For more than 50 years, the Civil Air Patrol has aggressively performed the missions Congress mandated in 1946: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services.
CAP has a program to provide ab initio flight training for their cadets (Young folks from 14 up to 21 years of age).
1. CAP offers yearly flight encampments on a national, region, and state basis.
a. National flight academies provide each attending cadet approximately 10 hours of dual flight instruction in powered aircraft and approximately 10 training flights in gliders, with the purpose of exposing them to general aviation aircraft and hopefully excite in some, the desire and will to continue their flight instruction toward a private pilot certificate at their home unit.
b. Region and Wing (state) flight encampments have the same goal as the national encampments, however, their direction may be a bit different. They are driven by the expertise and assets possessed by the local unit . A great example of that is CAP’s Illinois Wing – Johnson Flight Encampment, held for the past 23 years at Coles County Airport, IL. This particular encampment features primary flight instruction in airplanes, gliders, and hot air balloons. Over the years more than 2000 young people have been introduced to aviation at this one encampment. Other Wings across the nation hold flight encampments on a regular basis. A popular aviation activity that is growing in CAP, is the glider program. In 1998 CAP National Glider Flight Encampments flew some 2500 glider instructional flights. Other wing glider activities have also grown, seeing local CAP glider operations taking on more and more initial glider students.
2. Local ab initio flight training, both powered and glider, is available at participating local units on a more informal basis. Cadets can progress up through all FAA certificate levels that are available at the particular local unit.
CAP also has a Flight Orientation Program. This program is designed to give each cadet nine flights during his/her cadet career. Six front seat in powered flight, six instructional in glider. These flights are flown by CAP senior members who meet specific experience requirements and are flown in accordance with a standardized syllabus.
Go to www.capnhq.gov or call 1-800-FLY-2338 for more information.
