california wing - jun 2007

8/9/2019 California Wing - Jun 2007

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The Ofcial Magazine of California Wing Civil Air Patrol

Summer

2007

Plus:

Taking Courage from

Col. Fred Pitcher

Legally Deploying Cadets

Watching the Skies with

Lt. Kevin Lowther

The Height of HeritageDigging Aviation Archaeology

Tip of the Wings SwordSaber Training in NorCal

Top Five Finds Its ESsy Time Again


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EAGLE EYE 2

2nd AnnualESsy Awards

ES Squadron of the Year 5

ES101 7

The Cutting Edge ofGround Team Training

CAPTAINS LOG 16

Redcap in Review

ATTITUDE 21

Raise Funds,Not Eyebrows

COLUMN 27

Birds Eye View

CADET COSMOS 28

Feet on the Ground, Eyeson the Skies

Drilled to Perfection 31

FIELD MANUAL 33

Aviation ArchaeologyUnearthed

WING WATCH 37

Passing Along Inspiration

RE:CAP 41

A California Wing Fly-By

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ON THE COVER: The Air Force HeritageFlight, Naval Air Station, Point Mugu. Photo by

2nd Lt. Kevin Lowther.

Eagle Call is an authorized publication serving theinterests of the California Wing of the United StatesAir Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. A private rm that

is not connected with the Department of the Air Forceor with the Civil Air Patrol Corporation publishes it.The appearance of advertisements in this publication,including supplements and inserts, does not constitutean endorsement by the U.S. Air Force or CAP of theproducts and services advertised herein.

Eagle Call encourages contributions from all CAPmembers, military personnel, and related agencies.

Material must be original, free of copyright constraint,unpublished, and submitted only to Eagle Call, whichreserves the right to approve, reject, edit, abridge orexpand any submission. Features must be discussed inadvance with the Editor, Capt. Greg Solman, at 909-338-5789.

Submission guidelines: As a thrice-yearly publication,the magazine is not suitable for dated material on rou-tine Squadron or Wing activities. PAOs and other cor-respondents should generally avoid rst-person voice

and subjects typical of newsletters. Use theAssociatedPress Stylebookor read the latest magazine for style

points. Never imbed photographs within documentsunless jpgs are also submitted separately. Alwaysinclude contact information at the top of copy. Articlesshould include .jpg-extension photos of a minimum500K. Email editorial to [email protected] material should be sent California Wing CivilAir Patrol, P.O. Box 7688, Van Nuys, CA 91409. Forinformation on advertising rates and space availability,please call 800-635-6036.

Lt. Col. Jesus MunizActing Wing Commander

Capt. Frank Geraty

Director of Public Affairs, Publisher

Capt. Gregory Solman, Editor

Capt. Chris StoreyDeputy Director of Public Affairs, Associate Editor

Maj. Sam SeneviratneTechnical & Scientic Editor

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Continued on page 9 . . .

SA N T A M O N I C A Amoody October day in 2005must have seemed good

enough for ring up a private planeto y to a public air show. But the

Lancair that left Gillespie Fieldnear San Diego for Scottsdale,Ariz., never returned.

T h e A i r F o rc e R e s c u eCoordination Center in Langley,

Virg.as it does so often for theroutine necessity of silencingemergency locator t ransmitters(ELTs)called upon the most

Five Missions That Tested

Manpower and Mettle

EAGLE EYE

ESsyAwardsBy Capt. Gregory Solman, Eagle Call EditorEagle Calls2nd Annual ESsy Awards for Excellence inEmergency Services Recognize the Historic Mission of the

Civil Air Patrol in California Wings Best Teams

Miin 05M-2155 12 Nv 05 Nea tweny-nine Palm, cAMiin 05MMiin 05M--21552155 12 Nv 0512 Nv 05 Nea twenyNea tweny--nine Palm, cAnine Palm, cA

3

RESTING IN GREEN PASTURES:An ELT mission that became a fatal Mooney crash (L) near

Pinnacles. CAWG ICs sometimes use radar tracking (above) to trace Last-Known Positions.


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ES SQUADRON OF THE YEAR:

Saddleback Composite Squadron 68, Costa Mesa

Drafting on the contrail of theaircrew team of 1st Lts. TolgaTarhan and Rick

Woods (above, R-L), aswell as the ground teamand urban direction nd-ing work of 1st Lt. KeithJackson (with radio),

Saddleback CompositeSquadron 68, Costa Mesa,is ES Squadron of theYear. Capt. Bob Keilholtz, who acted asDirector of Emergency Services during

the ES year, cited Lts. Woods and

Tarhans expeditious and profession-al prosecution of missions, but alsotheir willingness to y at a momentsnotice, even if it meant traveling tonearby squadrons when no aircraftwas available locally. Jacksoncredits 1st Lt. Rich Lovick of Group7 for partnering with him on mis-sions and mentoring his work.

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ES101

Designed by Veterans to Rise Above CAPs ESCurriculum, A NorCal Squadrons Saber

School Elevates Training Standards

LATHROPFor members ofSierra Composite Squadron72, the word saber does

not evoke the sword of mountedcavalry but more than a year of hardwork mastering the skills of Saber(Search Airborne Emergency

Rescue) required to be an elite volun-teer Emergency services professionalfor the Civil Air Patrol.

And as tough as it is to passthe program, the work doesntend at the completion of training:To maintain Saber qualicationsmembers must continue the hightempo by repeating the trainingeach and every year and answer

The Cutting Edge ofGround Team Training

By Lt. Col. William H. Correll and Maj. Arthur D. King

to all squadron calls that workor school allows. Thats the com-mitment necessary to be SQ72Saber-qualied.

Saber was initiated in 1998 bytwo CAP officers, both militaryveterans, discussing their past

training experiences. They had,since their discharges, continuedto train beyond CAPs minimalset of skills in order to maintainan edge. They considered how toadapt ES training to suit CAPsparticular needs, both becausethey considered the ES traininglacking, and because they sensedthat any expertise, however below

their expectations, would quicklyfade because of the irregularity ofCAP mission duties. They knewthe program needed to be chal-lenging, exciting, and fun forsenior members and cadets, andneeded to continue apace through

each program year.The concept evolved into pro-

gram with a core course of fourclassroom training periods andtwo weekend search-and-rescueexercises. The program would beprogressively challenging eachyear. First-year candidates wouldcomplete all the skill sets required

ON THE MARCH:The Saber program trains

cadets as well as senior members.

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active branch of its Air ForceAuxiliary, the California Wing ofthe Civil Air Patrol.

The workhorse Incident

Commander who undertook theAFRCC Mission 05M2001, Capt.Bob Keilholtz would by the endof the emergency services year(October 1-September 30) performthat duty on nearly a quarter of theWings missions.

The pilot, traveling with twoother people and a dog, filed noflight plan. The aircrafts ELTemitted a distress signal too weakto be picked up by satellite. Even

though Keilholtz had radar tracks

to followone of which turnedout to be a bad trail to Yuma(see graphics)he knew a lot ofground could be covered quickly.

The Lancair is like an SR22on steroids, Keilholtz said. Itsgot a turbo-charged engine andcruises at 300 miles per hour. Itsan impressive, sleek, and probablyunforgiving aircraft.

Keilholtz had all night todevelop the radar tracks and coor-dinate with the San Diego CountySheriffs department, whichoffered a helicopter. But prosecut-ing the mission would be tricky.

The weather was really crappy.

A sheriff reported sight-ing a plane off Interstate 8. Hewas wrong. We had a crediblesighting along with an accurately

represented radar site, Keilholtzrecalled. So we went in the direc-tion where we could have gone.A ground team started out nearthe Colorado River at night to becloser to potential survivors whomight be lighting signal res.

Keilholtz launched seven air-craft that flew more than a daycombined, plus a ground team33CAP personnel in all. They ew anexpanding-circle search to cover

ground. At morning light a fourth

ESsy AwardsContinued from page 3. . .

EAGLE EYE

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ZEROING IN:A graphic example of Intelligence gathering and development prior to launching resources.


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EAGLE EYE

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OFF THE TRAIL:A credible lead dispatched a ground team to the Arizona border. Fortunately, CAWGs ICs did not place all

their eggs in one basket.


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ESsy AwardsContinued . . .

radar track narrowed the search areato a seven-and-a-half mile squaregrid in the Anza-Borrego desert,not far from the Borrego Springs.

Keilholtz tasked one of his mostcalled-upon crew to launch out ofPalm Springs Composite Squadron11. They found the wreckageandno survivorsonly an hour afterwheels up.

Luckily, we didnt put oureggs in the same basket, Keilholtzsurmised. They reworked anotherradar track at our request, but itsimportant to emphasize that wecant sit back and wait for radar

track. Whether we have themor notand theyre not alwaysrighttheres an absolute necessity

to move quickly and efciently.As Keilholtz sees it, radar

tracking assists, rather thansupplants, CAPs ES mission.

Sometimes we have to go back tothe basics.

For example, a good old-fash-ioned pseudo-Save in February,2006, involving the colorful tale ofthe Big Bear boys and the MissingMooney. A 14-year-old would-bepilot grabbed a buddy and stolehis dads plane for a joy ride, agreat way of sticking it to the oldmanprovided at least one ofthem knows how to y.

According to Keilholtz, theIncident Commander, the fatherhad seen them take off and report-

ed the unauthorized departure tothe FAA, which passed it to theAFRCC, which called CaliforniaWings Wing Mission Alerting

Officer on duty, who calledKeilholtz. From there the pagewent out to two of most experi-enced SAR men in the area, Cols.Joe Orchard and Bill Hartmann,who start every search at altitude,6,750 feet in the mountains aboveSan Bernardino.

