It began with a day of training for the members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), then a good old-fashioned barbecue fundraiser for the Long Island Group of CAP.
Cadets aged 12 through 18 sought mentorship from senior member qualified skill evaluators in learning skills ranging from basic to advanced in areas such as urban direction finding, operating communications equipment, cybersecurity, mission staff assistant, flight time in a full-motion Red Bird flight simulator, and the highlight – taking the controls during flight in our Cessna airplanes. The orientation flights in our Cessnas are flown by our volunteer pilots, who effectively provide flight lessons to our cadets. Each cadet is afforded five (5) front-seat flight lessons in our single-engine planes and in our gliders.
The doors were open for parents, patrons, and community leaders to see how we train to support our community and our partner, the U.S. Air Force. The cadets had the opportunity to boast about their knowledge and expertise at such a young age to the onlookers. Senior members (aged 21+) exercised proficiencies in mission aircrews to include mission observers, mission aerial photographers, mission scanners, and mission pilots. One must be 18 yrs or older to participate in our aerial missions.
The activities lasted all day, with many conversations to explain what we do, which sparked interest in visitors as they inquired to join. This event allowed families to relax and stay awhile to eat delicious barbecue from an award-winning chef. The funds raised go toward supporting operating expenses at our headquarters in Holbrook. If you would like to donate to our cause.
