
second photo looks manipulated. Lenticular clouds rarely appear dished,
and usually aren't that large compared to the mountain that produces
them. However, it might be for real... or a real good job on Photoshop.
No opinion." Tom and I agreed that, hoax or no, the pictures are
beautiful. (Anonymous contributor) |
| September 14 |
TXWG Member selected CAP National Senior Member of 2006
(CAP News Online) |
| September 15 |
Fake
Hackers Beat DHS (The Inquirer) |
| September 15 |
FAA gives go-ahead to three Minnesota wind projects (USA
Today) |
|
September 15 |
 Writing
May Be Oldest in Western Hemisphere.
A stone slab bearing 3,000-year-old writing previously unknown to
scholars has been found in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and
archaeologists say it is an example of the oldest script ever discovered
in the Western Hemisphere. The signs incised on the 26-pound
stone, the researchers said in the report, “link the Olmec to literacy,
document an unsuspected writing system and reveal a new complexity to
this civilization.” (The New York Times)
|
| September 15 |
Part One: Sport Pilot -- Now You Can!
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 15 |
The Strategy of Learning to Fly
(Flying Magazine) |
| September 16 |
"Yellow Submarine" latest in NJ's high-tech security
arsenal
(News Day) |
| September 16 |
Civil Air Patrol Drills In
Tulsa (KOTV) |
| September 17 |
US Naval Academy Receives Replica Of Historic Wright Airplane
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 17 |
The Venerable KC-135 Celebrates 50 Years
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 17 |
Wreckage of plane bound from Texas to Telluride
found (The Houston
Chronicle) |
| September 18 |
Happy Birthday,
USAF
– (Sent in by Lt Col Tom Traver, ORWG PAO) |
| September 18 |
Plane crash victims from Dallas area retrieved
from peak
– CAP doesn't fly helicopters - Ed.
(Rocky
Mountain News) |
| September 18 |
Airplane hit Wilson Peak, found near Telluride
– It was an AF helicopter - Ed.
(Grand Junction Sentinel) |
| September 18 |
Part Two: Sport Pilot --
Small, Simple, Easy To Fly... And Learn
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 18 |
Today, the Hard Drive Turns 50 (PC
World) |
| September 18 |
'A Big Boom And The House Shook'
(KOMO - Seattle) |
| September 19 |
NASA Goes With Boeing For Orion's Heat Shield
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 19 |
DHS
secretary praises NM for disaster simulation
(Santa Fe New Mexican) |
| September 20 |
Boeing Wins Deal For Border Security
- Towers 1, Drones 0. (Washington Post) |
| September 20 |
Crash kills as many as 4 on Wilson Peak (Telluride Daily Planet) |
| September
20 |
Strategic communication applies to every Airman
(Air Force Link) |
| September
20 |
Civil Air Patrol
is honored (Air Force Link) |
| September 21 |
Atlantis Returns Safely To
KSC
(Aero-News Net) |
| September 21 |
Helicopter
Lands In Back Yard Of Waterfront Home (Local10 - Miami) |
| September 22 |
CubCrafters Celebrates First Customer Sport Cub Deliveries
(Aero-News Net) |
| September
22 |
Civil Air Patrol Honored For Relief Efforts (Aero-News Net) |
| September 22 |
Two dead in crash of light-sport aircraft
(Rutland Herald) |
|
September
23 |
|
| September 23 |
L-29 Down In Table Bay South Africa
(Aero-News Net) |
|
September
23 |
|
| September 25 |
 The
F-14 Tomcat Roars Off Into The Sunset (Aero-News Net)
My friend Lt Col Tom Traver tells me that Oregon's
Evergreen
Aviation Museum has already garnered one of the retired F-14's. It is
sitting at the Portland Air National Guard Base where it was flown from
its base in California for eventual transport to the museum in
McMinnville. |
|
September
25 |
|
| September 25 |
Airport under FAA's wing (Del Rio News
Herald) |
| September 25 |
Airport in Argentina offers psych counseling lounge - Myrtle
Beach is still in S.C. - Ed. (Canoe Travel News) |
| September 25 |
DHS Arming
Schools with Hazard Radios (KSL-TV) |
| September 26 |
DHS Loosens Liquid Restrictions
On Airliners (NY1) |
|
September 26 |
'Laser
Chips' Could Replace Wires in Your PC (PC World) |