With, naturally, no ight planor radar tracking, Orchard andHartmann quickly reverted to theold ways: trigonometry and intel-

ligence. Expecting the worst (pre-dicting a crash) the men quicklyfigured out the greatest distance

EAGLE EYE

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COOPERATION:The 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron often helps CAP prosecute its missions, as in this important search for

a missing glider (see photo, page 15) on 9,399 foot Mount Baden-Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains.


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the Mooney could fly-to-dry ona quarter tank, pulled out theirprotractors, circled the still vastpotential area around the Last-Known Position, then scoutedthe most obvious places inexpe-rienced pilots might try to makean emergency landing. They toldthe National Park Police exactlywhere to go, and the two boys werefound injured but alive where they

tried and failed to make an emer-gency landing, ten miles north ofthe Cottonwood Pass entrance toJoshua Tree National Monument.

That Orchard and Hartmannwere not on the scene of the Save(and thus, ironically, could noteven be offered a token Find)is almost irrelevant, Keilholtzargues, because theyd providedall the necessary intelligence tomake it possible.

This is back to the searchingwe used to do with the old E6B,take a line and make a circle,determine all the micro-climates,said Keilholtz, then the WingsDirector of Emergency Services.Its not about our getting credit,but the need to put people into thehot areas as soon as possible. Andthe boys did survive.

And sometimes missions endwith no survivors, despite the deter-mination, depth, and resourcefulof CAP search-and-rescue teams.Lt. Col. Steve Asche came on asIncident Commander when mul-tiple ELTs turned into a missing-aircraft mission in March, 2006.What sticks in my mind the mostabout this mission is how it startedout as just another ELT mission,

the second one that day for me,recalled Capt. Jim Anthony, DiabloComposite Squadron 44, Concord,an early IC. And how it escalatedquickly to pulling resources fromGroups 2, 4, 5, and 6. We usedaircrews, [urban] direction nd-ing teams, ground teams, andradio operators.

Col. Asche wrote that theELTs began in the area of Tracyor Salinas, prompting the launch

of UDF teams and aircraft andairport checks in Tracy, Monterey,Salinas and Hollister. Suddenly,silence. A ground team had beenlaunched to the Pinnacles NationalMonument, said Asche. Theyalso were not hearing or receivinga signal.

Thats when the call camein from the AFRCC: An aircraft

ESsy AwardsContinued . . .

on a flight from Watsonville,to Plainview, Tex., one personaboard, is overdue. And, just forfun, heres a third ELT northeastof the Salinas VOR. Capt. RobertGrehan and Maj. Laurence Steffanin Capight 424 launch and pickup one ELT signal, pegging it at 7miles northeast of the Pinnacles, inthe middle of nowhere. Becauseof the remote location and terrain,they remained on station to pro-vide support to the ground teams,

said Asche.The ground team is in so deep,it decides to hunker down until rstlight. Maj. Jon Wordsworth said itwas one of the most grueling mis-sions hed ever been on. A secondflight, manned by Capt. MarkWalters and 1st Lt. Michael Allen,ies in to support the ground team,spotting the wreckage then guid-ing San Bonito County Sheriffand California Highway Patrol

resources to the site.We used many different fac-

ets of crew training that dont oftenget exercised, recalled Anthony,adding tasks for which CAP SARteams are not typically trained,such as helping the CHP recoverthe victim and wrapping andhoisting the victims remains intothe helicopter.

According to the NTSB inves-tigation, the pilot had logged 4,583

hours, and though he was con-vinced to stay overnight to avoidbad weather, he twice refused acheckout in what was, for him, abrand new Mooney. He headedtoward Lancaster to avoid a storm.By the time hed arrived, accord-ing to local ranchers, the visibilitywas under a mile.

EAGLE EYE

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SANTA MONICATwoof the fir st six months ofthe Emergency Services

year yielded a rare respite:zero missing-aircraft missions.But the Governors Office ofEmergency Services taskedCal i fo rn ia Wing wi th twocounterbalancing missing-per-sons search-and-rescue mis-sions, both of which (unlikemost missing-A/C stories) hadhappy endings.

N o n e t h e l e s s , t h e r ew a s e n o u g h o f t h e o r d i -na ry work o f the Wing tog o a ro u n d . In N o v e m b e r ,Inc iden t Commander Maj .Jon Wordsworth reported aBeechcraft BE-58 on a flightfrom San Jose to BermudaDunes dropped off radar tenmi les no r th o f Los t Hi l l s .

The FAA received airborneELT reports. An aircrew fromBakersfield Composite 121launched to investigate, alongwi th a g round t eams f rom1 2 1 a n d S a n L u i s O b i s p oC o m p o s i t e S q u a d ro n 1 0 3 .Before the signal could be tri-angulated the missing aircraftwas found on the ground safeat Apple Valley.

But that left another ELTeveryone was hearing, found

by Maj. Bob Miller, ChinoCadet Squadron 20, 1st Lts.Tolga Tarhan, Rick Woods andSenior Member Keith Jacksono f S a d d l e b a c k C o m p o s i t eSquadron 68, along with SeniorMember Michelle Streeter, ina dismantled helicopter in atrucking yard, as far off trackas the Port of Long Beach.

T h r e e d a y s b e f o r eC h r i s t m a s , t r a g e d y s t ru c ka p i lo t f ly ing a P ipe r PA-28 from Yerington, Nev., toInyo, heading eventually toSanta Monica. Capts. Pat DeWees, Vic Wright and 1st Lt.Mike Hyde of Merced CountyC o m p o s i t e S q u a d r o n 1 4 7found the downed aircraft andno survivor. To make mattersworse, the pilot turned out tobe a member of CAPs Nevada

Wing. Incident Commander Lt.Col. Ron Butts said the jointmission with Nevada, despitethe result, was well prosecuted,with the Last Known Positioncalculated precisely with thehelp of 84 t h RADES RadarE v a l u a t i o n S q u a d ro n ( s e ephoto). We had a lot of infor-mation and it all panned out

CAPTAINS LOG

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correctly, recalled Col. Butts.The CAPFlight launched atfirst light and found the planewithin minutes.

In January the U.S. CoastGuard requested CAPs assis-tance in clearing a 121.5 ELTs o m e w h e r e i n S a n D i e g oHarbor that was interferingwith an ongoing search missionfor a missing military helicop-ter and crew. Capts. Keilholtzand Charpentier tracked thesignal to the U.S.S. Peleliu(see photo) and cleared theemergency band so the search-

and-rescue could continue.Lt. Cols. Steve Asche and

Ron Butts ran a missing-air-

c r a f t m i s s i o n i n F e b ru a rythat originated with a pilotswife report ing him overdueon flight from Montgomery

Field in San Diego to BorregoSprings. A CAP ground teamtr iangula ted the a i rp lanesELT to an area east of theJulian VOR that Col. Aschecalled mountainous and inac-cessible. Capts. Keilholtz andCharpentier worked their rela-tionships with the San DiegoCounty Sheriffs Dept., whichprovided a helicopter to findthe crash site. The pilot did not

survive.In March Capts. Robin A.

Easton and Sue K. Wil ley ,San Jose Squadron

80, and the UDFt e a m o f C a p t .Carl Gabrielsona n d 2 n d L t .Raymond Woo,Jon E . KramerC o m p o s i t eS q u a d r o n 1 0 ,chased an ELTto a Mooney nearPalo Alto airpor tthat apparentlywas a casualty ofunusual accidentthe night before,when an aircrafts t r u c k t h r e eothers.

D I G R E S S

F I N D S : A r e a52? An ELT inD e c e m b e r l e da i r c r e w M a j .J o h n F i n d l e yand 2nd Lt . Al

Chi lders , Cable Composi teSquadron 25 , to a locat ionsoutheast of Lancaster thatwas requested confidentialby the NTSB upon arrival. Asif to insure compliance, one ofthe ground team members alsodispatched to the site was noneother than Capt. Patrick Jonesof Squadron 25an NTSBinvest igator in the salariedworld.

Big Ones that Got Away:

Wing members got a dreamassignment that proved all tooevanescent. Lt. Col. WoodyMcCauley, Maj. Brian Stover,Capt. Mike Lauer, Capt. TedRipp , a l l o f San Fernando

Squadron 35, and Lt. Tarhanof Squadron 68, were readyand waiting to provide aerialreconnaissance for the return ofthe Space Shuttle Discovery inlate December. But Discovery

EARS TO THE GROUND:The Air Forces 84thRadar Evaluation

Squadron assisted CAP on a pre-Christmas mission. Photo,

courtesy U.S.A.F.

FROM TURF TO SURF:A UDF team

found an excuse to board the U.S.S.

Peleliu. Photo, courtesy Peleliu Public

Affairs.

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decided to land in F lorida.L ikewise , i n Februa ry ,

In c i d e n t C o m m a n d e r B u r tKingsbury was set to release

Maj. Diana Ward and 1st Lt.John Watt, Shasta CompositeSquadron 146, to f ind a womanmissing in the mountains south-east of Sierraville. But otherground teams found the miss-ing woman prior to launch.

Since no one-stars were

av a i l ab l e : In F e b ru a ry E lMonte Airport was hearing anELT signal and the high-rank-ing Urban Direction Finding

t e a m o f L t . C o l . V a l e r i eHanley, Group 1 Commander,and her husband (and Group 1officer in charge of HomelandSecurity), Capt. Paul Hanley,El Monte Composite Squadron21, found it in a Bellanca.

Since we take ourselves to

task: In February, 1st Lts. DonTheriault and Jerry Stafford,San Diego Squadron 57, chasedELTs through south and eastSan Diego County until theywound up at Brown Field andfound the target in a BorderPatrol helicopter. In February,Lts. Woods and Tarhan wereabout to launch for and ELTplotting near an airstrip nearBicycle Lake and Fort Irwinwhen i t was secured in anArmy MEDEVAC helicopter.In March Capt. Joe Burkhead,

Lt. Gregory Danielewicz andMaj. Robert Thomas, Beale(AFB) Composite Squadron19, and Capt. Louis Davies,Shasta Composite Squadron126, Redding, found anotherELT in an Army chopper on aramp near Ch ico.

