Group 13, Texas Wing, South Western Region, Civil Air Patrol, USAF Auxiliary
December 2003 / Volume 1, Number 12
December News
- ELT Search
- Encampment
7-6 Air Cav re-CAP is
the newsletter of the:
7-6 Air Cavalry Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron, Group 13, Texas Wing.
Commander:
Capt. S. Dicker
4724 S. Parkway
Conroe, TX 77303-4355
Cell Phone:
(713) 504 7154
Pager:
713-684-8385
Fax:
(713) 218-5560
E-mail:
or
We’re on the Web!
Commander’s Call
Famous Quotes
January Events
- O-Flights
- ES Training (Jan)
- Level 1 Training
Flight Ops
Emergency Services
Communications
Aerospace Ed.
Logistics
Maintenance Hanger
Cadet Programs
Safety
Admin
Membership 110 (70 Cadets)
Professional Development
Questions & Comments
- ARC Security
December was an active month for the Squadron especially, for those members who volunteered for duty / activity at the TX WNG Winter Encampment. Our thanks to all those Cadets and Seniors who gave up their time to support the activities, and participate in their training!
ELT Search Hooks-Maysby Capt Ted Tessitore
Delta Squadron at Hooks and the 7-6 Air Cavalry Composite Squadron at Conroe worked together while conducting and ELT search mission (03M2876) in the Tomball, area 18 December 2003. Group 13 Incident Commander(IC) Jan Hays asked 1Lt Ayre if the squadron could provide an aircrew to locate an ELT in the Hooks / Mays area. We launched CAP Flight 4235 (N235TX), the 7-6 Air Cavalry Squadron Aircraft with Capt. Hooper as pilot and Capt. Taylor as observer. They were tasked to fly to the Tomball, area and start an airborne ELT search. Delta Squadron was contacted to form a UDF Team to work with the aircraft to locate, investigate the cause, and silence the ELT or address any associated emergency. The IC also had an FM-VHF mobile radio standby to assist in radio communications between the CF4235 and IC by radio relay to the IC by phone.
The aircrew detected a weak and intermittent ELT signal over the west side of Tomball near the Academy Store. The Delta UDF Team arrived and was not able to receive an ELT signal but checked the Academy Store further as they can sell ELT devices for boating and hunting use. No signals were received.
CF4235 was instructed by IC to start flying an expanding circular ELT search with Tomball at the center as the UDF Team headed back towards HooksAirport. Not long into the new circular ELT search the aircraft received ELT signals in the area of HooksAirport and through communications with the control tower at Hooks was able to determine that aircraft on the ground at Hooks also received the ELT signal. However, it sounded a bit strange and mixed up, like more than one ELT.
This information was passed to the IC and the aircraft returned to Conroe while the UDF Team started a search in the South East section of HooksAirport. The ELT was found to be in a hanger operated by Champions Aviation. The owner of the hanger could not be contacted and the ELT was silenced the next morning.
The reason the ELT sounded unusual was that the original ELT signal was bouncing between and off all the hangers in the area. The hangerin which
Any comments, news or information to communicate? Please contact 1Lt D.
Ayre, the editor, and Public Affairs Officer via email at
the ELT was located had a small space beneath one hanger door on the West side of the building, which faced approximately toward Tomball.
The signal emanating through the door open was likely reflected to someplace around Tomball. And as the aircraft was much higher than the UDF ground team it could receive weakELT signals at times even though the ground team could not. The time delay cause by the entire signal bouncing mixed up the sound on the ELT signal. Situations like this tend to make an ELT search a challenge at times.
Another job well done through coordinated efforts of a crack air and ground team members. The ground team returned the next day to shut off the ELT, and a FIND for the crews.
Winter Encampment-Camp Swift
The Winter encampment has just finished at CampSwift in Bastrop. There were 202 cadets from Texas (and other) Wing(s). C/Capt Kurtz was Bravo Flt Commander, and C/1Lt Walls was on Medical Staff, while C/Capt McElvaney was a public affairs officer for the winter encampment. Cadets McCann and Joncyk participated in the Advanced Training Squadron (ATS). Cadets Handfelt and Whatley participated as Basic Cadets in Alpha and Charlie Flights respectively. Capt Tessitore and C/M/Sgt Tessitore were on the ATS training Staff. Wing Commander Eldridge attended the Pass In Review ceremony.
Squadron Commander’s Call
by Capt. S. Dicker
Ladies & Gentlemen,
I hope each of you received everything you wanted for Christmas and are ready to get back to work. I anticipate 2004 to be a very busy year for the 7-6 Air Cav. We have four FTX's scheduled on the unit calendar located on the unit website. Please prepare your field gear so you will be able to participate in the FTX's. I anticipate moving into our enlarged office space sometime in February if all goes well. Will need some senior muscle to move in. In addition, I'm hoping the trailer donation paperwork will be completed in January in time for the February FTX. As soon as the trailer paperwork is completed, we will begin setting up our communication section in the trailer. We've completed all the FAA requirements for the erection of the communication tower on the US Army Reserve Center and are just awaiting the Army's authorization to begin construction. And if that’s not enough, we will be conducting a major recruiting event in April. We'regoing to be busy!
