pell city squadron - aug 2011

8/2/2019 Pell City Squadron - Aug 2011

1/16

Volume 2, Number 8 August 2011

nside this issue:

ommanders

rner

1

alendar 2

olf Tournament,

UIs, and New

eputy Commander

3

AOs Corner

AP at CHEAHA

4

fety Officers

rner

5

andards and Eval 6

adets Corner 7

dvancedchnologies

8

ecoming anagle Scout

9-10

omotions &dditions

11

d You Know? 12

erospace 13

n Man 2011 14

eterans Historyoject

15

sc. Photos 16

COMMANDERS CORNER . . .Summer is almost over, but the mercury is staying near thetop of the scale. Almost anyone down here can give a prettyaccurate weather forecast. High in the upper 90s, highhumidity, chances of afternoon thunderstorms, some stormsmay be severe. This pattern is going to continue for a littlewhile longer. Now is not the time to relax. You mustcontinue to watch the weather to be safe.

Morning temperatures are the lowest they will usually be for

the day. If you can, try to get what you need to get donethen. Afternoons can get a little tricky with the developmentof thunderstorms due to convective heating. These air massthunderstorms can develop quickly and often move slowlydumping large amounts of rain in a small area. Precipitationcan be intense. Lightning can be intense. Hail is possible. Tornados are possible with thelarger storms.

This is not the weather that you want to get caught in. Stay abreast of changing conditions.you are outside you should seek shelter immediately. If you are driving, slow down and try keep moving while not overdriving your visibility. Do not stop in a traffic lane or you may bestruck from the rear. If you can not continue, pull over well off of the road. If you are flying,

you need to have an alternate plan already in mind. Some storm lines may be too long to flaround. The aircraft we fly do not have the performance to fly over a thunderstorm. Do notever try to fly under a thunderstorm, even if you can see clearly. The downdrafts are notvisible.

Recently I was on a flight to north Alabama. The weather was fine and the air was smooth.We landed to have lunch. When we returned to plan our afternoon flight thunderstorms werpopping up everywhere. There were very few options that were available that would allow uto maintain at least 20 miles between storm cells. We had to wait several hours in order forthe convection to calm down enough for the storms to rain themselves out. It was veryinconvenient to have to wait, but it was the safe thing to do.

Always allow plenty of time. Always have a back up plan. Do not get in such a hurry that yo

allow yourself to make an unsafe decision just to save some time. It is not worth the risk.

Stay Safe,

Jim GosnellCommander A:118

SquadronCommander

Maj. Jim Gosnell

Cadet Commander -

Capt. Cindy Bennett

To serve America by developing our Nations youth; accomplishing

local, state and national emergency and humanitarian missions; andeducating our citizens on the impact of aviation and space.

- CAP Mission Statement

nd Lt. Elizabeth Shurbutt,PAO and Newsletter

[email protected]


2/16

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4Cadet Mt.18:00P.T.

5 6

8.Happy

BirthdayRachel

Shurbutt

9Happy

BirthdayGreg Turley

10 11Happy

BirthdayRay Bennett

Cadet Mt.BDUs

12 13

15 16 17 18Cadet Mt.18:00Dress Blues

19 20

22 23 24 25Cadet Mt.18:00BDUs

26Happy

BirthdayBrendaIddins

27

29Happy

BirthdayDavid Taylor

30 September 1 September 2Cadet Mt.

18:00P.T.

September 3 Septemb

August 2011August 2011

Calendar . . . Page

Cadet Schedule and Uniform for August 2011:

August 04 P.T., Team Building (DressP.T.)August 11 Inspection, Leadership, Lab, Drill (DressBDUs)

August 18 Emergency Services, Character Development, Mentoring (DressDress Blues)August 25 Current Events, Aerospace, AEX (DressBDUs)


3/16

Sonny King Golf Tournament . . . Page 3

The Sunny King Charity GolfTournament was held July 8through July 10. We were asked towork at the Silver Lakes GolfCourse. The weather was hot. Thewater was cold. The fellowship was

great. Almost two dozen of ourCadet and Senior members bravedthe heat and worked shifts onFriday, Saturday, and Sunday

collecting score cards and posting scores for teams as they finished play. There were threats ofthunderstorms, but nothing materialized. We are again very proud to have been able to assist insuch a worthy cause.