More fun places to hide

ELTs: One of the last missions

of 2006 led aircrews to JohnWayne International Airportin I rv ine then to Carlsbad,t h e n f i n a l l y t o t h e In l a n d

Empire, where new satellitemerges were p lo t t ing nea rSan Bernardino InternationalAirport (the old Norton AFB)then Ranch Santa Fe. In theend Capt . Jon Stokes , SanBernardino Squadron 5, and1st Lt. Misti Pitts, Group 3,found the target in a garagein Loma Linda . Cap t . BobKeilholtz, California Wing,a n d L t s . W o o d s fo u n d a n

offending EPIRB two mileseast of Carlsbad Airport in adumpster. In March, a signaldetected near Fullerton Airpor twas located and silenced by Lt.Col. Pat Robinson, CaliforniaWing, and SM Streeter, LongBeach Squadron 150. Location:An airliner escape-slide recon-ditioning facility in Anaheim.(Good to know: heretofore onecould only imagine how manyai r l iner escape s l ides wereused to the point of needingreconditioning.)

These odd f ina l res t ingplaces seem almost normal. InJanuary, Capt. Keilholtz and1st Lt. Shane Terpstra trackedan EPIRB through West LosAngeles and Santa Monica,to a thrift store near the 405freeway. No word on the ask-

ing price. The two men alsofound a Magnum EPIRB atCoast Waste Management inOceansideno doubt discard-ed in shame by someone whohad to reluctantly admit hecouldnt really use a Magnum.

CAP Adventures at Sea:

I n F e b r u a r y , C a p t . M a r kMcKibben and 1st Lt . Juan

Fernandez, Hawker Squadron128, Van Nuys, followed a 406MHz EPIRB from WoodlandHi l l s i n the midd le o f the

Valley to a boat that had sunkoff the coast at the Los Angelesa n d V e n t u ra C o u n t y l i n e .According to the ICs reportthe boats crew had abandonedthe ship and made land safely.Meanwhile, the EPIRB floatedtopside, drifted all night, andwas located and secured withthe aid of the Coast Guard f ivemiles at sea.

More swabo s tor ies: In

J a n u a r y C a p t . K e i l h o l t z ,Lt. Terpstra, and Capt. TomCharpen t i e r t racked a 406MHz EPIRB to North IslandNaval Air Station. The basesearched i tself with groundelectronics to no avail thencalled in CAP. The beaconwas located in a warehouseon a pallet stacked high on ashelf, reports Capt. Keilholtz.The defective beacon was inthe process of being returnedfor repairs with Post-It notesplaced on the beacon read-i ng NEVER TURN ON!! !Of course , the beacon hadbeen left in the on position.Maybe a fourth exclamationpoint would have done thetrick.

Source: Closing t raff ic .Classified mission sorties not

included, per OPSEC.Capt.Greg Solman

CAPTAINS LOG

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VA N N U Y S M a n yrequests for authorizationto conduct fundraising

activities have been reviewed forcompliance with Civil Air Patrol

regulations and denied, typicallybecause the proposals fall outsideour mission.

Regulat ion CAPR 173-4establishes the parameters withinwhich units must operate to gen-erate funds. In those instanceswhere units must be refused,Legal Affairs usually recom-mends an awkward alternative:Conduct the activities as privatecitizens, not as a distinguishable

part of CAPincluding even anyreference to CAPthen donatethe net proceeds to the unit. Suchattempts may not succeed at gen-erating the needed funds.

Without question, fundraisingrestrictions can cause units tofall upon hard times. But whatis a unit to do when faced withshortfalls for cadet training and

Raise Funds, Not EyebrowsBy Lt. Col. J. J. Gianquinto, California Wing Director of Legal Affairs

Putting CAWGs Cadets on the Front Lines of FundraisingIs Legaland Protable

other activities? How do we keepour cadets (or seniors, for thatmatter) interested in CAP whenthe acronym comes to stand forcome and pay rather than come

and play?Members who have been inthe program long enough mayrealize that the best advertisementfor CAP is not its search-and-res-cue missions, as dramatic as theyare. Only a small portion of thecountry knows of these efforts,and only a fraction of that (thank-fully) has experienced the directbenet of SAR. Members can takeall the credit they wish for CAPs

post-Katrina relief, or its duties inthe wake of September 11th, orfollowing natural disasters thathave befallen the nation. But,again, only those who have beenserved by CAP can truly appreci-ate the value of what it provides.

So what about another of ourprimary missions? AerospaceEducation can be a legal basis for

fundraising. But educate whom?Public exposure to space missionsand rocketry in the era of NASATV and Hubblesite.org stands atan all-time high. Californians

even have the privilege of seeingrocket launches from Vandenbergand shuttle descents at Edwardsfrom time to time, and so theyvegrown largely nonchalant. Thatsnot a promising platform forfundraising.

Charitable organizations havetheir bake sales and car wash-esin fact, too many of them.The sight of volunteers showingup at the door to sell light bulbs,

popcorn, candy bars has becomeso commonplace that our friendsand neighbors hide whenever theysee us approaching with tickets inour pockets. Cadets can experi-ence the same level of rejection onthe road.

Still theres hope. Majorcorporations donate funds to

CAWGS OUTSTANDING CADETS:They make us proudand could make us money. Photo by 2nd Lt. Kevin Lowther.


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This year an ESsy goes to acutting-edge Non-Distress Findthat utilized historically cultivatedrelationships to solve a problem

sure to arise more often in thefuture. In January, 2006, CAPhelped the Newport Beach PoliceDepartment locate an unregisteredPersonal Locator Beacon in aboat moored in the harbor. Thatmade it a Coast Guard missioninitially, recalled Keilholtz, one oftwo Incident Commanders (withCol. Ron Butts). But when thesignal landed, the police took over,using a helicopter to get within

a half mile of the PLB. Havingno DF-equipped ground teams,they turned the mission overto the Orange County SheriffsDepartment, who promptly calledthe AFRCC and the Office ofEmergency Services and requestedCivil Air Patrol.

Lt. Col. Pat Robinson and 1stLt. Shane Terpstra, both attachedto California Wing, made the lastmile possible.

It is a routine find in somerespect, but a true test of ourrelationship with the police andsheriffs, said Keilholtz, whoadded that California Wing mayhave silenced the first PLB casein the country, a mission in DeathValley, more than three years ago.Theyve come to realize thatwere the experts and theyre notequipped. And it wouldnt surprise

me to see more of these in thefuture.The cooperation between

CAP and law is continuing togrow and in some cases gettingbetter, said Lt. Col. Ron Butts.Our ability to react has shown anincrease, and our time to prosecutea mission has shown a decrease asour training and ability to detect

improves.Finally, call it the Modern Ides

of March: Little did Keilholtz knowwhat he was in for when he accept-

ed Incident Commander duty onMarch 16, 2006. An ELT showedin Fillmore. Then it disappeared. Itre-emerged in Pearblossom, send-ing Capt. Patrick Jones to ComptonAirport, where a Cessna 172 thatcrashed the week previous hadbeen moved into storage. Then itpopped up and Needles and Baker.Then stopped. The Air Force gotanother hit in San Diego, and thatone moved off to Tijuana, out of

CAP territory. Another hit movedfrom Newport into the ocean. Nowtheres one in Fullerton. Lt. Col.Pat Robinson silences it in a SuperDrifter at Corona Airport.

That must have been the cul-prit, right? Wrong. Now theresan ELT in Acton. Okay, maybenot. But the one in Los Angeles?Thats real. Col. Robinson, Capt.Jones, Maj. Denise Edwards, Lt.Juan Fernandez, and Capt. MarkMcKibben end up in Long BeachHarbor where a Hughes 500 chop-per is in a shipping containerheaded for Guam.

That ought to do the trickuntil an ELT sounds in Palmdale,then as mysteriously shuts off.Then no sooner does the LongBeach team depart, one starts upin Los Angeles again, and thistime 1st Lts. Tolga Tarhan and

Rick Woods head to Long Beach,only to nd a DEA helicopter.Mission 06M0400 isnt over

yet. Torrance: On and off. Fresno:Ceased prior to locating. Mojave:Dead upon arrival. One ELT mayhave caused many of the spinoffs,said Keilholtz, since it had been intransit in a shipping container.

The missions were as unusual

in stretching the Wings depthcharts as routine in their execution.But the sheer numbersthreedays, three aircraft, 23 personnel,

37 man-days, 20 UDF teamsraise a question more than everpertinent, considering the politicalsturm and drang of the day: Whatwould the U.S. Air Force do with-out its Auxiliary?

AFRCC Mission: 05M2001Search days: 18-19 Oct 05.Distress Find: Lancair N285JB, 3fatalities, no survivors.Location: 33 23.6 N x 116 36. 6

W, near Borrego SpringsMission supporting players: Col.Ron Butts, Lt. Col. Steve Huss,Lt. Shane Terpstra, Maj. BrianStover, Lt. Tolga Tarhan, Maj. JoeDiMento.And the ESsy goes to: Capt. FrankTullo, Maj. Roy Hofheinz, andMaj. Bruce Marble, Palm SpringsSquadron 11, Group 3.

AFRCC Mission: 06M0295Search day: 26 Feb 06Save: Not awarded to CAP, twoinjured survivors, badly damagedMooney N6588ULocation: Joshua Tree NationalMonumentMission supporting players:Capt. Bob KeilholtzAnd the ESsy goes to: Lt. Col.Bill Hartmann and Lt. Col. JoeOrchard, Big Bear Valley Com-

posite Squadron 6750, Group 3.

