ALABAMA WING CIVIL AIR PATROL NEWSLETTER JULY 2009 Col. Mike Oakman Lt. Col. Dave Boswell Commander Vice‐Commander FLY A TEACHER AND MAKE A Contents DIFFERENCE Fly A Teacher As the night became day, all was quiet at the airport on April 18, 2009. SER Cadet of the Year 4 Occasionally, the quiet was broken by an airplane starting up, taxiing and taking off. Chaplain Information 6 Soon, other sounds were heard at the Bessemer Airport (KEKY). There were the Multiday, Multiagency Simulation 6 sounds of CAP members, including cadets, arriving and preparing for a busy day. Berlin Airlift Remembered 7 The building housing the Bessemer Composite Squadron was opened and Capt. Lynn Toney Award 11 preparations were underway for a morning of CAP's Fly A Teacher program. Coffee Teacher, ROTC, JROTC Flying 12 was brewing, cadet flight line marshallers were preparing for arrival. Soon, the first Space Camp Teachers Fly 13 CAP planes began arriving and were parked. Boaz Pell City Cadets at Air Show 16 First one, then two, then the others began arriving after calling to 1st Lt Dale SAREVAL 16 Chambers on the radio that they were inbound. Soon the ramp near the Tuscaloosa Air Show 17 Bessemer Squadron building was nearly filled with Cessna 172's and Cessna 182's Public Affairs 18 including Garman 1000 equipped Cessna 182's from Pell City and Birmingham. July 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 1 prayer. The cadets did a great job on the flag raising. The teachers saw how to do it right. Afterward, while the pilots were getting settled down for the morning briefing by Capt Ladde Mayer, the maintenance officer of the Central Alabama Senior Squadron, the teachers sat in the other room. They were welcomed by Lt. Col. Austin Landry, commander of the Central Alabama Senior Squadron, 1st Lt. Dale Chambers, commander of the Bessemer Squadron, Maj. Silvano Weuschner, Photo by 1st Lt. Rick Kilgore coordinator of the Alabama Wing's Fly the There was great support from many Teacher and Lt. Col. David Boswell, the of the Alabama Wing squadrons. The pilots Alabama Wing Vice Commander. included Michele Basso, Montgomery The teachers were told what to Squadron (AL032), Andrew Boyer, expect. They were told that each pilot Huntsville Squadron (AL119), Ed Barnes, would take two teachers and would fly to Tuscaloosa Squadron (AL024), Mark another airport and the teacher in the right Gurganus, Tuscaloosa Squadron (AL0 24), seat would move to the back seat and the Carlton Foster, Huntsville (AL055), Jim teacher in the back seat would move to the Corey, Birmingham Squadron (AL090), front right seat and the plane would return to Gary Ernest, Clanton Squadron (AL119), Bessemer. Lt. Col. Landry explained the Jim Harris, Central Alabama Squadron importance of weight and balance and the (AL132), and Donnie Todd, Pell City concept of the weight and balance envelope Squadron (AL118). and the overall meaning of "pushing the The cadet marshallers, from both the envelope." The teachers were told that Bessemer Squadron and Squadron 90 at Capt. Gary Wright, Logistics Officer of the the Birmingham Airport, as part of their Central Alabama Senior Squadron would training as marshallers, were making sure discretely ask each teacher for their weight that every plane taxied safely to their in order to make the calculation of weight designated spot and safely shut down. The and balance for their flight. pilots finished the shut down checklist, As part of the overall pilot briefings secured the airplanes and walked to the going on next door, the teachers were CAP building. assigned to each pilot. In order not to While this was happening, at about overcrowd one airport for the switching of 8:30, cars began driving up and seventeen seats for the teachers, the pilots agreed on excited teachers from the Shelby County which airports each flight would land before School system, led by Dr. Charlotte Draper coming back to Bessemer. walked from the cars to the building, looking Back in the room with the teachers, around at the planes and activity on the 1 Lt. Rick Kilgore, the Training Officer for ramp. the Central Alabama Squadron, was giving The CAP facility at Bessemer was a presentation on the history, heritage, perfect for this program. There was a room structure and purpose of the Civil Air Patrol for the radio communication, a common and the Fly the Teacher program. area, and separate rooms for the teachers The excitement for the upcoming and the pilots. After everyone arrived and adventure and learning opportunity was got settled, we all went outside to the flag building as the teachers learned more about pole for the flag raising, pledge, and a what was in store for them over the next several