S.U.I. Subordinate Unit InspectionThe Pell City Composite Squadron completed our SUI (Subordinate Unit Inspection) on July 23,2011. We are graded every two years. Every aspect of our Squadron is evaluated. This year, wereceived an overall grade of Successful. We were also told that we had several items that werenoted as Commendable. This is a very good grade. We will receive our detailed grade in the nextfew weeks and will begin working to make our Squadron even better!

I would like to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to help us prepare for this inspection.

You are the reason we are a success!

Jim Gosnell

NEW DEPUTY COMMANDERFOR SENIORS

2Lt. David L. Taylor was recently appointed the position of DCSDeputy Commander for Seniors. David and his wife Beth are

both members of our Squadron. David is a pilot and comes from aprofessional background. David brings a great deal of skill,experience, energy, and professionalism to this position. We arelook forward to working with David.

Please join me in congratulating David on this appointment.

Jim GosnellCommander


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PAOs CORNER . . . Page 4

CAP at CHEAHA

CHEAHA (Calhoun County Home Educators at Home in Alabama) invited our cadsquadron to their annual kick-off open house, August 2, 2011, at Camp Lee in Anniston.

table was set up with flyers, information, photos and a video of CAP activities for attendihomeschoolers to become aware of Civil Air Patrol and our squadron. Quite a few contacwere made, and over 75 flyers were given out to those attending.

A big thank you goes to Cpt. Cindy Bennett, Allaina Howard, Allison Howard, DavThompson, Noah Thomas, Brian Scott, and Alena Scott for giving their time to be preseat the open house. They did a great job at presenting themselves in a professional ligand were able to help answer many questions.

There will be other opportunities in the near future to help with publicity of our squadroWhen you can, volunteer to help in representing our squadron to the public so that thecan be aware of our existence and the important role we serve in our communities.

2nd Lt. Elizabeth Shurbutt, PAO

WHERE TO FIND US ON THEINTERNET:

Civil Air Patrolwww.gocivilairpatrol.com/

Cadet Serviceshttp://www.capmembers.com/

Alabama Wing of Civil Air Patrolhttp://www.alwg.cap.gov/

Pell City Civil Air Patrolhttp://www.pellcitycap.org/

Wing Emergency Services School (WESS)http://wess.alwg.us/

Photo Files on Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bethshurbutt/

collections/72157615727997818/

On Facebook: Civil Air Patrol, AL WingCivil AirPatrol, Pell City Composite Squadron, SER-AL-118,

Civil Air Patrol

CADET PROGRAM EMAILGROUP:

A Yahoo Email group has been set up make communication between membeeasier. Invitations were sent to all tcadet members.

If you are not receiving updates areminders from the Yahoo Group, ymost likely are not a member of it yet.

Please contact Beth Shurbutt at:

[email protected] and request thshe add you to the group.

You can also go to the Yahoo Group sand join:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PellCityCAP/


5/16

Safety Corner . . . Page

From Our Safety Officer . . . SAFETYhink that the last days of July and first few of August have convinced me that excessively hot weather is going to be the nis summer, not the exception. I know that all of us in Alabama think that we know all about doing our normal work in hoteather because we face it so often. But that still does not make any of us immune to the effects of heat-related illnesses ifont follow some common sense rules of; head coverings, frequent breaks in the shade or a cool area, and lots of water (eefore you think you are thirsty).EMA gives us some guidelines relating to these types of illnesses and they run the gamut of: sunburn, which we all have

th; heat cramps, which can be painful but rarely serious; heat exhaustion, which can be very debilitating; to heat strokehich can be fatal. In the interest of brevity, I will concentrate on the last two only:

eat Exhaustion exhibits the symptoms of: heavy sweating but skin may be cool, pale or flushed. Weak pulse. Normal bodmperature is possible, but will likely rise. Fainting or dizziness, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, and headaches are possible

- Get the victim to lie down in a cool place.

- Loosen or remove clothing.

- Apply cool, wet clothes.

- Fan or move victim to an air-conditioned place.

- Give sips of water if victim is conscious. Be sure water is consumed slowly, a half glass of cool water every 15 minu

- Discontinue water if the victim is nauseated.