AFRCC Mission: 06M0454Search days: 25-26 Mar 06Distress Find: Mooney M-10,N9533V, one fatality, no survivorsLocation: 36 35.2 N x 121 07.1 W, 20 miles east of Salinas, 2,400feet altitudeMission supporting players:

ESsy AwardsContinued from page 15 . . .

EAGLE EYE

23


16/35

Capt. Jim Anthony, Maj. JanOstrat (ICs), Lt. Col. Bill Correll,Capt. Arthur King, 1st Lt. Candice

Tuttle, Hank PielageAnd the ESsy goes to: AircrewsCapt. Robert Grehan and Maj.Laurence Steffan, 1st Lt. MichaelAllen, Marin Search and RescueComposite Squadron 23, Novato;Capt. Mark Walters, RedwoodEmpire Composite Squadron 157,Santa Rosa; and Ground TeamsMaj. Jon Wordsworth, CentralCoast Group 4; Lt. Col. Beth Reis-Wordsworth, California Wing;

1st Lt. Keith Beard, MontereyBay Cadet Squadron 60; 1st Lt.Eugene Carlson, Merced CountyComposite Squadron 147; Maj.Rodger Coale, Maj. Jim Breedlove,1st Lt. Scott Reckefus, 1st Lt.William Lefebvre, San Luis ObispoComposite Squadron 103.

AFRCC Mission: 06M0110Search Day: 21 Jan 06Non-Distress Find: PLB inNewport Beach HarborMission supporting players:Newport Beach Police, OrangeCounty SheriffsAnd the ESsy goes to: Lt. Col. PatRobinson, 1st Lt. Shane Terpstra

AFRCC Mission: 06M0400Search days: 16-19 March, 2006Non-Distress Finds: Compton,Corona, Long Beach Harbor and

AirportMission supporting players: IronIC Capt. Bob Keilholtz, Lt. Col.Ron Butts, Maj. Dave Rudawitz(Oregon Wing)And the ESsy goes to: 20 UDFteams in California Wing.

See summation page 56 . . .

EAGLE EYE / ATTITUDE

Raise Funds, Not EyebrowsContinued from page 21 . . .

community activities and orga-nizations such as CAP. Service

clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis,Lions, also fund projects theydeem worthy. Many of themrequire grant applications, andgrant writing has become a spe-cial skill. And unless the unitis fortunate enough to have agrant-committee member withinit, the cold word on the page willlikely be the only contact it haswith committees. The recentNational Board meeting in Reno,

Nevada, included seminars toeducate members on how to ndand apply for grants. But onecould argue that its not a gamefor amateurs.

Senior members can make apitch to those organizations andpresent a professional image ofCAPand nonetheless come offa bunch of people who only wantto support their expensive yinghabits. How well wil l that sit?

Our most valuable asset hasusually been left at home: ourcadets. Their mere presenceis our best advertisingandthe best tool for opening thepurses of those organizations.Most people are unaccustomedto being greeted as Sir orMaamto the respect that ourcadets give as a matter of course.They dont expect to encounter

young people bolt-straight intheir posture, pin-neat in theirappearance, the best youth ourcountry has to offer. Most mem-bers of service organizations andcorporations have no opportu-nity to become acquainted withthe cream of the teen crop.

Cadets can also effectively

introduce a senior-member fund-raising pitch. Having uniformed

cadets present the colors can setthe stage for a presentation onthe cadets and how they matureinto senior members or citizenswho otherwise protect or serveour nation. The group might thenbe more receptive to the hearingof the local units value to thecommunity.

Even so, units should gobeyond the usual stat ist icsregarding the money CAPs vol-

unteerism saves the county, orCalifornia, or the community.Intersperse PowerPoint presenta-tions or slides. Show cadets atencampment, along with photosof their participation in actualmissions along with senior mem-bers. (The Public Affairs sectionof the California Wing Web sitehas materials.) Tell the audience just how much CAP doesandhow little recognition it gets. Let

prospective donors know thattheir contribution will be usedwisely, and for good purpose.

The presentation should beshort. Organizations that meetat lunch need short programs sothe members can return to theirbusinesses. Short presentationsat dinner meetings keep partici-pants awake. Brevity is the keyto success.

Fundraising might well reapa recruiting bonus. Members ofservice organizations are typi-cally already community mind-ed, and may well be lookingfor other ways to be of service.The greatest donation the unitreceives might be enthusiasticnew members.

25


17/35

Come again?

This goes against everything youve ever been taught

in the Civil Air Patrol. We always put safety rst, dont we?

The surprising answer is: No!

To be completely safe from harm we would have to keep our

airplanes tied down on the ramps. After all, look at what we

do: We y small single engine planes in the mountains and

in some of the most congested airspaces in the world. Whats

safe about that?

Safety is notyour mission. Your mission is to support the

United States Air Force and other agencies in areas of search

and rescue and homeland security.

Here are a couple of bromides to swallow while were on the

subject:

Time to become a safe aircrew: one lifetime.

Time to receive an annual Safety Award: one

year.

What we are really trying to do is get the mission done and

eliminate as much of the risk as possible. We are all asked

to manage the risk that our day-to-day jobs impose upon us.

The missions CAP takes on are typically more dangerous than

our day jobs. Theres a perception that we are not taking risk

management seriously during CAP missions.

Time to implement a unit safety program: one

month.

Safety First...or Maybe Not!

Time to Reconsider Mission Risk Management

By Lt. Col. Mike Prusak, USAF,California Wing Liaison Ofcer

Time to carry out a safety survey: one week.

The rst step in managing your mission risk is to make sure

your risk-assessment tools ask the right questions. One excel-

lent checklist used by USAF and CAP aircrews (and hope-

fully ground teams) is IM SAFE, the acronym for Illness,

Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue and Emotion. Those

critical mission-safety reducers should be closely monitored.

Individually, each of the safety factors is serious; a combina-

tion of more than one is a disaster waiting to happen.

Time to conduct safety training: one day.

Time to hold a safety brieng: one hour.

Time to read a safety poster: one minute.

In short, although safety isnt strictly rst, it is a primary

consideration in all our operations. We need to think about

safety throughout all of our operations. We need to think

about safety throughout the mission planning and execution,continuously asking the right questions and answering them.

Then we must assess what the information is telling us and

look for ways to make the missions risk acceptable. Then we

can continue to do what we really do well, which is getting

the mission done safely.

Finally, the time it takes to destroy all of the above

through a safety-related accident: one second!

BIRDS EYE VIEW

27


18/35

M

ARCH ARBAs longas I can remember, Ive

looked to the skies andseen a goal. But it was not untilOctober of 1998, when as a 4thgrader I watched Astronaut JohnGlenn become the oldest man toorbit the earth, Id made up mymind that I was going to y and waswilling to do anything in my powerto get there. As a cadet officer inSquadron 45 at March Air Reserve

Base near Moreno Valley for the lastve years, Civil Air Patrol pointed

me in the direction of the militaryand I set my sights on militaryaviation. In high school I enteredthe Naval Junior Reserve OfcersTraining Corps program, whichfurthered my military interest andallowed me to see another branch ofthe military and the opportunities itheld. Both programs prepared me towalk on the path now before me.

In January, I was selected for theAir Force ROTC Type 2 scholarship,

which pays up to $15,000 for collegetuition for three years. I knew at thispoint, my years of service to CAPand Naval Junior ROTC were pay-ing off in ways Id never imagined.A month later, I got an even betteroffer: Id been awarded a $180,000Navy ROTC scholarship to study atUniversity of Arizona. The awardcovers tuition, books, and even a

Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the SkiesBy Cadet Capt. Eric Redweik, March Field Composite Squadron 45

Leadership

Lessons

from CAP:

Money for

College:

$180,000.

00

CHECKING IN:Cadet Redweik holds the down payment for his future in military aviation.Priceless.

28


19/35

world. You want to be a leader in theArmed Forces. When one goes intothe Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps,Army, or Coast Guard, and onechooses to y or captain a ship, orfulll any other duty in the military,thats your secondary job. Yourprimary job is to be an ofcer.

I recommend applying to all theservice academies and for ROTCscholarships. Even if you favor oneover the others, keep your optionsopen. The application processes takea long time and you may changeyour mind in the interim. If youreset on a service academy, apply to

go to their summer seminar. It is agreat opportunity to really see whatAcademy life is like, and it will helpyour application in the long run.

Good luck to all you cadetslooking to serve your country. I cannow pursue a degree in aerospaceengineering without worrying aboutstudent loans or needing to workthrough college. And, better yet,I have a guaranteed job after col-lege: To protect the freedoms of

the citizens of the United States ofAmerica.

monthly allowance, as well as threemonth long training sessions overmy summer breaks.

Im convinced of CAPs con-tribution to my good fortune andbright future. Having risen to CadetCaptain and earned the EarhartAward made my application standout; Im certain it influenced thescholarship committees. CAP gaveme the leadership lessons that Ineeded to build a strong resume. Italso prepared me to succeed in theNJROTC, where I rose to CadetCommander and Cadet Company

Executive Officer. Im grateful toCAP for the training I received andthe opportunities it offered.

I advise all those applying forsuch scholarships and to the serviceacademies to excel in a leadershipprogram such as CAP or JuniorROTC on top of outstanding grades.Academic achievement is importantbut the officers reviewing yourapplication also want to see thatyouve challenged yourself mentally

and physically and developed moralcharacter. And get your applicationsin early. To show that you havethe drive necessary to become amilitary ofcer, start with puttingyour application near the top of the

pile. This will show that you reallywant to get in.

