Flight Log

Pell City Composite Squadron 118Alabama Wing Civil Air Patrol

Volume 1, No. 2 Inside this issue:

September 2010

Commanders Corner
Dress for Success. You never want to attend an event and find out you are underdressed. No one wants to be the only one wearing jeans at a formal event. When we attend our meetings we need to wear a proper uniform. We also need to have our personal equipment with us so that we can respond to a mission tasking if needed. While on the way to our last meeting, I received a call wanting to know if we would be available to fly a search for a possible crashed aircraft. Deploying in time for the aircraft to reach the search area before dark was the top priority. I reported that we could field a full aircrew and launch in less than 30 minutes. The next call that was placed put our Ground Team on standby for deployment. When I arrived at the airport, I briefed the members there and we began immediate preparations to launch. During this time our Ground Team was also preparing for deployment. We were able to launch the aircraft in less than 30 minutes and arrived in time to search the primary area prior to dark. The Ground Team remained on standby for almost 20 hours, but was not deployed. This was accomplished because members came to the meeting wearing a suitable uniform and had brought equipment to fly a mission. They were Dressed for Success. We would not have been able to deploy in such a rapid manner if members had needed to return to get necessary equipment. We all are aware that it is sometimes inconvenient to get into uniform and remember your flight gear or ground team equipment when you go to a meeting. This occasional inconvenience is offset by knowing that you are ready to respond immediately if needed. There have been several occasions in which we were called and given a mission tasking on a meeting night. This should always be the best time to receive a mission tasking. When at our meetings we should have all required personnel with all necessary equipment assembled in a staging area ready for deployment. When we are at a meeting we should be ready to preflight the aircraft or load the van for mission deployment on just a moments notice. Once again our Squadron was successful because our members Dressed for Success Thank you and keep up the good work. Jim Gosnell, Commander

Commanders Corner Calendar of Events Safety Corner CAP Trivia Iron Man Volunteer Wing Corner
Emergency Services Cadet Corner Cadet Great Starts Program Standards and Evaluations Did You Know Professional Development Promotions and Pictures

1 2 3 3 5 4 5
5 6 7

8 9 10

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Flight Log

CALENDAR OF EVENTSSeptember 2010

Sun

Mon

Tue
1

Wed

Thu
2 3 Cadet Mt. PT at Lakeside Park 18:00

Fri
4

Sat
Happy Birthday Emily Collier

6 Labor Day

9 Cadet Mt. Pell City Community Center 18:00

10

11 WESS Staff Training

12

13 Happy Birthday Andrew Dunscomb

14

15

16 Cadet Mt. Pell City Community Center 18:00

17

18 Happy Birthday James House

19

20

21

22 Happy Birthday Carrie Gamblin

23 Cadet Mt. Pell City Community Center 18:00

24

25

26 Happy Birthday Cindy Bennett

27

28
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

29 Happy Birthday Wesley Morris

30 Happy Birthday Allaina Howard Cadet Mt. 18:00

Notes: October 1-3 WESS

October 2 Greg Koontzs Airshow at Ashville

SAFETY CORNER . . .
As of this writing, we are very close to concluding our 101 Hazardous Days of Summer that began on Memorial Day of this year. In the process, Alabama has set a record for the number of days that have exceeded 90 degrees and, as of this day, only now has regressed to less than 90 for a high. There have also been at least six documented deaths attributed to the high heat and humidity during this period. Obviously, heat and humidity are not to be taken lightly. As we all know, Alabama heat does not take a vacation just because Labor Day rolls around. We still have some really hot days ahead and we cannot relax our vigilance just because we can no longer wear whites, if we are in fashion.