Quote of the Month: "The journey is the reward" -Taoist Saying
Upcomming Events & Activities
Glider O-Flights:Our next scheduled Glider O-Flights are January 3rd. Our Gliding activity is run by CAP members of the Soaring Club of Houston at their Gliderport between Magnolia and Hempstead. Cadets should sign up for this activity on the Squadron’s bulletin board or contact 1Lt D. Ayre by phone at 281 367 0519 or via e-mail . Information about the club and its facilities can be found at . Cadets are encouraged, and SM’s are required, to take the Soaring Society of America’s (SSA) Wing Runner course which is available on the national website . Typically we assemble at the US Army Reserve Center Aviation Support Facility (USARC ASF) at 0730 for a 0800 hrs departure, returning around 1800 hrs.
PoweredO-Flights: There are no o-flights scheduled so far in January. Any changes in this will be announced during regular meetings and posted on the Calendar. Additionally we have set up a trial sign up calendar for all O Flights at for cadets to sign up on line.
Senior Member Level 1 Training: Will be conducted on Saturday 31st January at the ARC, MontgomeryCountyAirport. This is also a requirement for all Cadets who have attained the age of 18 years
ES Training
Group 13: by Majors Rand Woodward and Chuck Brenholm
The next unfunded SAREX is scheduled on January 24th and 25th at DWH (DeltaSqdn-DavidWayneHooksAirport). This is open to all Cadets and Seniors who wish to attain ES qualifications. Both Cadets and SM’s must have taken and passed the CAPT 116 100 question test and have a CAPF 101 card to participate, and the respective CAPF 101T for the qualification they wish to obtain. They must have sent in a TXWG F17a to Chuck Bremholm or Rand Woodward as soon as possible. Cadets wishing to attend should contact Captains Tessitore, Brown, Hooper or 1Lt Ayre for further information.
Profiles: SM Alex Tapia & Jeff Durham
by Chaplain (Major) George Klett
Alex A. Tapia, born January 17, 1969 in Santiago, Chile, and raised in Holland. He came to the United States in 1979, graduated from WestfieldHigh School in Spring, Texas, and earned his B.S. in Industrial Technology from the University of Houston in 1997, along with an Associate Degree in Aeronautical Science from San JacintoCollege that same year. An avid and learned pilot, he began flying
in 1989 and within three years received ratings of CFI, CFII and MEI while working with Sun Coast Aviation in Florida. In 1995 he started his own company, Airplane Management and Corporate Flying Service, at Hobby. Then in 1997 he became a pilot with Air Eagle out of Chicago O'Hare, and in 1999 began flying with US Airways out of Pittsburg. Back to Houston in 2000 Alex became Vice
President of AXA Advisors in the practice of financial consulting for pilots and the aviation community. In 2001 he married his wife Dana, a former flight attendant, and they live in The Woodlands with their 16 months old daughter Alexa! In addition to his family and his flying activities Alex enjoys cooking!
Jeff Durham was born May 12, 1985 in Oklahoma, and moved toHuntsville this past January where he is a high schoolsenior in the class of 2004! He joined the CAP as a cadetthis past May and stepped up to the status of "senior
member" in November. In September he earned his privatepilot's license and also has been signed-off in tail wheeland complex aircraft, as well as in high performanceaircraft, already logging more than eight hours in thecovetted Stearman! He is the recent recipient of ascholarship granted by Freedom Flight, a non-profitorganization offering mentoring flights for prospective
pilots and medical flights for the handicapped. He aspiresto become a commercial airline pilot, and has been acceptedby the SpartanSchool of Aeronautics to the class of 2007,from which he will receive a B.S. in AeronauticalTechnology and an Airline Transport Pilot rating. Jeff hassix brothers and sisters and is active in the SecondBaptistChurch in Huntsville. In addition to flying hisinterests include voice and drama; he was a member of theAllState choir in Claremore, Oklahoma!
We welcome these two new members into the CAP and look forward to their dutiful contributions to the life of our squadron!
Senior Member Spin
Flight Operations by Capt Jeremy Hooper
Howdy! I hope you are all having a happy holiday season. This month's perations column will focus on recent directives passed down to us at the December Group 13 Commander's Call. First of all, the deadline of January 1, 2004 is fast approaching for all pilots to get their qualification data entered into the online Member Information Management System (MIMS). As of that date, only pilots validated in MIMS will be authorized to fly CAP aircraft. While certain paper
records will still be required to be maintained in your file, a complete file will no longer be sufficient. As of 12/12/03, the following pilots are cleared by MIMS: Maj. Mooring, Capt. Laughlin, Capt. Hooper, and 1Lt. Ayre. Flight Release Officers (FROs) will be required to verify that the PIC is authorized by MIMS prior to issuing a flight release. At this time, no flight release number is required; although future plans call for a nationally-issued flight release number for each flight. If you have a 1st Class or 2nd Class medical certificate, and you wish to allow that certificate to lapse to a 3rd Class certificate, you should enter your certificate into MIMS as a 3rd class (in addition to the class of certificate you have); otherwise MIMS will not automatically recognize your 1nd Class medical as a 2nd or 3rd class after 6 months.