A Senior Chief Petty Officer

of the Navy who interviewed mefor the Naval ROTC scholarshipoffered me good advice. He saidthat when asked, Why do youdeserve an ROTC scholarship, oran appointment into a service acad-emy? the typical answer involvesying or traveling the world. Thatmay be true but its not enough. Ifyou really want to earn the title ofofficer in the U.S. military, thenyou must also want to help defend

our country. You want to be a partof the most advanced team in the

ON DUTY:Redweik in the uniform of a

Naval Junior ROTC Cadet.

MORE FRUIT SALAD, CADET?:Redweik dines with (now) Cadet 2nd Lt. Conor

Doyle.

CADET COSMOS


20/35

C

O S T A M E S A California Wings firstdrill team in about ten

years took second place in thePacic Region Cadet Competitionin May. In contrast to CAWGs newteam, the victorious WashingtonWing team boasted 11 veteransamong its 13 teammates.

Even so, Californias teamwon the aerospace panel quiz,and battled to close calls in sev-eral other events. It lost the writtenexam by an average of about one

question per cadet, the inspection

by only 3 points, and the innova-tive drill by only 5 points. Thecadets also fell short on standarddrill, the volleyball game, and themile run.

That six-to-one event scoredid not discourage a cadet teamthat started with the modest goalsof forming up, gaining experi-ence, and making a competitiveshowing.

You make Civil Air Patrolthe greatest leadership trainingprogram in the country, said

Maj. Randy McClure, Group 7

Commander, to the team com-posed of cadets from four differ-ent squadrons in the Group.

Were not done working thisyear either, said 2nd Lt. Kevin E.Lowther, who with 1st Lt. KeithJackson instructed and sponsoredthe team. We are going to keep upour skills in preparation for any callfor the drill team to performatparades, exhibitionsand just forthe sake of furthering the learningof everyone involved.2nd Lt.Kevin E. Lowther and 1st Lt.

Keith Jackson

CADET COSMOS

From Fantasy to the Finals: CAWGs Drill Team

Comes Out of Nowhere to Take Second Place

in the Pacic Region Competition

Drilled to Perfection


21/35

AviationArchaeologyU N E A R T H E D

FIELD MANUAL

A Ground Team Member from Iowa Wing Explainsthe Delicate Field Work of Examining World War

II-Era Crash Sites to a California SquadronBy Capt. Dennis Ammann, San Diego Cadet Squadron 144

SAN DIEGOThe short

definit ion of aviat ionarchaeology is to docu-

ment, locate, record and final-

ize the site of an aircraft crash,

according to 1st Lt. HenryFranken, a member of Iowa WingCivil Air Patrol who lectured

Cadet Squadron 144 here last

year on the art and science ofthe subject.

F r anken , a member o f the Des Moines CompositeSquadron and a semi-retiredc o - d i r e c t o r o f V a t t e r o t tCollege, said his early inter-est in aircraft archaeologyhad been activated by work-ing grid patterns and findingemergency locator transmit-

ters (ELTs) as part of CAPsearch-and-rescue teams.Growing up in Madison,

Wis., Lt. Franken had as a

BROKEN WING:A B-17 shot down by a Me-262 over Crantenburg, Germany. Lt. Franken

said that nearly half as many war casualties came in training accidents over U.S. soil. Photo,

courtesy U.S. Air Force.

VISITING SCHOLAR:1st Lt. Henry

Franken, from CAPs Iowa Wing, here

with Maj. Daryl Newton, addressing

San Diego Cadet Squadron 144. Photo

by Capt. Dennis Ammann.

33


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Continued on page 54. . .

FIELD MANUAL

child seen World War II-eraB-17s in hangars waiting to beflown to bone yards in Arizona.

As a high school student inMontana, hed heard about aB-17 crash site somewhere eastof Big Sandy. But it would bemany years before hed be ableto satisfy his curiosity about it.

Aviation archaeology, Lt.Franken explained to cadets,starts with researchin thiscase, requesting documentsfrom the U.S. Air Force underthe Freedom of Information

Act. His target: A Boeing B-17FFlying Fortress from the 401stBombardment Group (Heavy),612 th Squadron, stationed atGreat Falls , Montana, thatcrashed on October 1, 1943,two miles east of Big Sandy,while practicing bombing runsin formation. The 401st BomberGroup was to depart in twoweeks for Station 128, RAF

Deenethorpe, England. 2ndLt. John W. McIlwain, U.S.Army Air Force, was the pilotin command; 2nd Lt. GeorgeW. Heaps was the co-pilot.There were five other mem-bers of the crew. All perishedin the crash.

Determining the cause ofan old crash requires the skillsof a detective and reverence

for the past of an anthropolo-gist, Lt. Franken explained.The typical procedure requiresthe investigator to work withnumerous agencies and thecity, state, local county andFederal levels, as well as withprivate landowners. The avia-tion archaeologist has to takein consideration such factors

as how weather on a particularday may have affected the out-come. In surveying a crash site

the participants take care tonot alter the original appear-ance of the field.

The acc ident had gonelargely unexplored since WorldWar II. The official recordstates the probable cause aspilot judgment error; lackof care in flight; momentarylapse of mental efficiencyleading to structural failure.The squadrons maintenance

records indicate no mechani-cal defects. The investigationfurther stated that the limita-tions and flight characteristicsof the B-17 should be empha-sized during trainingagainsugges t ing pi lot er ror andinexperience.

In order to better under-stand what might have hap-pened in the cockpi t , L t .

Franken interviewed a B-17pilot about the flying charac-teristics and structural stresslimits of this large four-enginebomber. He was told that B-17 pilots needed to keep thenoses of their aircrafts up dur-ing turns and that they couldlose control in a dive by drop-ping the nose only slightly.Investigators had speculated

that Lt. McIlwain had finishedhis bombing run at an altitudeof 20,000 feet, then turned intoa half roll, and the effect of thefour engines racing and grav-ity made it increasing difficultto pull up. At about 475 milesper hour, the maneuver wouldhave exceeded the stress limitsof the airframe. Pulling the B-

17 level at 7,000 feet snappedoff the wings and flipped thefuselage end over end, leading

to the fatal crash on the prai-rie below. However tragic, anaccident of this nature was alltoo commonplace, Lt. Frankenobserved: 35,000 U.S. airmendied in combat during WorldWar II; another 15,000 werekilled in training accidents.

Though eyewitnesses arecrucial to reconstructing acci-dents, Lt. Franken explained,in this case they were scarce.Only one pilot, a bomb-groupObserver high above the forma-tion, witnessed the final flight.The research team found anelderly ladyin grade school atthe time of the accidentwhohad heard the engines, lookedup, and saw a puff of smokeon the horizon. Eventually thecrash site was located by com-paring landmarks in 63-year

old investigation photographswith the terrain. The teamused aerial photographs, fromthe old satellite TerraServer,that the U.S. Governmentobtained from Russia. Thosesatellite photos revealed fainttraces of the splash area,including the details of topo-graphical discrepancies suchas disturbed soil from vehicles

used to retrieve aircraft wreck-age, and make-shift roads thathad been used to haul out theB-17 debris six decades ago.

After the splash area hadbeen determined, the investi-gators could start in to the grid.So Lt. Franken led a group ofaviation archaeologists to Big

35


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WING WATCh

VAN NUYSA historicalmarker at the Columbia AirCenter along the Patuxent

River at Croom, Maryland, testiesto the pioneering efforts of one JohnW. Greene, Jr.mechanic, pilot,CAP squadron commander, highschool teacher, aviation instructor,and founder of the Columbia AirCenter back in 1941.

In 1933, Greene became onlythe second black man in Americanhistory to qualify for a commercialpilots license. And his ColumbiaAir Center was the first black-owned and operated airport inPrince Georges County.

Though the airport was offi-cially closed in 1956 (today thegrounds are owned by the MarylandNational Capital Park and Planning

Commission) Greenes achieve-ment inspired the boyhood dreamsof the future California Wing

Passing Along InspirationLt. Col. Fred Pitcher Broke the Color Barrier and

Became a CAWG Legacy with the All the Right Stuff

By Capt. Frank Geraty, CAWG Director of Public Affairs

Director of Aerospace Education,Lt. Col. Fred Pitcher. His personallegacy is now also enshrined thereas being the only pilot ever taughtat Columbia eld to have risen tobe a commercial airline captain.

Pitchers story is strikingly similarto that of his inspiration, John W.Greene.

Maryland Wing Civil Air Patrolcadet in 1950 he soloed in a 1946Aeronca Champ 7AC after only sixhours and thirty minutes of ighttraining at the historic CloudClub located at that historic air-port. Inuenced by the men of dis-tinction of his youth, Pitcher alwaysshowed promise: In high school hewas voted Most Likely to Succeedby his classmates, elected presidentof his high school honor society,and appointed business managerfor his high school yearbook.

Lt. Col. Pitchers love for tech-nology and electronics precededthe arrival of computers. Still inhigh school, he founded the firstof the more than 25 businesses hewould own or manage an electron-ic-appliance repair service. It was

also during those formative years,that Fred discovered he had a pas-sion for teaching. He was asked tosubstitute-teach a physics class inwhich he himself was enrolled.

Pitcher joined the U. S. NavalAir Reserve and earned an appoint-ment to Annapolis, though heopted for Howard University andthe University of Pennsylvania.Then he became a self-proclaimedprofessional student at Northrop

University and UCLA over thenext several decades.

Though he was constantly onthe move throughout his early adultlife, Pitcher remained dedicated tothe CAP. He joined the HonoluluHickam Composite Squadronin 1959, serving as the DeputyCommander of Cadets and earneda masters rating in Operations a

WHERE INSPIRATION TOOK FLIGHT:Col. Pitcher

learned to y in Croom.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY:Col. Pitcher

today, after more than 60 years of

piloting aircraft.