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REMINDER:
Read the newsletter and receive a Safety Briefing Credit. Please email Ron Harlan at reh1685@aol.com

The six deaths are probably on the low side and do not even begin to account for the other deaths and injuries that are also a function of our increased outdoor activities such as boating, camping, hiking, and all of the various other attractions that lead us to do more adventurous things because of the warm weather. We in Alabama are blessed with a few extra weeks of summer and cursed with the high accident rate that accompanies them. So as we go forward, please still be aware of the effects of high heat and learn to recognize the deadly symptoms that can accompany overexertion in a high heat environment. The warning signs of Heat Stroke are;

Very high body temperature, above 103 degrees F. Red, hot, dry skin without sweating. Rapid, strong pulse. Throbbing headache. Dizziness. Nausea. Confusion. Unconsciousness.

CAP TRIVIA
Last Months WinnerLt. Eddie Shurbutt

These signs are very severe and can be Life Threatening, and require immediate, professional treatment! Dont hesitate to call 911 and try to cool the individual with ice packs, shade, cool drinking water and cool air conditions if available. On another upcoming phenomenon, darkness is arriving earlier and earlier with each passing day. Shortly, even an after work proficiency flight can result in your having to land in darkness. Make sure that you are keeping your night currency up and, if you need a little extra confidence booster, take one of our capable CFIs along and get some real-life training to boot. A good example; at our last meeting, Jim Gosnell, our commander was notified of a reported downed aircraft in the vicinity of Clanton, AL. Jim, Rich Burke, and I took off from PLR at 1900 and flew to the target area. We started a search pattern immediately upon arriving at the area but, after about 30 minutes, we could not distinguish features on the ground. Jim immediately climbed to 2,000 AGL to give us greater ground and obstacle clearance and to comply with CAPR 60-1. These regs are not just a good idea, they are and must be our operating criteria. Even 2,000 AGL may be insufficient in areas of high terrain. In the area of PLR, night flying can be nearly IFR flying due to the large dark areas of ground cover. Make sure your basic instrument skills are up to muster even as a VFR pilot, to add that extra confidence and safety margin!

Question: According to our National Commander, how many members are currently in CAP?

Send your answer to: BShurbutt@ yahoo.com

Stay Safe, Ron Harlan, Safety Officer

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VOLUNTEER CORNER . . .
Volunteering is such an integral part of life and Civil Air Patrol. You could say that as senior members and cadets, we all are volunteers for our community and country. We offer our time, talents, and service to make life better and add something special to the world. If you volunteer with other programs, not counting Civil Air Patrol, wed love to hear about it. Please send a paragraph or two describing what you do and include a photo if youd like. A Volunteering ribbon can be earned when youve volunteered a certain amount of time and have written verification from the leaders of the program for which you are volunteering. See one of your CAP cadet leaders for more details.

CORE VALUES OF CIVIL AIR PATROL

Integrity Volunteer Service Excellence Respect

New Senior Members

October 2, 2010
10:00 a.m.Ashville, Alabama

Daniel Iddins Mark Lucy WELCOME!!!

Upcoming Opportunity to Volunteer: Each year our squadron is asked to volunteer at the Wings of Ashville Air Show. This is an exciting event which you will not want to miss. More information will be sent out as soon as it is available.

From Your New Newsletter Editor . . . . . .

Look for us on the Web: www.pellcitycap.org I was pleased with all the positive feedback I received from last months massive newsletter. Thank you for all your kind words of affirmation and support. The best way that you can support me in my job as PAO and newsletter editor is to send me your information and articles in a timely manner. Alabama Wing www.alwg.cap.gov I am a homeschooling mother and teach 14 piano students in addition to being very active with my church. Please make my job less painful by doing your part. You dont know how much that means to me! I can be contacted at: LTooney@cableone.net or BShurbutt@yahoo.com Beth Shurbutt Here is a listing of the Civil Air Patrol www.gocivilairpatrol.com deadline dates for upcoming newsletters:

September 28 (Octobers Newsletter) October 28 (Novembers Newsletter) November 27 (Decembers Newsletter)

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IRON MAN 2010 FROM THE WING CORNER . . .