There is a new CAPF 2a. This form is not to be used for pilot-related qualifications. All pilot-related qualifications will be entered into MIMS. If approval is necessary as an O-pilot or CFI, it will be necessary to submit a copy of your Pilot Records Checklist (signed by the squadron commander) to the Wing Director of Operations (DO). In addition, the CAPF 101 "101 card" is obsolete. It will be necessary to print off a 101(e) card from the national webpage. Also, it is important to realize that only CAP corporate aircraft may be used for CAP-reimbursed flying activities, unless special permission is obtained from the Wing Commander, Deputy Wing Commander, or Wing DO. See the wing supplement for detailed instructions on how to submit a request for this approval through email or regular mail. The approval should be requested several weeks in advance,
if possible.
We're going to start washing our plane, N235TX, once per month. In addition, it will be necessary to wax the plane quarterly. Each wash/wax job will be documented on a special sheet in the aircraft records and on the discrepancy sheet. Cadets participating in O-flights may be asked to stick around after their flight to help wash the plane.
Emergency Servicesby Capt Tessitore
Well, another year come and goes. The efforts of many within the squadron, to train in a multitude of ES areas, have been a success.
- Many cadets and seniors have begun their initial training by attending ES classes on the 4th Tuesday squadron meeting of each month. Some of the topics touched were communication, hazards, UDF equipment, personal field equipment, survival, etc.
- Special Saturday classes in First Aid and CPR.
- A number of dedicated senior squadron staff received additional non-CAP training to become qualified First Aid & CPR Instructors and one went on to become a Certified EMT.
- 3 weekend FTXs were held at Woodville, Texas in which ES skills were gained and practice in the fields surrounding the TylerCountyAirport.
- Both cadets and seniors trained and recertified in ES specialty areas such as Ground Team Member, Urban Direction Finding Team, Ground Team Leader, Mission Radio Operator, Ground Branch Director, Planning Section Chief, Mission Safety Officer, Mission Chaplain, Radio Unit Leader, etc.
- The senior involved on the aviation side advanced by training and recertifying Mission Pilots, Mission Transport Pilot, Observers, Scanners, O-Flight Pilot, etc.
- The squadron participated in approximately 14 ELT missions as either air flights and/or ground teams.
- Members of the squadron participated or trained during all Group 13 SAREX activities this year.
- Squadron member trained in communication and obtained or purchased CAP FM-VHF radios and participate often in the nightly Group 13 Radio Net and operate specialized nets when requested to support mission goals.
The year 2004 will bring greater challenges as the part CAP will play in the defense of our country from terrorism as part of the Department of Homeland Defense. We will be again be afforded an opportunity to work and build an Emergency Services team to meet those challenges “That Others May Live”.
Thank you all for what you gave in time, effort, money, sweat, and toil. Your help was essential in meeting today’s challenge and building tomorrow’s leaders, our cadets of today.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. See you all next year.
Communications
As Capt. Dicker mentioned, we are now awaiting the Army’s permission to erect the new comm’s tower.
Aerospace Education
No report.
Logistics
A kind benefactor has come forward and allowed us to acquire Chaplain Riddle’s enclosed trailer for ES and other activities. We are waiting for approval from the Wing Commander to allow the donation to occur and for permission to be able to tow a trailer with the van.
Maintenance Hanger
Our aircraft N235TX is functioning well. The DF Equipment and some electrical wiring should be replaced / repaired at the next 100 hour inspection which will probably occur in January. We should also receive the next GPS update card sent to our Group.
Cadet Programs
Cadets are encouraged to also go into the MIMS (FMS) Qual/Cert area on the National HQ website, and input their Curry achievement. Those who have completed CAPT 116 (online) – a requirement for ES qualifications, should enter this on the same area also. Those Cadets who have attended ATS should be able to complete the GTM achievement in MIMS. This will allow the cadets to print their own CAPF 101 cards, required for participation in ES activities.
Applications for National Cadet Special Activities should have already been submitted.
ALL CADETS PLEASE NOTE! There has been a change in our regular squadron meeting nights. In future ALL first Tuesdays in the month, activity will change to Aerospace Education and Emergency Services, with uniform being BDU’s. Drill will be dropped from the first Tuesday’s activities. This change will be in ADDITION to the normal Emergency Services activity on the 4th Tuesdays
In 2003 our cadets had received 68 Glider O Flights (at a cost to CAP of $30ea), and 32 Powered O Flights (not counting back seat rides), at an average cost of ~$30 per flight
Safetyby Capt Clyde Domengeaux
What is odorless, tasteless, and has no color?
"CARBON MONOXIDE (known also by its chemical symbols CO)"
This gas results from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels,such as, gasoline,natural gas, LP gas, oil, kerosene, coal, wood, or charcoal.
The reason this is so harmful to us is that it restricts the amount of "oxygen" absorbed from your lungs into your bloodstream. Some of the results of Carbon Monoxide poisoning can lead to organ, brain, and central nervous system damage.Many people who suffer from C.M. mistake it for the flu, and even some physician's misdiagnosis the illness.