P i t c h e r retired Westernand Delta airlinecaptain, lecturer,teacher, mentor,businessman, civicleader, manager joined Civil AirPatrol as a cadet in

1948 and remainsactively engagedto this day. He wasawarded his CAP50-year memberaward at a recentWing Conference.

Flying airplanescame naturally toCol. Pitcher. As a

37


24/35

WING WATCh

well as his OCS CAP commissionof 2nd Lieutenant. Later, while liv-ing in Alaska, he served as a ightinstructor, SAR pilot and cadet

orientation pilot with the CivilAir Patrol Elmendorf Squadron inAnchorage.

Pitchers professional careerincluded work associated with theU.S. Atomic Energy Commissionat the U.S. Navy Model Basin,as an Engineering Aid; and ahigh-tech tour with the BurroughsCorporation working with the (then)revolutionary UNIVAC Computerand other unnamed smallerdevices. He also taught computerscience to other technicians at theBurroughs Corporation, travelingto some 30 countries and severalcontinents.

Pitcher moved to the LosAngeles area in 1964 and enrolledat Northrop University and earnedhis aircraft mechanic, ight engi-neer, and Air Transport Pilot cer-tificates prior to joining Western

Air Lines. He rst worked as anaircraft mechanic then, six monthslater, advanced to full pilot, break-ing the employment color barrierat Western Airlines in 1965. Hesworked hard to help other minori-ties into the aviation professionever since. Pitcher mentored atleast twelve new pilots to becomeprofessionals. Ive been veryfortunate to be able to establishmy own career, through my own

efforts, and I try to let my studentsknow that if you want to do some-thing, you can do it, he said. Its just a matter of motivation andbeing prepared. Three of his lateststudent ATP pilots were women.

In past years, Pitcher hasheld leadership positions with theTuskegee Airmen. He recently wasawarded the FAA Wright Brothers

Master Pilot Award for 50 Yearsof Dedicated Service in AviationSafety, and received the NAFIProfessional Flight InstructorAward for his 42 years as a FAA-Certicated Flight Instructor.

These days, Pitcher runsTraining Associates, Inc. inHawthorne. The working branchtrains youths and adults alike onsubjects such as How to y andHow to enter Corporate America.

A certied teacher in California,Pitcher has been a resource tothe Los Angeles Unified SchoolDistrict since 1971. In response tothe civil rights tumult in the 60s,as part of a youth motivationtask force, he became one of thefounders of what are now calledCareer Days.

Thats not all. Pitcher is a LosAngeles-based Young Eagles ightleader and has been donating air-

craft time to fly young boys andgirls regularly in the Kids FlyFree Day program. He is affili-ated with the FAAs ACE programto educate inner city children asyoung as seven years old on theopportunities and wonder of avia-tion subjects.

CAP recognized Pitchers con-tributions to the greater good in

2002 when he was named PacicRegion Senior Member of theYear for his community servicework. He earned the Gil RobbWilson Award for professionaldevelopment and was the Group 1Public Affairs Ofcer before beingappointed CAWGs AE director.He is an active ight and groundschool instructor, as well as anaerobatic pilot. Hes taught yingall over the world including in

Japan, Germany, and Philippines.A man of apparently bound-less energy, Pitchers hobbies areas exhilarating as his professionalpursuits. He is an automobile rac-ing class winner; internationaldownhill and slalom snow ski classwinner; and ski instructor. Pitcheris even an experimental aircraftbuilder and trophy winner: Hebuilt a midget racing airplane anda single-seat helicopter to encour-

age students to be creative. Evenat play, Pitcher uses his hobbiesto focus students on what can be.His life and his passion is to let hisstudents of all ages know that themind can accomplish anything thatit is dedicated to do.

NOSTALGIA BOUND:An example of the low, slow taildragging Aeronca Champ in

which Pitcher rst soloed, after almost seven hours of instruction, in 1946.

39


25/35

RIVERSIDEThe airshowseason began in earnest when155 members of the Civil AirPatrolnearly triple the typicalturnoutworked the 15th annu-al Riverside Airshow in April.CAP resources, providing morethan one third of the volunteerwork force, combined with eightmembers of the Southland YoungMarines for crowd-control andight-line guarding duty. A memberof the shows committee estimated80,000 spectators attended, formingone of the largest crowds in years.

CAPs participation in theweekend events exceeded expec-tations in more ways than one.After a morning demonstration onthe rst day of the show, an A-10Thunderbolt (Warthog) flashedan engine stall warning light.

Although the pilot experienced noother indication of an actual stall,the event nonetheless forced anearly landing. Crew Chief JasonClark had a laptop computer torun diagnostics but his computerhad a dead battery and the aircraft

RE:CAP

CAP TurnoutGeneratesAirshow

Electricity

was too far from any hangar torun an extension cord. Capt. JohnBinder, Chino Cadet Squadron 20,went to base camp and returnedwith a portable generator, allow-ing the crew chief to give theHog a clean bill of health and ythe afternoon show. Leave it toCaptain Binder to have what weneeded stated Crew Chief Clark.I have worked previous airshowswith him and he has never failedto let us down.

Making its Riverside debut,a C-17 Globemaster from nearbyMarch Air Reserve Bases 452ndAir Mobility Wing was on staticdisplay and gave two demonstra-

tions. Lt. Col. Jeff Pennington,452nd Ai r Mobi l i t y WingOperations Group Commander,and Brig. Gen. James L. Melin,the new Commander of the 452nd,accompanied the C-17 to the show.Gen. Melin expressed his appre-ciation to Capt. Binder for his ser-vice to activities on March ARBand said he looked forward to acontinued working relationship.

During take off, the C-17

kicked up a small dust storm.CAWG cadets were prepared,having been issued safety gog-gles provided by Cal OlympicSafety, Corona, which has sup-ported numerous CAP activi-ties for eight years now. 2nd Lt.David Peabody of Hemet-RyanComposite Squadron 59 had notedthe dust problem during the setup

previous to the show.Cadet 2nd Lt. Kevyn Meredith

of Squadron 59 acted as CadetCommander; Cadet 1s t Lt .Nathaniel McMurray, Pancho-Barnes Composite Squadron 49,was his Executive Ofcer. CadetMaster Sgt. Matthew Harp, BigBear Valley Composite Squadron6750 and Cadet Maj. Felicia Voegeleassisted as project ofcers.

Numerous senior membersparticipated as Tactical Officersalong side. California WingsSafety Ofcer Maj. Murray Craigand recruiting officer Lt. Col.Charles Wiest were also on hand.

We had very little to worry

about with so many seniors onhand, said Capt. Binder. It is greatto have the adult involvement.

Lt. Col. Mark Williams,Commander of Beach Cities CadetSquadron 107, said Our newcadets really enjoyed themselvesand look forward to the ChinoAirshow in May.

The show marks the rst col-laboration between the YoungMarines and CAP cadets. Id like

to see them back, for they workedwell with our cadets, stated Lt.Col. Fred Mahadocon, PacificRegion Public Affairs. Serviceis our business and the servicewe provided for the RiversideAirshow was outstanding andprofessionally executed withpride.Capt. Andrea Binder,Chino Cadet Squadron 20

TEXAN TECH:Cadet Tech. Sgt. Alex

Ramos, San Diego Cadet Squadron

144, poses with an AT-6.

41


26/35

MARCH ARBSeventy-twocadet students, 23 cadet staffers and24 senior members converged fromas far south as Chula Vista and asfar north as San Luis Obispo for aCivil Air Patrol Basic Cadet School/Airman Training School here in lateJanuary.

This is bigger than some Wingencampments, stated Capt. MartinZschoche, project officer for thecombined schools. In all, 24 Unitsfrom ve Groups in California Wing

were represented.Maj. Jason Markiewitz, com-mander of the joint school, statedthe purpose. Basic Cadet School isan essential rst step to orient newcadets to CAP, he said. The schoolprovides a strong foundation for thecadets from the very beginning asthey work through Phase I of theircadet careers. Markiewitz said thatCadets receive quality, standard-ized training in techniques such as

marching and how to properly weara uniform as well as introductionsto the history of CAP. AerospaceEducation, customs and courtesies,and CAPs core values are key com-ponents of the school as well.

The formal structure of BCSas we know it today is only about

RE:CAP

ten years old, Maj. Markiewitz said.ATS is even more recent, at aboutfive years old. Both schools arepart of CAWGs modern IntegratedLeadership Program (ILP). Afterpassing through BCS and ATS,cadets progress to Non-CommisionedOfcer School (NCOS), Senior Non-Commisioned Officer Academy

and, nally, the Cadet Ofcer BasicCourse. Although individual squad-rons can instruct cadets in all facetsof the ILP curriculum, the formatensures a uniform Wing standard andbuilds strong relationships betweenboth cadets and senior membersacross the Wing.

March FieldHosts New andImproved BCS

MARCHING AT MARCH: Col. Black says the military atmosphere at March

Air Reserve Base adds to the experience. All photos courtesy 2nd Lt. Kevin E.Lowther.

CLASS ACT:Maj. Markiewitz says that the BCS program is essential. Staff Sgt. Kira Swerdfeger (R) credits the BCS for

inspiring teamwork building.

What makes this [school] spe-cial is that all cadets are in the rightposition for their skill sets, statedMaj. Markiewitz.

Lt. Col. Jessica Black, DeputyCommander for Group 3 and DeputyCommander for the joint school, saidthe BCS/ATS requires a lot of longrange planning. You have to have at

least four to ve very serious seniormembers who are ready to put in alot of extra hours to come togetherand do the initial brainstorming.Col. Black said that planning datesback to the Wing conference lastOctober.