Iron Man www.areyouanironman. com
I am happy to announce the dates for the 2010 CAP Iron Man Competition will be Friday night, November 19th and Saturday, November 20th. This is the same times as we have done in the past...the weekend before Thanksgiving. It is time to begin organizing teams to represent our squadron at Iron Man. If you are interested, please contact Peter Randolph or Rachel Shurbutt.

Civil Air Patrol History on the Web . . .

Visit http://www.caphistory.org/ to read about the history of Civil Air Patrol and the important role that it has played in our countrys history.

WESS Dates
October 1 3 November 5-7 January 1416 February 18-20 March 25-27 April 29 - May 1
National Cyber Defense Competition Registering Teams for Fall
Civil Air Patrols Sub chasers during World War II

ARLINGTON, Va. The registration deadline is looming to participate in the nations premier high school cyber defense competition, CyberPatriot III. The registration deadline is Oct. 8 and all Civil Air Patrol units are eligible to register teams in the one-of-a-kind national cyber security competitions All Service Division. Check out the latest CyberPatriot III reminder from the Air Force Association for details.

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Cadet Corner . . .

The Cadet Oath

I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program and that I will attend meetings regularly, participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and nation.

Cadet News
By Capt. Cindy Bennett

The last month has really flown by. I am reminded of the fact that no matter how fast the time flies, there are still 24 hours in the day. After the Rocketry Day last month the focus for quite a few of us is school has started. That means we have to prioritize. We have to think about how we are arranging our time. Classwork, homework, reports, athletics, church activities, and CAP have to fit into our lives. . . . .somehow. One way to prioritize is to look ahead. In CAP as we peer into the future, I see WESS staff applications will already be required to have been sent in by the time you read this. If you missed it, Staff applications were due to Col. Curry by Aug 25. The list of WESS attendees is due by Sept 15th, so start making up your minds if you have not already chosen whether to attend this years cycle or not. We will be at a new property, and as always it should be interesting. Also in the future with no date set as of yet is the Ashville Airshow so keep that one in the back of your mind. Finally one other event that needs to be taken care of soon is Iron Man 2010. Are you wanting to be on a team? Now is the time to turn your name in to C/Capt Peter Randolph. There is a mountain of paperwork and training to work through and Nov 19th and 20th will be here shortly! As of this writing we want to welcome our newest cadets, Christy Blankenship, Emily Collier, Clayton Mc Daniel, Dayton, Mc Daniel, and Andy Miller. We also want to recognize the latest achievements by our cadets and they are as follows: Cadet Brian Scott achieved the Billy Mitchell award making him our newest 2nd Lieutenant, Cadet Thomas Randolph achieved the Gen. Jimmy Doolittle award with the rank of C/SMSgt and Cadet Allaina Howard achieved the Wright Brothers award to earn the rank of C/ SSgt. Congratulations to all these cadets. Finally there will be a Cadet Staff meeting in early September to plan the last quarter of the year 2010. My, how time does fly!

NEW CADETS
Noah Andres Christi Blankenship Jessica Lucy Clay McDaniel Dax McDaniel Andy Miller Noah Thomas WELCOME!!!

Helpful web sites: Attending RCLS at Camp Atterbury are Cadets Jerrod Finlay Brian Scott Wesley Morris
www.pellcitycap.org www.capnhq.gov www.gocivilairpatrol.com www.cadetstuff.org www.alabamaftx.com www.areyouanironman.com

Cadet Corner (continued . . .)

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The squadron has implemented a new program, Great Start for Cadets, on Thursday nights during the meetings. It is a 4 or 5 week orientation and training program for new and prospective cadets to help them through Achievement 1. It also challenges cadet NCO's and officers by using them as mentors and instructors. C/2nd Lt. Rachel Shurbutt, C/CMSgts. Wesley Morris and Jerrod Findlay and C/Capt.Peter Randolph have assisted 1st Lt. Ellen Randolph in the program so far. The program is designed to give meaningful information to the parents as well as introducing the cadets to Civil Air Patrol. The cadets will learn drill basics, customs & courtesies, physical training requirements and uniform standards. As soon as possible, the new cadets will conclude the series with their first orientation flight.