| September 26 |
Atlantic City airport, where 'air-port' coined, closing
(Newsday - Long Island, NY) |
| September 26 |
DHS bill delays passport rule at borders
(MLive) |
| September 26 |
Air Force
launches Delta II/GPS mission (Air Force Link) |
| September 27 |
 Our
military pilots do earn their pay - Just look at this picture
and think about it. A soldier in
Afghanistan took this photo of a helo rescue mission. The pilot is a PA
Guardsman who flies EMS choppers in civilian life. How many people on
the planet do you think could set the rear end of a chopper down on a
shack's roof-top, sitting on top of a steep mountain cliff, and hold it
there while soldiers load the wounded in the rear? I was impressed. I
can't even imagine having the nerve, much less the talent and ability to
do this. God bless our military! (Mailed by Jan Vallandingham and
submitted by Lt Col Tom Traver, ORWG PAO) |
| September 28 |
Superior's XP-400 Makes A Good Showing At Reno (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
Richard Branson unveils interior mock-up of private spaceship
(San Jose Mercury News) |
| September 29 |
Virgin Galactic Shares Mockup of SpaceShipTwo! (Aero-News Net) |
| September 29 |
Goodbye to Bader - CAP's birthplace is gone. (Press of
Atlantic City) |
| September 30 |
Cottonwood Airport base for plane search - CAP cadets in SAR work
(Verde Independent) |
| September 30 |
NASA Aims For Early Launch Of Discovery
(Aero-News Net) |
| September
30 |
Watch a World War
II
training film used to familiarize new pilots with the big, tough
shipboard fighter, the Chance Vought F4U Corsair. This film is
courtesy of
Zeno’s Warbirds Videos. (Item taken from
Capt Bob Spiegel's CAP "Tex" Hill Newsletter, October 2006) |
|
|
Links or references
to individuals or companies do not constitute an endorsement of any
information, product or service you may receive from such sources |
|
Aerospace Milestones &
Notable Dates This Month |
| Oct 4, 1905 |
Orville Wright
keeps his aircraft in the air for 33 minutes, 17 seconds. |
| Oct 7, 1908 |
Mrs. Hart O. Berg, wife of the Wrights' European business
manager, is the first female passenger in an airplane, flying with
Wilbur Wright. |
| Oct 8-Nov 5,
1909 |
Army aviation students Lts
Frank P. Lahm,
Benjamin D.
Foulois, and
Frederick E.
Humphreys are selected to learn to fly an airplane with Wilbur
Wright at
College
Park, Maryland, on the grounds of the current
College
Park Airport. |
| Oct 26, 1909 |
Lt
Frederick E.
Humphreys becomes the first Army pilot to solo in the Wright
Military Flyer at College Park, Md. |
| Oct 11, 1910 |
Former President
Theodore Roosevelt flies with
Arch Hoxsey
piloting a
Wright Flier at a St. Louis flying meet, becoming the
first Chief
Executive to fly. The first president to
fly during his term of office is
Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1943. |
| Oct 18, 1917 |
McCook
Field in Dayton is established as an active research and
development (R&D) program facility for military aviation. |
| Oct 30, 1919 |
The reversible-pitch
propeller is
tested for the first time at McCook Field near Dayton, Ohio. |
| Oct 17, 1922 |
US Navy Lt
Virgil C. Griffin,
in a Vought
VE-7SF [A987], takes off from the USS Langley moored at York River,
Virginia. This is the
first ship-borne takeoff. |
| Oct 18, 1922 |
Brig Gen
William H.
Mitchell becomes the first US military pilot to hold the
recognized speed record at 222.97 mph in the
Curtiss R-6
at the closed-course Pulitzer Trophy air race at Selfridge Field, near
Detroit, Mich. |
| Oct 20, 1922 |
Lt (later Maj Gen)
Harold R. Harris
bails out of a crippled airplane he is testing at McCook Field and
becomes the first man to join the
Caterpillar
Club — those whose lives have been saved by parachutes. |
| Oct 26, 1922 |
US Navy Lt Cmdr
Godfrey
Chevalier, in an
Aeromarine 39-B, lands on the
USS
Langley, in the first ship landing. He is fatally injured in a
crash two weeks later. |
| Oct 28, 1924 |
Army Air Service airplanes break up cloud formations at 13,000
feet over Bolling Field, D.C., by
"blasting" them with electrified sand. |
| Oct 26, 1925 |
Lt
James H.