- Seek immediate medical attention if vomiting occurs.

eat Stroke exhibits the symptoms of: high body temperature (105+); hot, red, dry skin; weak pulse and rapid, shalloweathing. Victim will probably not sweat unless victim was sweating from a recent strenuous activity. Possible

nconsciousness. Heat Stroke is a medical emergency, call 911 or EMT services immediately, delay can be fatal, and

- Move victim to a cooler environment.

- Remove clothing.

- Try a cool bath, sponging, or a wet sheet to reduce body temperature.

- Watch for breathing problems.

- Use extreme caution.

- Use fans and air conditioners if available.

- Generally, giving the victim liquids is not recommended due the possibility of nausea.

hope none of us experiences the above heat-related illnesses but a little preparation and knowledge never hurts.my June newsletter article, I gave you some statistics on the Hurricane Centers predictions for this season, which runs fr

une 1 to November 30. Well, recently, the experts have revised their predictions upward slightly due to a weather phenomenown as El Nino not developing as they expected. This only added one additional named tropical storm to the prediction, n14 to 19 storms. Only five tropical storms have developed so far this season but that only intensifies the possibility from h

n out. I am sure that you have all logged onto the www.fema.gov website or the www.noaa.gov web-site to get theircommendations on how to prepare for a weather emergency.ood! Now after preparing yourself and your family for such an event, as CAP members, you need to go one step farther. W

l need to be thinking of what we need to do to be prepared to fulfill our CAP mission of helping others in the event our ownamages are not major. If you are part of a ground team, for example, what personal equipment do you need to have at theady in case you are called unexpectedly? The same goes for aircrews. Aircrews may be launched on missions that can lar a week or two and you will not have the luxury of lots of materials due to weight restrictions so you will have to choose y

ems very carefully.njoy your summer and STAY SAFE!

on Harlan, Unit 118 Safety Officer

Reminder: Read the newsletter and receive a Safety Briefing Credit.

Please email Ron Harlan at - [email protected]


6/16

STANDARDS AND EVAL . . . Page

Its Not Just the Attitude, its the Altitude

We have experienced some very high temperatures already this year and the calendarpromises that more hot days are on the way. It is around this time each year that I like tremind all our pilots that we need to make certain that our aircraft can operate with theweights required for the mission in the temperatures of the day.

It is imperative that you do the calculations to know whether the aircraft can clear andclimb above all obstacles around the airports you will be operating from. Of course I amtalking about the density altitude of a given airport at a given temperature. If you will takthe time to do some calculations ahead of time it can come in very handy. It is just likeknowing that with a given fuel load you can carry X number of passengers. That is the

way density altitude works. If you already know the airport elevation you can beproactive and see how much runway and clear way you will need to operate the aircraftat full gross weight and at different temperatures. So, if your aircraft is not at grossweight you have just put in a cushion that you will have more than ample space to takeoff and clear all obstacles.

By developing this proactive attitude you will be more proficient with the aircraft andknow when you can and when you cannot operate from a certain airport. In summary, itreally is both your attitude and the airports' density altitude that can make the difference

of a safe flight.

Fly Safe,Major Chris IddinsAL-118 Standard/Eval Officer

.

Looking for Writers!!!The Flight Log needs writers who would be willing to submit articles that pertain to the mission

of CAP. Cadets, wed love to hear about your trips to WESS, Encampment, NESA, specialtraining, volunteering ventures, etc . . . This applies to all senior members as well. Photos

always add a lot to the articles. Please consider writing an article for the next newsletter.


7/16

Cadets Corner . . . Page

Have you ever sat and wondered where to start? That is where I am as I sit downreview the last two months of CAP for our cadets. As school ended and summer

acation began, it was time to start packing for the National Cadet Special Activitiesat also come with summer.

If you had waited to sign up for one until school was out, you probably missed outn anything but Encampment. Even then we had seven cadets that attended the 2011L/MS Encampment held at Ft McClellan, Al. this year. Our squadron had the largest

elegation of cadets to attend encampment. There were cadets represented fromabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee at encampment. They learned

ustoms and courtesies, drill, and all kinds of warrior knowledge. Lets see do younow who the SER Commander is, anybody want to guess? They also worked as aam to solve problems at the Leadership Reaction Course (LRC) in Pelham Range,nd participated in the Fire Arms Training Simulators (FATS) also at Pelham Range.nybody ever seen the movie Stripes and remember the obstacle course the recruitsained on. . . .our cadets also got to go through an obstacle course like that.erospace Education wasnt forgotten either, we went to the Southern Museum ofight and did hands on AE stations that consisted of rubber band rockets, an actual working hovercraft, a lunar land