Col. Black said that March


27/35

VA N D E N B E R G A F B M e m b e r s a n d g u e s t s o f Vanderberg Composite Squadron

101 witnessed the promotion ofunit commander Lisa Tuggle tothe rank of Lieutenant Colonel inJanuary. Maj. Rodney Bronson,Commander, California WingGroup 4, led the ceremony andafterward commended the newestLieutenant Colonel in the Wingfor her dedication toward theorganization.

Maj. Bronson said Lt. Col.Tuggles story should be an inspi-

ration. After working as a civilservice employee for many years,Lt. Col. Tuggle sensed a need toserve the community by mold-ing the lives of young men andwomen. So in 1996 she joinedthe Civil Air Patrol and spent her

RE:CAP

entire career with Squadron 101,based here and in nearby SantaMaria.

Lt. Col. Tuggle started as aSenior Member working wherevershe was needed. But she was alsofocused on advancing her CAPcareer and completed the Level Vrequirements within eight years.During that period she served assquadrons Deputy Commanderfor six years before being appoint-ed its Commander in 2005.

Reecting upon her 11-yearsin CAP career, Lt. Col. Tuggle

marvels at how well the organiza-tion enhanced her self-condenceand awareness of world events.She identies her success in CAPto both Cadet and senior membersserving cohesively under her.

Tuggle Shows RankDetermination

SUDDENLY OUTRANKED:Group 4 Commander Maj. Bronson commends Lt.

Col. Tuggle.

ARB is an ideal campus becausethe reserve base has ample facilitiesand provides the right atmosphere.We feel that its always best to put

the cadets in a military environ-ment whenever possible. I thinkit enhances the overall sense thatyoure in a military training activitywhen youre on a military base. Italso raises awareness with the AirForce.

1st Lts. Tomm and ConnieOlson, March Field CompositeSquadron 45, created a new check-insystem for the school. Putting theadmin, including the check in, into

a database grew out of seeing theoverwhelming amount of paperworkthat was generated by having sucha large attendance, said Lt. TommOlson. The database is a prototypeendeavor to prove the concept andto find ways that the system canimprove, speed up and streamlinethe entire administration structure.Networking check-in across threelaptop computers kept the line mov-ing and made billeting and dutyassignments more efcient.

One of the most importantthings I learned at ATS was howteamwork could be developedamongst strangers with a commongoal, said Cadet Staff Sgt. KiraSwerdfeger, Saddleback CompositeSquadron 68, Costa Mesa. I foundit amazing that the nine cadets inmy flight, who did not know eachother before coming to ATS, were

able to work as a team, completeobjectives, and drill together by theend of one intense weekend. Thisimportant experience inspired me tofocus on building teamwork in myown squadron.2nd Lt. Kevin E.Lowther, Assistant PAO

March Field BCSContinued . . .

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FALLBROOKFollowing arequest by USAF liaison Lt. ColMike Prusak in Eagle Call (seeBirds Eye View, Spring 2006),

pilots all over the Wing havestepped up Flight OrientationP r o g r a m ( F O P ) r i d e s f o rCalifornias Air Force ReserveOfcers Training Corps cadets.

Among other Units in theWing, Lt. Col. Gerald Rohles,Maj. James Redmon, and Maj.Tom Buscemi, all of Group 7sFallbrook Composite Squadron87 here, have regularly taughtstudents from Detachment 075

of San Diego State UniversityAFROTC. In Group 1, Capt. BenSchick of Clover Field CompositeSquadron 51, Santa Monica, hasoriented future military ofcersfrom both Loyola MarymountUniversity and University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles. Capt.Paul Krause of South Bay SeniorSquadron 129, Torrance, has beenflying University of SouthernCa l i fo rn ia s tuden t s . Cap t .Gary Cinnamon, SacramentoComposite Squadron 14, andCapt. Keith Stason, Jon E.Kramer Composite Squadron 10,Palo Alto, are among those y-ing northern California cadets.

FOPs provide more thanfree-ride fun. Except for take-

RE:CAP

off, landing, traffic patterns,low-level ying (dened as below

an altitude of 1,000 feet aboveground level) and other critical

phases of flight, the AFROTCcadets can actually manipulatethe ight controls while in the

air. (Credit for taking the ori-entation ight is not contingentupon that, however.)

At the conclusion of FOPs,both pilots and students ll outthe AFROTC Unit OrientationFlight Log as evidence of thecompleted task. Safety rulesthe program: Pilots conducting

FOPs must be even better quali-ed than those performing CAPcadet Orientation Rides300hours of pilot-in-command, acommercial aviation license anda Class II medical required.

ROTC FOPs aim to providestudents with a complete andwell-rounded education in allaspects of military service. As aside benet, FOPs expose cadetsto flying and flight activitieswith pilots serving in their roleas the USAF Auxiliary.

The AFROTC OrientationFlight Syllabus emphasizes thefollowing points:

Preight: Discuss the basicsof light aircraft aerodynam-ics. Use the aircraft checklist

to demonstrate the routing ofinspections, showing the Cadetwhat is inspected, what to lookfor, and why.

Before Takeoff: Use thechecklist to show Cadets howroutine cockpit checks are madeprior to takeoff. Point out pro-cedure for starting the engineand the safety precautions tobe observed. Describe the useof controls while taxiing andthe safety precautions to beobserved. Explain the selectionof runway and engine run-up.

In Flight: Point out the posi-

tion and attitude of the aircraftin normal flight with variousthrottle and control settings.Point out landmarks, groundfeatures, and the position of theairport with respect to the com-munity. Describe the approachto the trafc pattern and explainthe reasons for contact with thecontrol tower or transmissionson common air trafc frequencyat uncontrolled elds. Point outthe correct procedure for enter-ing the traffic pattern, glideangle, normal landing, taxiingaircraft to parking area, andengine shutdown.

Post Flight: Answer ques-tions about the ight, stressingsafety.

According to SDSU CadetBarroga, an average of about 24cadets participate in the Flight

Orientation Program at SDSUevery three months and many goon to be active in Flight Ofcerp r o g r a m s . C a p t . J a m e sPedersen, PAO

AFROTC Flights: More Than Free Rides

OFF WE GO:Lt. Col. Rohles (R)

with San Diego State University

AFROTC Cadets Barroga,

Gordon, and Kilian.

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S A C R A M E N T O C a d e tLieutenant Mitchell L. Hursh ofSacramento Composite Squadron14 received the General BillyMitchell Award by AssemblymanBill Maze in his offices and onthe Assembly floor of the StateCapitol in January.

A s s e m b l y m a n M a z e(Republican, 34th District ,Visalia), also a Civil Air Patrol

Major and Vice Commander ofCalifornia Wings LegislativeSquadron, congratulated CadetHursh on receiving this prestigiousaward in a ceremony attendedby his parents, Hilda Zamoraand Ronald Hursh; his brother,Cory Hursh; and his SquadronCommander, Lt. Colonel JohnAylesworth.

Cadet Hursh joined Squadron14, headquartered at Sacramento

Executive Airport, three and ahalf years ago. In the last yearhe served with distinction as theCadet Commander of some 30fellow cadets.

Continuing in the spirit ofexcellence and volunteerism,

CAWG CadetsMitchell

Honored atState Capitol

Cadet Hursh has enlisted in theU.S. Air Force and will beginbasic training in September fol-lowing his graduation this Junefrom Da Vinci High School inDavis, California.

The Mitchell Award signiesthe passage of a cadet to cadetofcer. It was established in 1964

in honor of the late U.S. Air ForceBrigadier General Billy Mitchell,the celebrated aviation hero,

pioneer, advocate, and staunchsupporter of an independent AirForce for America. Cadets earntheir Mitchell only after complet-ing the rst eight achievements ofthe cadet program and passing anarduous 100-question examina-

tion testing leadership theory andaerospace topics. Since the incep-tion of the Mitchell Award over30 years ago, about 42,000 cadetshave earned this honor.

As it represents an importantmilestone, the Mitchell Awardis normally presented by a CAPGroup Commander or higher, theWing Director of Cadet Programs,or a state or federal governmentofficial. Cadet recipients of the

Mitchell Award, who later enterthe Civil Air Patrols SeniorMember program, are eligible forimmediate promotion to CAP 2ndLieutenant at age 21.

Mitchell recipients are alsoeligible for advanced promotionto the rank of Airman First Classshould they choose to enlist in theU.S. Air Force, or for advancedcredit in the Air Force ROTC pro-gram. Mitchell Award cadets mayalso apply for a variety of scholar-ships and Civil Air Patrol specialactivities.2nd Lt. Arthur J.Bettati

A CAPITOL DAY:On the Assembly oor (L-R), Lt. Col. John Aylesworth, Ms. Hilda

Zamora, Assemblyman Bill Maze, Cadet Lt. Mitchell L. Hursh, Ronald Hursh and

Cory Hursh.

OFFICERS CALL: C a d e t 2 n d

Lt. Mitchel l L. Hursh meets with

Assemblyman Bill Maze, and Lt. Col.

John Aylesworth. Photo: Courtesy Ms.

Valory Mitchell.

49

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30/35

RE:CAP

USHERING IN THE AIRSHOW SEASON:A photo essayby 2nd Lt. Kevin Lowther at the CAWG-supported airshow

at NAS Point Mugu at the end of March shows F-16C

Thunderbirds in surrealistically perfect formation, Navy

Seals, and an F-22A Raptor of the 1st Fighter Wing doing

its thing.


