South Dakota Wing Electronic Newsletter for June 2014
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“THE SKYCHASER” South Dakota Wing Electronic Newsletter for June 2014 Official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force - Citizens Serving Communities: Above and Beyond Publishers: Wing Commander Colonel John Seten / Wing Vice Commander Lieutenant Colonel Richard Larson Editor: Major Bruce Kipp Wing Public Affairs Officer (605) 261-4507 [email protected] “Follow” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SDWingCAP and “Like” us on Twitter at @SDWingCAP WING TIPS JUNE IS GENERAL AVIATION MONTH: Governor Daugaard has proclaimed June as “General Aviation Appreciation” month in South Dakota. “General aviation plays a critical role with its citizens, businesses, farms and ranches, and is important to the state’s economy,” says Transportation Secretary Darin Bergquist. Given South Dakota’s geography this service is also important for providing access to medical services, disaster relief and aerial forest fighting. Aviation in South Dakota includes the airline industry, education institutions, aviation organizations and Ellsworth Air Force Base and a Civil Air Patrol Wing. South Dakota’s 70 public-use airports serve 2,262 certified pilots and 1,350 registered general aviation aircraft. The official proclamation cites the importance of general aviation to businesses and communities in the state. In the photo Gov. Daugaard signs a proclamation declaring June as “General Aviation Appreciation” month in South Dakota” with the South Dakota Department of Transportation Aeronautics Commission. Pictured left to right are: Skip VanDerhule, Gov. Daugaard, Richard Pearson and Arnie Hauge. Commissioners not pictured are Chris Funk, Travis Lantis, Eric Odenbach, and Chad Hatch. Photo courtesy of SD Office of Air, Rail & Transit. FAA APPROVES NEW EMERGENCY LOCATOR: The FAA approved the ELT-1000, a new emergency locator transmitter for aviation. The unit can transmit GPS location data within 100 meters to search-and-rescue workers in less than a minute. The ELT-1000 is a value-priced upgrade to standard 121.5 MHz transmitters, which are no longer monitored by the Cospas-Sarsat system. The 406 MHz transmitter produces a much more accurate position, typically 3 kms as compared with 15-20 kms for 121.5 MHz ELTs. When coupled to the aircraft navigation system the ELT-1000's accuracy improves to approximately 100 meters. Source: News of the Force: Monday, June 16, 2014 - Page 2 and http://www.acrartex.com/products/catalog/elts-general-aviation/elt1000/ 1 BIG SIOUX FLOODING SURVEY MISSION: A week of severe weather during the middle of the month produced torrential rain that resulted in wide-spread flooding in the East River area. The state Office of Emergency Management requested the Civil Air Patrol’s South Dakota Wing conduct an aerial photographic survey on 19 June along the Big Sioux River from Sioux Falls to where it meets the Missouri River. Later in the day the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requested that the photos of the flooding be sent to them. What began as state tasking changed into a federal disaster relief mission. A Cessna-182T from the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron was assigned the mission. The aircraft departed Sioux Falls Regional Airport at approximately 9:00am for the 2 hour sortie. Capt. Neil Schmid served as the SDWG Incident Commander for the mission. The CAP aircrew consisted of Captain Matt Meert (Mission Pilot), Captain Karla West (Mission Scanner) and 1st Lieutenant. Robert Hinkhouse (Mission Observer). Over 250 photos were taken showing the flow and the spread of the flood waters and the damage caused. The photos were uploaded for federal and state emergency management officials’ analysis and assessment. Photo used with permission of FEMA. REDCAP: Around 1800Z, while engaged in training activity, the aircrew staging base in Rapid City transitioned to a mission base for a real-world search and rescue mission. Butte County’s Office of Emergency Management requested SDWG assistance in locating a woman missing since Wednesday. Around Noon Central Time on Saturday, 21 June, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Florida activated the South Dakota Wing to assist in the search. According to media reports, the women and her friend were swept away by a flash flood late Tuesday. The subject’s friend was found around Noon Wednesday and was hospitalized in Spearfish. A Cessna-182T aircraft from Rushmore Composite Squadron (Rapid City) flew two sorties spending some 4.5 hours over the search area before diverting to Spearfish due to poor weather. The aircrew consisted of Capt. Josh Hall (Mission Pilot), Lt. Lisa Swanson (Mission Scanner) and Maj. John Hall (Mission Observer). Capt. Bill Collister, from Lookout Mountain Composite Squadron, drove to the mission base in Rapid City and acted as a Mission Staff Assistant. Lt. Col. Dave Jeffries, Rushmore Composite Squadron (Rapid City) served as Communications Officer at the mission base. 2 Capt. David