onstruction project and air launched rockets. Days were long at encampment, reveille was at 0500 and lights out a200, but they were full of knowledge, training, and adventure. The pictures of the honor graduates appeared in last

onths newsletter and we are happy to say that Pell City Composite Squadron was well represented. Congratulatioall that attended 2011 AL/MS Encampment: Cadets Michael Norwood, Christian Norwood, Allison Howard, Allain

oward, Noah Thomas, David Thompson, and Thomas Bracker.The fifth Thursday night of each quarter is designated Fun Night for our cadets and so on June 30, we visited the

nniston Bowling Center. This happened during the week of encampment so we didnt have as many as usualarticipate. We did however have as much fun as usual. Again pictures from this night appeared in last monthsewsletter. The next scheduled fun night is Sept 29 and we hope to see everyone come and have a good time noatter what the activity will be.

July brings a lot of hot weather and. . . The Sunny King Golf Classic. Again, this year we were invited to participay taking up scorecards, checking players math skills, and entering scores into the computer. We surely appreciate pportunity and want to thank everyone who made it possible. We thank each one who volunteered and want tocognize our cadets who helped. They were Cadets John Smith, Brian Scott, Alena Scott, Nathan Bedford, Micha

orwood and Christian Norwood.For the past three years Pell City has enrolled in the Aerospace Education eXcellence program. We have to do s

erospace activities and at least a two hour Aerospace based activity in addition to our regularly scheduled AE coreurriculum. The activities are fun and informational in nature and we finished this years program by taking a trip to outhern Museum of Flight. After the trip to the museum we had lunch at Sams in Irondale and then a stop at the Bro Shop to look for more ES gear to take to the next National Activity on the schedule which is NESA. As I write the have a bunch of folks at NESA serving as staff or taking some of the training offered there. Some of our membill be there for both weeks of NESA and some will only go for one week. From Pell City we know that the followingembers are participating: LTC. Tony Bedford, Maj John Randolph, Lt Eddie Shurbutt, Cadets Peter Randolph, Jenlay, Wes Morris, Nathan Bedford, Thomas Bracker, Christi Blankenship, Tiffany Chandler, and Rachel Shurbutt.ave fun everyone and learn a lot! We will look for your stories next month in the newsletter.

We also have one cadet attending a National Cadet Special Activity in Colorado. That is Cadet Brian Scott who i

dvanced Technology Academy. It is being held at Peterson Air Force Base and we look forward to hearing about haining when he returns.

We want to welcome our newest cadet member Zach Swafford and we look forward to having him at Pell City.Promotions for June and July are as follows:

June 2 Cadet Thomas Bracker promoted to C/CMSgtJune 3 Cadet Christian Norwood promoted to C/TSgtJune 16 Cadet Rachel Shurbutt promoted to C/1LtJuly 14 Cadet David Thompson promoted to C/A1C

Congratulations to all these cadets on their achievements. GOOD JOB!

h, by the way the answer to the question of whom the SER Commander is, if you guessed Lt. Col Alvin J

edgood, you are correct. Did YOU get it right? ?????Trivia Question????? No trivia question this month o the high number of people at NCSAs. Get ready for next month.


8/16


ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ACADEMYn July, I attended the Advanced Technologies Academy, directed by LtCol Mike McNeely. The ATA is a week-long course thaaches cadets about the different technologies that CAP uses. A typical day at ATA: Get up at 6:30, fall in for reveille, eateakfast, then classroom work for a few hours. Classes early in the week consisted of different airborne technology training. Trborne technologies that we studied were: The GIIEP (Geospatial Information Interoperability Exploitation - Portable) system,

DIS (Satellite Digital Imaging System), and the ARCHER (Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissanystem.

he GIIEP system is basically a video camera that streams live video feed to a ground station via a computer connected to theprint network. The GIIEP system also stores the video on the computer's hard drive.

he SDIS is a digital camera that you use to take pictures of a target, then you would run the pictures through a processing proat stamps the pictures with a location and direction.

