As I have been pursuing my flight training goals I have been thinking about how to best utilize this skill for the benefit of others. While I have been in aviation for nearly all of my adult life, I am a relative new-comer to being the pilot-in-command...and having to shell out cash to pay to go into the sky. I have thought about some of the great, charitable organizations that use flight to serve others. One such group immediately caught my attention- the Veteran's Airlift Command (http://www.veteransairlift.org/) who are aircraft owners that donate the use of their aircraft to help move our wounded vets around to their medical appointments. Seemed like a good fit, considering my last active-duty Air Force assignment at USTRANSCOM where I oversaw the DOD Global Patient Movement System. Small hitch, though- you have to be instrument rated and own your own multi-engine or high-performance aircraft. Another group that caught my eye is the Corporate Angel Network (http://www.corpangelnetwork.org/) that uses corporate aircraft to move needy pediatric cancer patients to specialty care using corporate aircraft...wait- I don't have either a corporation or a jet.
Consequently, I have had to think smaller- no small task for someone who is used to thinking big due to the curse of a vivid imagination. In the course of this journey of discovery, I again stumbled across the Civil Air Patrol (http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/). I had been first introduced to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) while in the Air Force- there was a lecture in Air War College that dealt with this civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force, and there was a CAP Cadet Squadron that had a building down the road from the Aero Club at Scott AFB in Illinois where I got my pilot license. Being a card-carrying, real-live Zoomie, my preconception of the CAP was that of a group of grey-haired private pilots who were playing airman on the weekends wearing uniforms similar enough to those of the USAF to "look" like part of the team, but different enough to not be too threatening to our polished, professional image. Well, here I am- a grey-haired private pilot...perfect!
So, after pondering options for a while I joined up. There is a curious cultural blend of USAF mission and safety focus laced with civilian laissez-faire. Sometimes dealing with the CAP for me is sort of like having a Mormon attend an RLDS Sacrament Meeting- hauntingly faint similarities but definitely different. All in all, though, good-hearted people who share my interest in flying...and flying well. The CAP owns the largest fleet of Cessna aircraft in the world.
The CAP is very serious about flight safety- which is a very good thing. As a result, there are layers upon payers of administrative checks to ensure that a person is current and qualified to fly their aircraft. After three months of searching for the magic decoder ring, I was finally able to penetrate the administrative Byzantium and get linked up with Gil Williams, who is a check pilot for the Utah CAP Wing. Since I don't currently have a high-perfomance aircraft endorsement in my logbook, I have to complete 10 hours of orientation flying with Gil before I am allowed to take the checkride (flight skills test).
Yesterday was my first flight in a CAP aircraft: a Cessna 182 Turbo N4872H. I got a quick education about flying a turbocharged aircraft. We taxied out to RWY 35 at Salt Lake International with the engine softly purring. When we were given takeoff clearance, we taxied into position and went through the normal, few last minute checks before starting our takeoff roll. Gil said, "OK, open the throttle about 3/4 of the way and rotate at 50 knots." I thought that a bit strange because every other aircraft that I have ever flown- Cessna 172, Diamond Katana, Piper Arrow,and even the T-37 in the Air Force- all have you add full throttle for takeoff. I set 3/4 power and released the brakes and divided my attention between the airspeed indicator and keeping the aircraft on the centerline of the runway. After about three or four seconds I could hear the turbocharger spooling up; the engine changed from a gentle purr to a throaty roar (well, throaty at least for a small aircraft...not quite like the F-16). I glanced at the airspeed indicator to see the needle passing 70 knots- and glanced over at Gil who just smiled and said, "Rotate." We jumped into the air about a third of the way down the runway; about halfway down the runway we had already climbed nearly 500 feet. Wow! Now I get it about "high performance."