Small from Lookout Mountain Composite Squadron went to Butte County’s Incident Command Post and served as Liaison Officer. The ICP, a Quonset hut, was about ½ mile east and 2 miles north of Hwy 85 in rolling hills near the junction with County Road 168. ICP photos with permission of Butte County Sheriff. BUTTE COUNTY INCIDENT COMMAND POST FOR MISSING PERSON SEARCH THIS TERRAIN VIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE REMOTENESS OF THE AREA AND DIFFICULTY OF THE SEARCH. THE MISSING PERSON; SHORT, SLENDER, WEARING DARK CLOTHING, AND EXPECTED TO BE LYING DOWN WAS BELIEVED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SEARCH AREA. IN THE TOP CENTER OF THE PHOTO A SDWG CESSNA-172 (158CP) FLIES OVER THE SEARCH AREA AT ABOUT 1,000 FEET AND TRAVELLING AT ABOUT 120 MPH. 3 AERIAL WILDLIFE SURVEYS: SDWG flew aerial surveys of terrestrial wildlife on the 5th, 10th and 23rd of June in support of the Department of Game, Fish & Parks and the South Dakota State University. GF&P surveyed deer, goats, mountain lions, and elk while SDSU surveyed elk and bobcats. The surveys resulted in 11.4 hours flying over western South Dakota and the Black Hills. The CAP pilot for the flights on the 5th and 10th June surveys was Lt. Col. Gary Hewett. The pilot for the flight on the 23rd was Maj. Craig Goodrich. They were accompanied by Mr. Brandon Tycz from SDSU. SOUTH DAKOTA WING STATEWIDE SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE: On Saturday, 21 June the South Dakota Wing held its second statewide search and rescue exercise (SAREX) for 2014. This “Split SAREX” took place in the East River area at the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron in Sioux Falls which served as a staging base for aircraft and ground search and rescue teams. In addition, the overall Incident Command Post was also at the squadron headquarters. Captain Neil Schmid, as the Incident Commander, assisted by a mission base staff, controlled the exercise across the state. In the West River area a staging base for several aircraft and aircrews was set up at the Rushmore Composite Squadron in Rapid City, and a staging base for vehicles and ground search team members was set up at Lookout Mountain Composite Squadron in Spearfish. The search and rescue scenarios involved air and ground searches for two private aircraft overdue at their destinations, for an elderly fisherman missing in Newton Hills State Park, and for an aerial photo survey of flooding conditions near Lake Vermillion. The overall purpose of the activity was threefold: to train mission base staff in organizing and controlling an emergency services mission, to train mission aircrews in the techniques of aerial observation and photography, and to train ground teams in the techniques and skills needed for search and rescue. SAREX COMMAND STAFF: (L-R) SM MELANIE SCHUPPAN; COL. MARY DONLEY; CAPT. NEIL SCHMIDT; CHAP. (LT. COL.) GARY RAE; C/MAJ. ELIZABETH FOY; C/TSGT BLAKE HAYDEN (COL. DONLEY, LT. COL. RAE AND C/MAJ FOY ARE ON THE WING STAFF, THE OTHER THREE ARE WITH THE SIOUX FALLS COMPOSITE SQUADRON) REMAINS OF PERSONNEL FROM 1952 CRASH RECOVERED: The Pentagon announced on 18 June that Defense Department forensic scientists have identified the remains of 17 U.S. military personnel, including 12 airmen, who died in the crash of a C-124 transport aircraft in Alaska, west of Mount Gannett, in 1952. The C-124 went down on Nov. 22, 1952, while en route to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, from McChord AFB, Wash. 11 crewmembers and 41 passengers were on board. In June 2012, the crash site was discovered and recovery operations began that same month. According to a DOD news release, their remains will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Future attempts to recover the still-missing personnel are possible. Source: Air Force Magazine Online for Thursday, 19 June 2014. SUPPORT TO SOUTH DAKOTA RED CROSS: On 23 June, the Red Cross requested assistance at the shelter set up in Wessington Springs for those whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the recent tornado. Members of the SD Army National Guard and volunteers assisting in the clean-up also use the shelter. On the 26th Col. Mary Donley and Capt. Joseph Oye helped out. On the 27th Col. Donley and Maj. Todd Epp helped out. Previously helping at the shelter were Lt. Col. David and Maj. Joyce Jeffries and Maj. Nancy McKenney. 4 WESSINGTON SPRINGS TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEY: Also on 19 June, the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management and FEMA tasked SDWG to conduct an aerial photo survey over the path of the EF-2 tornado (127 mph winds) that struck Wessington Springs in Jerauld County on the 18th. Both organizations requested photos showing the entire town to see the path of destruction as well as close-up photos to see the damage. A Cessna-182T from the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron was assigned the mission. The aircraft departed Sioux Falls Regional Airport at approximately 2:45pm for sortie lasting about 2.5 hours.