Doolittle, flying the Curtiss R3C-2 floatplane racer, wins the
Schneider Cup race in Baltimore, Md., with an average speed of
232.57 mph. The next day, he sets a world seaplane record of 245.713 mph
over a three-kilometer course. |
| Oct 4-5, 1931 |
Hugh Herndon
and Clyde Pangborn complete the first nonstop transpacific
flight from Sabishiro Beach, Japan, to Wenatchee, Washington, in 41
hours, 13 minutes, in a
Bellanca
Skyrocket. |
| Oct 15, 1937 |
The experimental bomber
Boeing XB-15
makes its first flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Wash., under the
control of test pilot
Eddie Allen. The military converted into a cargo plane
designated XC-105.
It would evolve into the
B-17 Flying
Fortress. |
| Oct 14, 1938 |
Company test pilot
Edward Elliott
makes the first flight of the
Curtiss XP-40 at Buffalo, N.Y. Almost 14,000 P-40s will be built
before production ends in 1944. |
| Oct 8, 1940 |
The Royal Air Force
announces formation of the first
Eagle Squadron,
a Fighter Command unit to consist of volunteer pilots from the United
States. |
| Oct 1, 1942 |
Bell chief test pilot
Robert M. Stanley
flies the first turbojet aircraft, the
Bell
XP-59A. The next day, Col
Laurence C. Craigie
becomes the first U.S. military pilot to fly a turbojet. In Oct 1943,
Ann Baumgartener Carl of the
Women Airforce Service Pilots
flies a
YP-59A
and becomes the first American woman to fly a jet airplane. |
| Oct 14, 1943 |
Eighth Air Force
conducts the second raid on the ball-bearing factories at
Schweinfurt,
Germany. As a result, the Germans will disperse their
ball-bearing manufacturing, but the cost of the raid is high; 60 of the
291 B-17s launched do not return, 138 more are damaged. |
| Oct 1, 1947 |
The
North American XP-86
Sabre takes to the air for the first time at Muroc Dry Lake,
Calif (now known as Edwards AFB). |
| Oct 14, 1947 |
USAF Capt
Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager in the
Bell X-1
breaks the speed of sound, reaching a speed of 700 miles (1,127
kilometers) per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 43,000 feel (13,000
meters), over Muroc Dry Lake. |
| Oct 21,1947 |
The first flight of the
Northrop YB-49 flying-wing jet bomber is made. The Air Force's
Northrop
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber will bear a family resemblance to this
plane. |
| Oct 15, 1948 |
Maj Gen
William H.
Tunner assumes command of the newly created
Combined Airlift Task Force during the Berlin Airlift. |
| Oct 1, 1949
|
People's Republic of China is established. |
| Oct 4, 1949 |
A
Fairchild C-82 Packet crew air-drops an entire field artillery
battery by parachute at Fort Bragg, N.C. |
| Oct 19, 1950
|
Chinese units
cross
the Yalu River into North Korea. |
| Oct 19, 1953 |
In the
first commercial nonstop transcontinental flight, a TWA Lockheed
Super Constellation reaches New York from Los Angeles in 8
hours, 17 minutes. In 2003, the flight on a Boeing 777 averages 5 hours,
42 minutes. |
| Oct 19, 1953 |
Assistant Secretary of the
Air Force Roger Lewis reveals that
Boeing B-52
bombers will cost about $3.6 million each in production, but the first
four aircraft will cost about $20 million each to amortize design,
development and tooling costs. |
| Oct 24, 1953
|
Prototype of USAF's first
delta-wing jet, the
Convair F-102 makes its maiden flight. |
| Oct 23 - 4 Nov.,
1956 |
Hungarians revolt against Communist rule. Soviet tanks crush
resistance. |
| Oct, 1956 |
MATS
and Navy aircraft airlift 11,400 Hungarian refugees from Germany to U.S. |
| Oct 4, 1957 |
The
space age begins when
the Soviet Union launches
Sputnik 1, the
world's first artificial satellite, into Earth orbit. About
basketball-sized, it weighed 183 pounds and took about 98 minutes to
orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. The launch ushered in new
political, military, technological, and scientific developments — and
the US-USSR space
race. |
| Oct 1, 1958 |
The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA)
is formed. |
| Oct 14, 1962
|
Aircraft photos of Cuba
show presence of Soviet missiles;
Cuban Missile Crisis
begins. US establishes
air and sea blockade. |
| Oct 28, 1962
|
Soviet Union agrees to
remove offensive weapons from Cuba. |
| Oct 7, 1963
|
President
John F.