he ARCHER system is an aerial imaging system that produces ground images far more detailed than plain sight or ordinary aehotography can. It is the most sophisticated unclassified hyperspectral imaging system available. ARCHER can automatically etailed imaging for a given signature of the object being sought (such as a missing aircraft), for abnormalities in the surroundinea, or for changes from previous recorded spectral signatures. It has direct applications for search and rescue, counterdrug,

saster relief and impact assessment, and homeland security, and has been deployed by the CAP in the United States on theustralian built Gippsland GA8 Airvan fixed-wing aircraft.

ter that we did practical work. The practical work consisted of actually flying the sorties that used these technologies. Ourvenings consisted of fun activities like swimming, Mr. Biggs arcade, and laser quest. Near the end of the week we toured the Aorce Academy and the AFA chapel. We also toured the Garden of the Gods. At the end of the week we learned about infraredameras (IRC) and night-vision goggles (NVG). We used both on a ground team exercise. The IRC looks like a video camera bas no recording features. You point the IRC at a target, adjust the focus, and it shows you the targets heat signature in black-ahite. If a target looks black on the IRC, then its giving off heat. Cool objects look white. NVGs don't work by heat like IRCs, bumbient light, such as the moon and stars.

n the last day of ATA, we had graduation. LtCol McNeely called us up and we received our ATA patch, certificate of graduationd a group photo. I highly recommend attending ATA to anyone who is interested in learning about CAP technologies.

/1Lt Brian Scott


9/16


Becoming an Eagle Scout

On July 17th of this year, I became an Eagle Scout. I have been in Scouting since I was 11 years old, 6 years ago. It hasen a great experience for me, and a lot of fun. Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Boy Scout can earn. What are the differencetween CAP and Scouting you may ask? Civil Air Patrol trains both male and female cadets to prepare themselves to serve thuntry and become better people. They mainly focus on three things: their cadet programs, emergency services, and aerospacucation. The Boy Scouting program is focused on helping boys build their character, grow up to become good citizens, andvelop their physical fitness. Both organizations have a common goal, to prepare their participants to become better people anizens for their country.

Some of us CAP members may have heard that getting the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scout program is equivalenttting the Billy Mitchell Award in Civil Air Patrol. From what I understand, the USAF views these to be equivalent. If you enlist we USAF and you have either Eagle Scout or the Billy Mitchell Award, you start with the same rank and pay.

What is involved in the process of becoming an Eagle Scout? There are seven ranks a scout can earn. These are the raScout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. From the rank of Scout to First Class, a scout will work orious skills and go on many outings with the rest of his troop. From Scout to First class, there is no minimum time requiredtween each rank, however the race is limited by the amount of time the scout takes to get his requirements completed. Once out has completed First Class, he will be working on the requirements for Star through Eagle. To get from First Class to Star, d then Eagle, a scout must be active and serve in troop leadership positions for a total of 16 months.

To get from Scout to First Class, a scout must complete 30 days of physical training, showing how improvement in all rethe end of the 30 day training period. They also must demonstrate skills and knowledge in first aid, learn how to orient a map e a compass to navigate, pass the BSA swimmer test, demonstrate a line rescue in deep water, learn knots and how to whip se a rope, participate in a class on the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, identify native plants, work at least one hour orvice project, pitch a tent and do other camp activities such as cooking and building a fire, and participate in 10 troop/patroltivities outside of meetings. At least three of these outings must include camping out overnight.

From Star through Eagle, a scout is required to earn merit badges, participate in service projects, and even develop andservice project of his own. The scout also must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges (out of over 100 available merit badges),cluding 12 Eagle required merit badges. The Eagle required merit badges must be earned by all scouts working on earning tagle Scout rank. These are the Eagle Required merit badges: Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizensthe World, Communications, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Personalanagement, Swimming or Hiking or Cycling, Camping, and Family Life.

Merit badges are mostly completed within the troop, with the scout working with his qualified merit badge counselor.owever, many merit badges can be completed at what we call merit badge days, where a troop will host many merit badgeasses on a weekend at a large facility and hire volunteers to teach the classes. Scouts can complete merit badges speedily in ass environment.