hours. July 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 2 Then the time arrived for the first go. We watched that weather very carefully flights. The pilots came to the room with the ensuring that everything continued to be teachers and called out the names of the safe. Soon, it began to drizzle at Bessemer. teachers that would fly with them. As they We got lucky, there were no storms and we walked out to the aircraft on the ramp, the had only light rain. Soon, the rain stopped. teachers were introduced to the Not long after that, the first of the planes components of the airplane and were given called on the radio that they were inbound, a demonstrated preflight and were told returning from a, hopefully, educational and about the different parts of the plane and enjoyable flight. As each plane landed and were familiarized with the various taxied into their parking space, Capt. Gary instruments and radios. The teachers were Wright was waiting for the engine shutdown belted in, listened to what was going on with and the pilot and teachers to come out of their headsets and were ready to go. Many the plane. Capt. Wright was there to have were excited, some were apprehensive, but each pilot sign the First Flight Certificate all were looking forward to the flight. and present it to the teachers. Also there The first plane's rotating beacon was was 1 Lt. Kilgore, who doubled that day as turned on, signaling to the cadet our official photographer. marshallers that the plane was ready to start engine. The marshaller signaled that he or she was also ready. The pilot shouted "clear" and the propeller started turning. The excitement grew. The plane slowly moved forward and marshallers carefully guided the pilot through the line of planes to the taxiway. In the other planes, pilots and teachers were going through the same routine: the shout of "clear," propellers turning and slow taxiing to the taxiway. Soon, all the planes were airborne, each following shortly after the other down the runway, into the air. After this, it was Photo by 1 Lt. Rick Kilgore reminiscent of a World War II movie. All the airplanes were gone, the ramp was again Each pilot/teacher "crew" had their quiet and the ground crews slowly went into post flight picture taken. There were ear to the building to wait for the return of the ear grins everywhere. It was now time for aircraft. All that one could do now is wait. the remaining teachers to embark on their However, not all the teachers were educational adventure. The same routine of able to go on the first flights. A few would preflight, explanation of airplane parts, have to wait their turn until the planes and aircraft instruments, beacon on, start, taxi pilots returned from the first flight. During and take off. It was again quiet on the ramp this time, Capt Ladde Mayer led a and the waiting began for this group of discussion on the principles of aeronautics, flights to return. the basics-gravity, lift, thrust, and drag. He While this group of teachers was in also led the teachers in how to make a very the air, Capt Mayer made the same unusual paper airplane shaped like a circle presentation on aeronautics as was given that actually flew. Now, that is something earlier for the other group and this group they could take back to the classroom! was introduced to the round paper airplane. About mid morning, the worry This entire effort took a lot of preparation began. The weather radar showed a line of and planning. In addition to the senior weather moving in from the west and we members mentioned by name earlier, the had teachers in the air and some waiting to July 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 3 efforts and planning included Maj. Silvano C/Lt Col Aaron Hanes Wueschner, Wing AEO, wing coordinator of Wing and SER Cadet of the Year Fly A Teacher; Maj. John Neil, the Wing Operations Officer, who scheduled the Aaron Hanes joined the Civil Air airplanes: the senior members of the Patrol at the age of 13 as a member of the Bessemer Squadron; Dr. Charlotte Draper, Keesler/Ocean Springs Composite Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for Squadron. He quickly made his presence as the Shelby County School System and, a leader known rising to the position of most importantly, the pilots who made this a Flight Sergeant. As flight sergeant, he was great day for the teachers. an integral part of the formation and We received immediate positive development of the “Dragon Flight” training comments on the day of the flights. program for newly recruited cadets. All of However, the comments made by email this was accomplished before he received really drove home that the time and effort his Wright Brothers Award.