Kennedy signs
limited
test ban treaty between US and Soviet Union, stopping atomic
tests in atmosphere, under water, and in outer space. |
| Oct 3, 1967
|
Maj
William J. "Pete" Knight flies
X-15 at 4,534
mph, or Mach 6.72. |
| Oct 11-22, 1968 |
Apollo 7, the first test mission following the disastrous
Apollo 1 fire, is
successfully carried out. Navy Capt
Walter
M. Schirra Jr., USAF Maj
Donn F.
Eisele and
R.
Walter Cunningham stay in Earth orbit for 10 days, 20 hours,
nine minutes. |
| Oct 23, 1972 |
Linebacker I ends. |
| Oct 14, 1973
|
USAF begins major airlift
to Israel during
Yom Kippur War. Ends 14 November, MAC airlifts 22,395 tons of
supplies. |
| Oct 24, 1974
|
First mid-air launch of
Minuteman I - dropped from a
C-5A Galazy. |
| Oct 15, 1979
|
Civil war breaks out in
El Salvador.
US sends aid to government. |
| Oct 4, 1980
|
ARRS coordinates
rescue of tourists aboard Dutch boat Prinsendam after it catches
fire. |
| Oct 2, 1981 |
President
Ronald
Reagan reinstitutes the
B-1 bomber
program canceled by the Carter Administration in 1977. |
| Oct 18, 1984
|
B-1B cruise missile flies for the first time. |
| Oct 24, 1986 |
The
EAA Aviation Foundation's replica of
Charles Lindbergh's
Spirit of
St. Louis is
officially retired. The replica was built in 1976 to 1977 to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Lindbergh's historic solo
flight. |
| Oct 3, 1990
|
East and West Germany
unite as one
nation. |
| Oct, 1994 |
USAF moves aircraft and
troops to Gulf region in response to Iraq's Saddam Hussein's movement of
90,000 troops towards border of Kuwait.
Iraqi troops then
withdraw. |
| Oct 1, 1995 |
The
137th
Space Warning Squadron, the Guard's first space squadron, is
activated at Greeley, Colo. |
| Oct 4, 1995 |
Hurricane Opal hit the Florida panhandle, causing more than $80
million in damage at Eglin, Hurlburt and Tyndall AFBs and leaving 174
Hurlburt families homeless. |
| Oct 31, 1995 |
The warring parties in the
former Yugoslavia
begin peace talks at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. |
|
|
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to individuals or companies do not constitute an endorsement of any
information, product or service you may receive from such sources |
|
Aerospace Education Tid-bits
and Links |
| The
Huygens probe will land on
Titan's
surface with the same force as a skydiver lands on Earth with an open
parachute. That's approximately 15 miles (24 km) per hour. |
|
Halley's Comet makes one
orbit around the Sun every 76.1 years. |
| Because
Saturn
spins on its axis extremely fast and has a low-density interior, it is
noticeably flattened, top and bottom. Saturn is 10 percent fatter around
its equator than around the poles. |
| The
Hubble Space Telescope
has 6 gyroscopes, used to point the telescope. |
| The
Cassini-Huygens
spacecraft is about the same size as a 30-passenger school bus. It
weighs roughly 6 tons (5,650 kg) -- but more than half that weight is
rocket fuel. |
|
Every day the
Hubble Space Telescope archives 3 to 5 gigabytes of data and
delivers between 10 and 15 gigabytes to astronomers all over the world. |
|
Saturn's main rings,
straightened out, could span almost the entire distance between Earth
and the moon, yet they are less than 1/2 mile (1 km) thick. |
|
Jupiter is the
largest planet in our Solar System. |
| The
Cassini
spacecraft can "see" in wavelengths of light and energy that the human
eye cannot, and its onboard instruments can "feel" things about magnetic
fields and tiny dust particles that no human hand could detect. |
|
NASA
missions currently in development, such as
Kepler and the
Space
Interferometry Mission, will be able to study planets more than
6,700 times farther away than
Pluto, the
most distant planet in our solar system (now a
dwarf planet). |
| The space between
Mars and
Jupiter is
filled with irregularly-shaped chunks of rock and metal called
asteroids. Scientists believe the asteroids are pieces of a
planet that never formed, thus their name is coined from the Greek for
"starry" or "star-like". |
|
|
editor |
