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CIVIL AIR
PATROL
http://www.cap.gov
The Civil Air Patrol
(CAP) is a benevolent, non-profit volunteer aviation organization devoted to
performing missions for America. Founded in
1941, just days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the CAP
continues to thrive today with 35,000 adult Senior Members and
25,000 cadets. The CAP owns the largest single engine aircraft
fleet in the United States with a total of 550 aircraft located
strategically nationwide.
The Civil Air Patrol equips each
airplane in Hawaii with an emergency airborne public warning system
capable of alerting people in rural coastal areas in the event of an
imminent tsunami threat.
HISTORY
The CAP was formed on
December 1, 1941 by American volunteers across the United States.
Over 150,000 civilian men and women committed themselves to
protecting the US coastlines during World War II (WWII), while the number of
US soldiers were stretched thin across Europe and the Pacific.
The CAP aided the US military by providing services such as aerial reconnaissance,
air search and rescue, and target towing.
The CAP was credited
with finding 172 German U-Boat submarines while patrolling US
coastlines during WWII. CAP airplanes initially carried no weapons.
Crews reported submarines that they found to the US Navy or Army Air Force to act upon. However, after
witnessing a German U-Boat submarine running aground and eventually
escaping near Cape Canaveral, FL, CAP airplanes were then armed with bombs and depth
chargers. By the end
of WWII, the CAP had attacked 10 submarines, sinking two.
During the war years, a
cadet program was started to help prepare young men and women to
serve the US military. Flight training even began for some
young adults to become pilots for the CAP and the military.
As WWII drew to an end,
it was clear to the American people that an organization like the CAP was
needed permanently. In 1946, the CAP became a benevolent non-profit
organization, forever losing its rooted combat role. In 1948, it became the official Auxiliary to the
United States Air Force.
TODAY
The Civil Air Patrol
continues much of its original purpose today. The CAP
performs air missions dealing with Search & Rescue, Homeland
Defense, Counter Drug, and Disaster Relief. The CAP is
assigned over 80% of all in-land search and rescue operations in the
continental US. In 2004, the CAP's search and rescue efforts
saved 64 lives!
Airplanes flown today include mostly
the Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft. In a move to enhance
technology among the aircraft fleet, in 2004 the
CAP placed an order for 40 brand new "Glass Cockpit" Cessna
182 aircraft equipped with the Garmin G1000 avionics panel. Other
various new types of aircraft such as the Gippsland GA-8 Airvan and
the Maule MT-235 are also being implemented in the nationwide CAP fleet.
CIVIL AIR PATROL IN
HAWAII
Hawaii is home to six
CAP squadrons in the state: Hickam Composite Squadron (Oahu), Kauai Senior
Squadron (Kauai), Kona Composite Squadron (Kona, Big Island), Lyman Field
Composite Squadron (Hilo, Big Island), Maui Composite Squadron
(Maui), and
Wheeler Composite Squadron (Oahu). Hawaii Wing Headquarters
resides in Honolulu, near the Honolulu International Airport South Ramp. There
are 280 adult volunteer Senior Members and 185 volunteer Cadets in the Hawaii Wing.
Aircraft in the Hawaii
Wing fleet comprise of Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft, as well as a twin
engine P68 Partnavia. The wing also operates several gliders
used for Cadet training at the Dillingham AF in Mokulei'a.
TSUNAMI WARNING
Tsunami disasters in
Hawaii have claimed more human lives than any other type of natural disaster in
the Hawaiian islands. When a tsunami threat is imminent, the State Civil Defense
(CD) in
Hawaii will sound off a public siren warning system statewide to alert people
in low-lying coastal areas. Unfortunately, some rural areas through out
Hawaii are not within range for these sirens to be effective.
These areas may be populated by ocean-front property owners or
frequented by campers, surfers, fishermen,
and other beachgoers.
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Emblem & Civil
Defense (CD) Emblem
The Civil Air Patrol in
Hawaii has taken an additional responsibility to aid the CD in the
event of a Tsunami Warning. All of the Hawaii Wing CAP's airplanes have
been fitted with loud speakers capable of emitting loud sirens and public address. In the
event of a tsunami warning, CAP airplanes are dispatched to fly low along
the coastlines of the Hawaiian islands to alert people along the
coastlines. If you are at a beach and hear an announcement
coming from a CAP aircraft, heed that warning seriously and move to
higher ground.
LEARN MORE
To find out more
about the Civil Air Patrol and learn how to join, visit the National
Headquarters website at http://cap.gov
or visit the Hawaii Wing Civil Air Patrol website at
http://hiwg.cap.gov.
Joining the CAP
requires an annual membership fee. Members may need to
purchase uniform items and other materials independently. You
do not need to be a pilot to join.
Cadet Program:
Ages 13-18
Senior Member Program: Ages 18+
Cadet Sponsor Program: Parent or legal guardian of enrolled
Cadet
This special featured
organization presentation is brought to you by the Pacific Aerospace
Training Center. The views expressed in this article are solely of
the author and do not represent those of the Civil Air Patrol. If you
would like to feature your organization here, please e-mail the
webmaster.