To become an Eagle, a First Class scout mainly has to do service projects and earn merit badges, but this does not meat the road ahead is going to be easy. The Personal Fitness merit badge requires a scout to go through a rigorous 12 week trariod, charting data on his performance every day including times, numbers of repetitions, and heart rates. While working on th

erit badge, I ran a mile(which for me was four laps up and down the hill on our driveway) many times a week, and on the dayssted from running I was riding either my mountain bike or road bike. The Cycling merit badge required me to ride many miles,cluding two 25mi rides and a 50mi ride, which required me to train for months, and was an achievement I was pretty proud of -year old. The Camping Merit badge can only be completed after a scout has camped out on 20 different nights, not including

tings done for 2nd Class and 1

st

Class requirements.

After becoming a Life Scout, finishing the merit badges, and serving the minimum time in his troop, a scout must then dagle service project. This involves finding your own project, making a written plan, getting approval from the local committeeairman and other important people involved in the project or the organization the project may be for, and carrying out the proje director or leader of the project. My eagle project was to hold a poster designing contest for a Health, Wellness, and Disasteeparedness Fair that was held on November 6th of 2009. It involved the work of St. Clair County High School students. I wentound to many different high schools presenting the poster contest, and ended up getting enough posters to nicely decorate thalls inside the Pell City Civic Center for the fair. In the project I got to meet and work with principals in many local high schoolseet with the St. Clair County VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster). I also learned how difficult it can be to get appd do a project of this sort. The total number of hours I spent plus the hours other worked on my project was 242. Overall, theoject was a success and a great learning experience.

Over 2 million young men have earned the rank of Eagle Scout since Scoutings introduction in 1911, or about 2% of all

outs. Through my experience in scouting, I gained valuable skills that I could use in Civil Air Patrol, including learning to work


10/16

Cadets Corner . . . Page 1

Becoming an Eagle Scout continued

truthful, and function as a team. It took patience and perseverance to do the research, sit down for the classes and meetingst all of the paperwork, and make corrections to my merit badges. I learned first aid skills which gave me a leg-up in Civil Air P

hen I went to the basic and advanced courses at WESS (Wing Emergency Services School) and was tested on my knowledgeills with some first aid and CPR skills. I had an idea from Scouts of how to work as a part of an organization, as a team.

I learned how teamwork, always helping out, doing your part, will help everyone to become more accomplished and howample will motivate others to be dependable and to work hard. Also I learned that feedback can be valuable to the organizatiod that everyone can have useful input that can present new ideas or new ways of doing things. In addition to the knowledge aills, I have made strong friendships with others that were in the scouting program with me, friendships which will last for life.outing has been a great experience for me, and I will always cherish the memories and be grateful for the experience.

Cadet Daniel Smith


11/16

Cadets Corner . . . Page 1

CADET OATH"I pledge to serve faithfully in the Civil Air

Patrol Cadet Program and that I will attendmeetings regularly, participate actively inunit activities, obey my officers, wear my

uniform properly and advance myeducation and training rapidly to preparemyself to be of service to my community,

state and nation."

Congratulations DavidThompson on yourpromotion!

NEW ADDITIONS . . . .

Cpt. Cindy Bennett welcomed her new ChevyCamaro, July 29. It weighed about 3000 pounds andis white in color! Congratulations, Cpt. Bennett!!!

Senior Member Ray Bennett and Cpt. CindyBennett, along with their family, welcomed theirfirst granddaughter Rachel Maria, August 6,2011. She weighed 9 lbs., 15 ounces and was21 inches long at birth. Maybe she will be afuture CAP cadet!!!


12/16

Did You Know? . . . Page 1

Did you know that whales can fly? I know that you have heard of flyingmonkeys, flying squirrels, and flying fish but, flying whales? Thats a little hardbelieve but they have been flying for almost 60 years. Let me explain.

The Whale is the nickname affectionately given to the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. For many years it was the heaviest and largest car

ase aircraft. Hence the nickname The Whale. The A-3 was developed in the early 1950s by the US Navy. It was to be a long rangarrier based, strategic bomber, capable of delivering a nuclear payload. The aircraft was planned to operate from the proposed Unittates-class "supercarrier"s, much larger than existing carriers, and the specification set a target loaded weight of 100,000 lb with aayload of 10,000 lbs. Ed Heinemann, chief designer of the Douglas Aircraft Company, (who also designed the A-4 Skyhawk), fearinge United States-class was vulnerable to cancellation, proposed a significantly smaller aircraft of 68,000 lbs gross weight, capable of

perating from existing carriers. Its folding wings and tail section help reduce the size aboard ship.