Some of the program's objectives are to motivate prospective cadets to join and to increase retention in the organization. It is designed to build positive attitudes, teamwork and professionalism. The Great Start for Cadets series will repeat about once a month as new cadets join the squadron. There are several new and prospective cadets in the program at present. They are Emily Collier, Noah Andreas, Noah Thomas, Christie Blankenship, Andy Miller, James Mastroni, Clayton & Dayton McDaniel. We welcome each of these young men & ladies to our squadron.

2010 GLR-CLS
C/CMSgt. Wesley O. Morris, CAP This August, I had the opportunity to go to the Great Lakes region Cadet Leadership School, which is a requirement for the Eaker award. The school began on August 1 st, and lasted until August 8th. During those few days, myself and the fourteen other students faced many challenges, including the writing of multiple essays each day, staying up past midnight to finish assignments (which resulted in a lack of sleep), and food that was, at best, barely fit to eat. In order to graduate and receive credit for the school, you must have at least an average of 80 percent for the entire week. Fortunately, the entire class of 15 graduated. All in all, this school was very beneficial to me, and I will use the skills I gained from this school to be a better leader at the squadron.

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Standards / Evaluations Corner . . .

A Pilot or Aviator?
Have you ever wondered why some airmen/airwomen refer to themselves as pilots while others are aviators? Websters Dictionary defines the word Pilot in many different ways. As a noun this word is defined as a person who steers a ship or aircraft, when used as a verb it can mean to steer or act as a leader and the word can even be used as an adjective serving as an experimental or trial undertaking prior to full-scale operation or use: a pilot project. The word Aviator is defined as a pilot of an airplane or other heavier-than-air aircraft. My personal definition of the word Pilot is that it means many different things to me: a marine pilot is someone who pilots ships into harbors. This person does one thing very well in contrast to a boat Captain who will take his ship all over the world, not just into a harbor. So, I think of pilots as people who merely steer some sort of craft, whether watercraft or aircraft, it does not matter. With this in mind, what are the differences between a pilot and an aviator? An aviator is much more than just a pilot. They take their craft beyond merely learning the mechanics of steering a ship or an aircraft. They learn the ins and outs of their aircraft as well as being considered a professional. Aviators study how the systems of their aircraft work. They also learn how to operate within the air traffic control system, how to communicate in a professional manner while on the aircrafts radio, and many other important aspects of this profession. An aviator never stops learning. Even with thousands of hours of flight time an aviator is aware that there is always more to learn about the profession and aircraft. With this in mind, the question you need to ask yourself is: Are you an aviator or a pilot? Another consideration is: Are you willing to continue to learn more and more about whatever interests you have in this field and it may not always be simply in aviation. The more you learn about a subject the more you will realize how things such as weather are related to many more subjects and this then goes beyond the aircraft you may be interested in learning about. You may be operating a watercraft and aircraft or simply driving a vehicle on land, they are all affected by weather. This is just one of the many subjects that are related to flying so never stop learning! And ask yourself this question: Are you an Aviator or a Pilot? Capt Chris Iddins AL-118 Standards and Evaluation

CAP Photo Files Online

Access photos of CAP activities at the following site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethshurbutt/

Did You Know Corner . . .