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for Urban Direction Finding(UDF) team certification; sec-ond-year candidates would earnGround Team Member (GTM)

qualication. A third year wouldearn Ground Team Leader (GTL).All skill sets would correlate withthose outlined in CAPR 60-3Emergency Services Trainingand Operational Missions regula-tions, except those related mis-sions seldom if ever encounteredCalifornia Wing members (waterrescue, high mountain rippling orsnow rescue, for example). Evenso, the training would include

survival skills for high-mountainaltitudes and cold weather. Lt.Col. Bill Correll, then Squadron72 commander, tasked Maj. SteveEngland, then deputy commanderfor seniors, and Cadet Commander

How Saber TrainingHoneS

THe non-CombaT edge

Phase I - First Aid, CPR and blood-borne pathogen training

and certifcation

Phase II - Basic and/or Advanced Communications UserTraining training and certifcation

Sarex I - Field-training exercise for UDF/GTM operationsequipment, and hot loads in air ambulance, and thosewanting to become GTL would receive that instruction

Phase III - Advanced land navigation and team skillsincluding direction-fnding equipment use

Phase IV - Field training of individuals and teams in

equipment and survival skills

Saber - Skills evaluation in four sorties, all done in a stress-flled environment

Ground Team TrainingContinued from page 7 . . .

DEPLOYED:A California Air National Guard helicopter drops Saber

participants at altitude and collects them after their training.

ES101


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Erin England to develop the cur-riculum into a fully operationaltraining activity.

Heres how the Saber programworks. Instructors teach basicskills in a normal classroom set-ting, along with field training

for practicing direction findingand radio use. The rst SAREXincludes a brieng from a local airambulance rm on hot-load pro-tocols. Fieldwork includes UDF/GTM practice under both day andnight conditions. The nal SAREXis far more challenging and stressful,to simulate actual emergencies,and leads to a sign off for thosedemonstrating all UDF or GTMskills (see How Saber TrainingHones the Non-Combat Edge).

The program utilizes a localcivilian air ambulance companyand a California Army NationalGuard aviation unit. The ANGassists by inserting and extract-ing two teams into a remote siteat 8,000 feet in Californias highSierra Mountain Range. The ANGunit uses the same procedures itwould to insert two fully equipped

Army teams at this location, andthen extracts them the follow-ing day. The exercise trains stu-dents for being taken to a remote,unknown site and having to orientthemselves and organize quicklyinto a functioning teamskillsthey might need for hurricane orearthquake relief efforts, and manyother emergency and HomelandSecurity missions.

In the event that members

fail to complete all the trainingwithin a program year, then theycan either join the cycle in thenext program year or elect todiscontinue the program, failingto certify.

Instructors are typical lymembers who are Ground TeamLeaders and have completed theSET (Skills Evaluation Trainer)

test to teach all ES skills. Thesquadron has its own AmericanRed Cross-certified instructorsfor First Aid, CPR and Blood-Borne Pathogen training; bothregistered nurses and medicaldoctors cover those items specicto their expertise. The squadronalso has qualified members forteaching Basic and Advanced

Communications User Training(BCUT and ACUT).

The advantage of Saber isits revolving cycle, which allowsmembers to maintain their edge; incontrast standard CAP ES trainingis too reliant upon weekend skillstraining and then a SAREX oractual mission sometime during ayear. Most actual missions fall into

the Direction Finding categoryand do not tax the team memberstotal skill set. Saber ensures mis-sion readiness for those 5 percentof actual missions requiring allthe skill sets of a GTM.

T h o s e c o m p l e t i n g t h i sadvanced training rewards stu-dents with the confidence thattheyve been well trained and

stand ready to undertake any CAPmission imaginable (along withan attractive, numbered Sabercerticate!).

The proof is in the pudding:Saber training has been conductedeach year since 1998 and producedmany highly qualied, mission readyES personnel for California Wing.

THE RIGHT DIRECTION:Standard curriculum

includes utilization of direction-nding equipment.

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Just prior to October 1, 2006, Itook a fast, short trip to Big Sandy,Montana, to dedicate a memorialon that on that day, surprised that Idbeen got the called to speak at the

occasion. I thought it might be toofar to travel for such a brief occa-sion, but not after I got there.

Two years previous Id leda group to the town to performhistorical research on an aviationcrash near the town. Id given thelocal historical society a courtesy

Dedicated to the Heroes of the Past

ON TOUR:The Memphis Belle at

Patterson Field, Ohio. The B-17F has

been revered since its arrival. Photo,

courtesy U.S. Air Force.

Sandy. He was assisted by theUniversity of Iowa School of

Journalism and Broadcasting,which assigned a student filmcrew to document the expe-dition. (In fact, Lt. Frankenfound himself in San Diegoto edit the documentary in hisdaughters TV studio.) Thecrash site was chosen becauseof its isolation. It was sur-rounded by mostly farmland

Aviation ArchaeologyContinued from page 35 . . .

ONE THAT NEVER CRASHED:TheB-17F Memphis Belle in restoration

at the National Museum of the U.S.

Air Force, Dayton, Ohio. U.S. Air

Force photo by Ben Strasser.

1st Lt. Henry Franken, Iowa Wing,

CAP.

FIELD MANUAL

report when we were done and leftassuming it was the end.

But in the interim, a few mem-bers of the small town took it uponthemselves to build a memorial to

those killed in the crash. Theydexperienced inches of successesand miles of frustrationspermits,property rights, government par-ticipation and grant writing. I didntknow all of this when I was askedto participate in the dedication. Ifrankly expected to see a simpleplaque on a bolder in the middle ofMontana.

What I saw left me deeply

impressed: A flower garden in frontof a polished granite memorial,lighted flag poles, U.S. Air Forcedignitaries awaiting a missing-man formation flyover, a marchingband, an honor guard with fir-ing squadand an entire townspresence. I was humbled to thinkhow Id underestimated the event.

These are the words I sharedwith that gathering:

Sixty-three years ago, ninemen began the last moments oftheir lives in the sky above where we

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now stand. DuringWWII,35, 000airmen were casualties...15,000

of them were fatalities in training

accidents. Nine of that number

belong forever in the vivid memo-

ries here today, honored by all...

marked now on the placid plains

of Montana at a place called Big

Sandy. Their freely given commit-mentto freedom and their need to

serve has contributed to allowingof us to fly our flag over this land,

and cost them their lives.

What happened in that cockpit

at 27,000 feet that October morn-

ing, at this hour, all those years

ago, is still a matter of debate and

conjecture and investigation. What

we do know is that because of

their sacrifice we are privileged to

dedicate this marker today in a free

land for all to see and to know that

those nine young men will nothave

gone to the other side forgotten.

The nature of this land, this

Montana and its people, is one ofquiet dignity. It is in that temper wecan now bring to close this special

chapter in the bookoffreedom.

On the drive home, I spent20 hours thinking a lot about that

day and what its like everyday in

Civil Air Patrol. Just like the quietdignity of the people of that little

town, CAP has a vision, mission,and dream-pursuers at work. We

get tired. Sometimes we may evenwant to quit. We wont likely get anhonor guard or a flyby, but were

like the people in a little town in

Montana with a picture of success,a feeling for a mission that just will

not go away. Im proud to be a partof it.1st Lt. Henry Franken

IDIOTS DELIGHT:An example from the 94th

Bomb Group, 332nd

BombSquadron. Photo, courtesy U.S. Air Force.

and flat prairie and had beenlargely undisturbed over theyears. In fact, the area remainslittered with alkal ine cans andinert practice bombs droppedby bombers during trainingflights, during which bombgroups had used Great Falls

as an Initial Point, ascended to20,000 feet, dropped practicebombs on the range, brokenformation, and returned totheir respective airbases.

Lt. Frankens goal was toreport the teams finding tothe surviving family members,who were found by followingthe trail of death certificates,and document the investiga-

tion for the National HistoricalPreservation Society. Thatmeant obtaining permissionf r om t he l andowner s andinforming all interested partiesabout the expeditions inten-tions, assuring those for whomthe accident was personal thatall ethical guidelines wouldbe followed. The team, which

included a doctor in the eventof an accident , used metaldetectors to locate objects onthe ground and marked theposition of debris with redflags in three-foot grids. Usingthis methodology, the splasharea was precisely documented

and each object noted.F i n a l l y , L t . F r a n k e n

emphasized the value of sav-ing aircraft ar tifacts for futureresearch and historical record.Many residents of Big Sandyhad collected parts from thisparticular crash (the enginecowling, the propeller, thegenerator, for example) andwere unwilling to surrender

them. Lt. Franken feared thatthose precious artifacts mightmean little to future genera-tions and simply be tossedawayalong with the memoryof the ultimate sacrifice thosebrave airmen made for ourcountry so many years ago.

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5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

EMERGENCY SERVICES IN SUM:

OCT 2005-SEP 2006

ELT/EPIRBs

MISSING A/C MISSIONS

MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED:

California Wing performed 321

mission for the ES year, 22 of

which involved missing aircraft

searches.

THE ICe-MAN COMETH:As an Incident Commander, Capt. Bob Keilholtzs 78 missions, several involving multiple

tasks within a single mission number, outpaced 1st Lt. Shane Terpstras 58 (18%), Capt. Frank Duartes 46 (14%), Capt.

Jim Anthonys 25 (8%) and 1st Lt. Rich Lovick, Capt. Burt Kingsbury, and Maj. Jon Wordsworth, all of whom ran about 5

percent of the Wings missions.

DOUBLE-DIGIT MISSION MEN:

WHO'S PULLING THE IC LOAD

Capt. Bob Keilholtz

Lt. Shane Terpstra

Capt. Frank Duarte

Capt. Jim Anthony

Lt. Rich Lovick

Capt. Burt Kingsbury

Maj. Jon Wordsworth

All Others

Capt. Keilholtz's 78 Missions

Represent 24% of Wing's

Missions in the ES year

A total of 1,735 members

participated in ES, with the bulk

(944) dedicated to ground and

urban direction nding teams.

CAP aircraft ew over 400 hours

on the year. Stats courtesy Lt.

EAGLE EYE

california wing - jun 2007

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