The Chief of Naval Operations officially requested the development of the aircraft in January 1948. The prototype XA3D-1 first fle8 October 1952. Eventually, 282 aircraft would be built between 1956 and 1961. The downsizing of the A-3 was probably a good idnce the mission of carrying a nuclear payload was scrapped and given to the soon to be developed A-5 Vigilante, which was supersowever, because of changes in policy and the Navys mission, the Vigilante also saw its mission changed.

So what became the mission of the A-3? Well, I am glad you asked. Skywarriors saw some use in the conventional bombing and aying role during the Vietnam War from 1965 through 1967. The Navy would soon use only more nimble fighter sized attack bomberver Vietnam, but the A-3 found subsequent service in the tanker, photographic reconnaissance, and electronic warfare roles.

For most of the Vietnam War, EA-3Bs of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1) flew from Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnoviding electronic warfare capability over the area, including the Ho Chi Minh trail and north to Haiphong harbor. The aircrew and g

upport personnel were TAD from their home base at NAS Atsugi, Japan and after 1970, NAS Agana, Guam. VQ-1 also providedetachments of two EA-3B aircraft that deployed with Western Pacific and Indian Ocean (WESTPAC/IO) bound aircraft carrier battle

oups up until the late 1980s when it was replaced by the ES-3A Shadow. There was also a detachment based at Cubi Point, Philippntil closed by BRAC.

If you would like to know more about the rich history of the A-3 Skywarrior (Whale), go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-_Skywarrior and http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_125031634243303&ap=1 . You can also see some great video on

ube.

You may wonder why I chose to write about the A-3 this month. It just so happens that I was stationed in VQ-1 Guam, 1974-1976 pent time at the Atsugi and Cubi Point detachments as well. I was a mechanic working on the A-3. I have recently connected with soups of Whalers on facebook. I am sad to report that the last A-3 made its final flight Thursday, June 30, 2011. Even though theyficially retired in 1991, several aircraft companies had maintained a few privately. The last aircraft leased by Raytheon has now beeansferred to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola FL. So now you know.

ddie Shurbutt, 1st

LT

Trivia: What was the largest aircraft to land and take off from an aircraft carrier, and what was thcarrier?

Send your answer to: [email protected]

Due to the fact that part of the following article was accidently omitted in last newsletter, the entire article is being reprinted in this issue. Lt. Shurhas been very understanding and forgiving in this matter.


13/16

Aerospace Corner . . . Page 1

Aerospace Hi

In the world of aerospace news this month is of course the final mission of the space shuttle Atlantisand the end of the shuttle program. The mission designated STS-135 launched on July 8, 2011 andafter taking needed supplies to the International Space Station returned to Earth on July 21, 2011. Afte

decommissioning the Atlantis the shuttle will be put on display at the Kennedy Space Center. Plans areto suspend the Atlantis with its cargo doors open so that it appears to be in orbit around Earth. Theexhibit is expected to open in 2013.

Closer to home the Pell City Composite Squadron cadets took a field trip to the Southern Museumof Flight in Birmingham on July 21, 2011. If you havent been to this museum lately, you will besurprised by how it has grown. We were there three hours and only got to see the first level. We lookedat exhibits about the history of aviation and its progression through the ages. We saw many examplesof firsts, the first flight of the Wright Bros., the first deaf woman to be a pilot, and the first AfricanAmerican woman to become a pilot. The cadets visited the theatre where the history of the WrightBros. was shown. They also enjoyed the flight simulators very much. There was a history of the

Tuskeegee Airmen playing and a PBS presentation about the North Korean pilot who landed a MIG 15at the South Korean airport of Kimpo AFB located in Seoul. It was a very good trip and I thoroughlyenjoyed myself.

Ok, this paragraph is aimed at our Senior Members that have yet to take their Yeager exam. I justwanted to let you know that there are 5 hardback copies of The Journey of Flight in the ops room.Also as you go through professional development, when you are progressing through Level IV, underactivities you are supposed to do a Public Presentation to a Non CAP group OR get your YeagerAward. So if you are not comfortable making public speeches or presentations this is another way tofulfill that requirement. Remember the test is online, is not timed, is open book, and goes through thematerial in the book chronologically. No excuses, get-er-done!


