Cadets from the Central Fellowship Christian Academy Cadet Squadron are briefed before their ground team departs for a training exercise.
Capt. Paul Beliveau
Public Affairs Officer
Group IV
Georgia Wing
GEORGIA – A two-day training exercise at Fitzgerald Municipal Airport allowed nearly 50 cadets and senior members in Group IV to gain aircrew certification and ground team training.
Participating in missions involving three Civil Air Patrol aircraft, aircrew members -- mission pilots, mission observers and scanners – were trained in coordinated exercises and individual tasks. So were ground team search and rescue, mission base and communications personnel.
Scenarios involved multiple grid and search locations in the Fitzgerald area. At the airport, 28 cadets and eight senior member advisers spent Friday and Saturday night in tents set up at the north end, near the flight line, to simulate an actual mission.
The weekend’s activities were designed “to help increase the number of qualified aircrew and ground team members to assist in future search and rescue activities and to keep other trained members current,” said Maj. Jim Flaviani, Group IV commander.
Three members completed training flights to qualify for aircrew positions as mission scanners or mission observers. About two dozen others obtained ground team and mission staff certification.
In addition, cadets trained in flight-line marshalling techniques and as mission radio operators.
Members made a dozen mission flights during the exercise, including a photo reconnaissance mission of Fitzgerald. The resulting images will be presented to city leaders.
“The city of Fitzgerald rolled out the red carpet for us, and we certainly appreciate it,” Flaviani said. “We look forward to an ongoing relationship,” he added, citing plans to establish a new squadron there in the coming weeks.