We flew across the approach end of the two other runways at KSLC- I had a Delta 757 pass right under me about 750 feet below as it was landing on RWY 34R. Great ringside seat to watch the ballet at the "big airport." We flew west following I-80 to a training area over the Great Salt Lake where I flew a couple of steep turns, some Dutch Rolls, and climbing/descending turns. In no time we had to return to KSLC since I had some other appointments later in the day. We did a strange pattern entry by crossing the runways perpendicularly at 6000 feet, then a tight turning descent to landing- I even did a bit of a forward slip to get the plane on the ground in the landing zone. This is a sweet airplane...I think I am going to like this!
Consequently, I have had to think smaller- no small task for someone who is used to thinking big due to the curse of a vivid imagination. In the course of this journey of discovery, I again stumbled across the Civil Air Patrol (http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/). I had been first introduced to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) while in the Air Force- there was a lecture in Air War College that dealt with this civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force, and there was a CAP Cadet Squadron that had a building down the road from the Aero Club at Scott AFB in Illinois where I got my pilot license. Being a card-carrying, real-live Zoomie, my preconception of the CAP was that of a group of grey-haired private pilots who were playing airman on the weekends wearing uniforms similar enough to those of the USAF to "look" like part of the team, but different enough to not be too threatening to our polished, professional image. Well, here I am- a grey-haired private pilot...perfect!
So, after pondering options for a while I joined up. There is a curious cultural blend of USAF mission and safety focus laced with civilian laissez-faire. Sometimes dealing with the CAP for me is sort of like having a Mormon attend an RLDS Sacrament Meeting- hauntingly faint similarities but definitely different. All in all, though, good-hearted people who share my interest in flying...and flying well. The CAP owns the largest fleet of Cessna aircraft in the world.
The CAP is very serious about flight safety- which is a very good thing. As a result, there are layers upon payers of administrative checks to ensure that a person is current and qualified to fly their aircraft. After three months of searching for the magic decoder ring, I was finally able to penetrate the administrative Byzantium and get linked up with Gil Williams, who is a check pilot for the Utah CAP Wing. Since I don't currently have a high-perfomance aircraft endorsement in my logbook, I have to complete 10 hours of orientation flying with Gil before I am allowed to take the checkride (flight skills test).
Yesterday was my first flight in a CAP aircraft: a Cessna 182 Turbo N4872H. I got a quick education about flying a turbocharged aircraft. We taxied out to RWY 35 at Salt Lake International with the engine softly purring. When we were given takeoff clearance, we taxied into position and went through the normal, few last minute checks before starting our takeoff roll. Gil said, "OK, open the throttle about 3/4 of the way and rotate at 50 knots." I thought that a bit strange because every other aircraft that I have ever flown- Cessna 172, Diamond Katana, Piper Arrow,and even the T-37 in the Air Force- all have you add full throttle for takeoff. I set 3/4 power and released the brakes and divided my attention between the airspeed indicator and keeping the aircraft on the centerline of the runway. After about three or four seconds I could hear the turbocharger spooling up; the engine changed from a gentle purr to a throaty roar (well, throaty at least for a small aircraft...not quite like the F-16). I glanced at the airspeed indicator to see the needle passing 70 knots- and glanced over at Gil who just smiled and said, "Rotate." We jumped into the air about a third of the way down the runway; about halfway down the runway we had already climbed nearly 500 feet. Wow! Now I get it about "high performance."
We flew across the approach end of the two other runways at KSLC- I had a Delta 757 pass right under me about 750 feet below as it was landing on RWY 34R. Great ringside seat to watch the ballet at the "big airport." We flew west following I-80 to a training area over the Great Salt Lake where I flew a couple of steep turns, some Dutch Rolls, and climbing/descending turns. In no time we had to return to KSLC since I had some other appointments later in the day. We did a strange pattern entry by crossing the runways perpendicularly at 6000 feet, then a tight turning descent to landing- I even did a bit of a forward slip to get the plane on the ground in the landing zone. This is a sweet airplane...I think I am going to like this!
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