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Iron Man . . . Page 1

IRON Man Competition 2011

This year's Iron Man Competition will be held a little earlier than normal due to a change in footballschedules here at Auburn University. The dates will be Friday and Saturday, November 4th & 5th. Asalways, Friday evening will be your check-in time, in-processing, safety/ORM briefings, and the firstpart of the competition. Saturday, all day, we will continue the competition. We look forward to being

able to get everyone out no later than 5pm this year, as some of the issues that kept us a little late lastyear have been addressed and tweaked.

Things to look forward to this year:

1) New Friday night schedule and in-processing procedure

2) Completely new Compass/DF event

3) Me (as always of course)

4) Fantastic new run route with a lot of fun and difficult challenges along the way (I've already been onpart of it...good stuff!)

5) What else could you be doing with your time? Re-lacing your tennis shoes?!? Checking the elasticin your socks?!? Get down here and have some fun and fellowship with other CAP members fromaround the Wing and Region!

Again, November 4-5 will be the dates for this year's CAP Iron Man Competition. We look forward toseeing everyone out there. Registration packets will be put out to the squadrons and uploaded to thewebsite as soon as possible once the ALWG FY12 budget is finalized/approved and we know exactlywhat the final IMC budget will be.

For more information on the competition in general, visit the website athttp://www.areyouanironman.com.

Time to start getting those brains and lungs into shape!!!!!

Christopher Tate, Maj, CAPCommanderSER-AL-113(c) 205.240.4169www.ser-al-113.orgwww.areyouanironman.com


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Promotions and Honors . . . Page 1

The Veterans History Project at the Library of CongressThe United States Congress created the Veterans History Project (VHP) in 2000 as part of the American Folklife

Center at the Library of Congress.

The mission of the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center is to collect, preserve, and make

accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans

and better understand the realities of war.

How can I be part of this important project? You can volunteer to conduct interviews and collect historical

documents. You may also organize interview groups and teach others how to conduct interviews. Educational

institutions, retirement communities, veterans service organizations, churches, and other community groups are a few

good places to start.What kinds of items are included in the Veterans History Project Collection? Collections may take the form of

war veterans first-hand oral histories, memoirs, collections of photographs and letters, diaries, and other historicaldocuments from World War I through current conflicts.

How can I share the story of a deceased veteran? On behalf of a deceased war veteran, you may submit historical

documents like the veteran's collection of photographs, letters, diaries and memoirs. You will need to complete the

biographical data form and a release form for the deceased veteran.

How can I find answers to other questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page online at

http://www.loc.gov/vets

Interview a Veteran. Preserve History.By taking part in the Veterans History Project (VHP), you are contributing to the permanent collections of the Library of

Congress, one of the worlds most respected research and cultural institutions. When you participate, you are making history.

Its as easy as following these simple steps:Step 1: Visit www.loc.gov/vets and download a Field Kit, which gives you guidelines for conducting interviews and for what we

do and dont accept. If you dont have Internet access, complete the tear-off card to the right or call the toll-free message line at

888-371-5848 to request a Field Kit.

Step 2: Go online to our Web site to register the collection you wish to submit.

Step 3: Record a veterans story using an audio or video recorder; assist in collecting photographs, letters, diaries, maps, etc.;

and/or help write a memoir.

Step 4: Complete the required and appropriate forms (including biographical data, audio and video log, and release forms) atwww.loc.gov/vets or from a Field Kit. Assemble the forms and the items you are submitting.

Step 5: We accept only original materials. Please make copies of all materials you wish to keep for yourself. Please provide

the veteran with a copy of the interview. VHP does not have the resources to provide copies of any donated materials.

Everything you submit to VHP will become property of the Library of Congress and cannot be returned to you. Please refer toWeb site (www.loc.gov/vets, click onHow to Participate) for Library of Congress standards of participation. We reserve the

right to return materials that do not adhere to those standards.

Do send materials via FedEx, UPS, or DHL to: Veterans History Project The Library of Congress 101 Independence Ave.,

SE Washington, DC 20540-4615 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.loc.gov/vets Toll-free message line: 888-371-5848

Please do not send your materials via the U.S. Postal Service. Postal Service mail received by the Library of Congress undergoes

security screening that may result in damage and undue delays of your materials. You may also deliver materials in person to

room LM-109 at the above address during weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.


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Misc. Photos of Cadets & Events . . . Page 16

Cadet Trip to Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham

pell city squadron - aug 2011

Documents