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The Cadet Protection Program Training (CPPT) is designed to help new senior members, Cadet Sponsor Members and cadets age 18 and older to know the definitions and signs of abuse, and to understand CAP's Cadet Protection policies. Knowing the signs of abuse help to protect our cadets and ensure that CAP provides a safe environment in which cadets can learn about aerospace and emergency services. CAPR 5210 defines abuse in three categories: Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and hazing. This training is mandatory for all senior members, Cadet Sponsor Members and cadets age 18 and older. All senior members must be screened in accordance with CAPM 39-2 and undergo Cadet Protection Program Training (CPPT) before working with cadets (CAPR 50-17, CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program). CPPT is also an element of the senior members Level One professional development. All cadets, within 6 months following their eighteenth birthday, must undergo the same CPPT that senior members must complete. If a cadet promotion is due during that 6-month period, then this CPPT must be completed prior to the promotion. At the NCAC request, 17 year olds become eligible to take CPPT. This avoids unnecessarily delaying cadet promotions between the time of a cadets 18th birthday and his or her quickest opportunity to complete CPPT. Remember, you may not work with cadets until you have completed the CPPT, unless you are with a senior member who has already received his/her FBI approval. Now you know.
Eddie Shurbutt, 1Lt. SER-AL-118

Have you read the latest issue of CAPs Volunteer Magazine?

One of our own is featured in one of the articles for his work in photographing the Gulf Oil Spill. Congratulations Capt. Jon Garlic for representing us well!

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Senior Member Professional Development Corner . . .

Emergency services WESS NEWS

Just a reminder for all Seniors and Cadets interested in attending the upcoming WESS training cycle. The roster of attendees is being collected by C/2Lt Shurbutt. The deadline for sign-up for the October weekend is 09 Sepember. Please provide your name, rank, CAPID and if you are attending as a student or a staff member. This information is being turned in to LTCol Long on the 11th of September at Staff Training so adequate training materials can be arranged for. A gear check will be held for all students attending the Basic and Advanced schools from Pell City on 23 Sep 10 at the regular meeting. This review of your preparations will assist you in passing one of the most important requirements you have. It is also the one that many students put off to the last weekend, to their detriment. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask someone to help.

Mission 10m0711
YesMissions do happen when least expected. My thanks to the members of the ground team for being available when placed on standby for this mission. Although we did not sortie we were ready. A lesson learned for me (and I hope all team members) was it would be wise to throw a 24hr pack in the car on regular meeting nights..just in case. Several of us were not really prepared for a short notice activation. Our pilots did extremely well also. The aircrew completed pre-flights, mission briefing and were airborne in 30 minutes after initial alert. This enabled them to complete search of the primary area prior to dark. Mission status.this mission was closed with negative results. Insufficient data was available to determine if an aircraft was actually down. No aircraft are known to be missing and there have been no other reports relating to this incident. Again..bz! to all!!

{Trivia question what does BZ mean and what is its origin?}

Drive the Problem before the Problem Drives You!

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Cadet Promotions for July 2010

Nathaniel L Bedford C/TSgt

Michael L Norwood Jr. C/ SSgt Wright Brothers

Cadet Promotions for August 2010

Paul Bedford C/A1C

Allaina A Howard C/SSgt Wright Brothers Award

Allison A Howard C/SSgt Wright Brothers Award

James D Mastroni C/Amn

Senior Promotions for August 2010:

SM Thomas DealCompleted LV 1 Capt. Jon GarlickBrigadier General Charles E. Chuck Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award Maj. Chris Iddins Promoted to Major Completed LV 2 Benjamin O. Davis, Jr Award
Thomas A Randolph C/SMSgt

Completed LV 3 Grover Loening Award Maj. John Randolph Completed LV 3 Grover Loening

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Rocketry Day 2010 CIVIL AIR PATROL: MODEL ROCKETRY DAY

Because of AEO (Aerospace Education Officer) school in Pensacola, Fla. which was held June 23-26, three of Alabamas Aerospace Education officers came together to host a Community Rocketry Day in Pell City, Alabama. Those AE officers were Maj Lynn Toney from Boaz, Capt Cindy Bennett from Pell City and Lt Rodney Stephens from Tuscaloosa. While at AEO school, the topic of the AFA (Air Force Association) grant cycles was discussed and the interest generated led to the discussion of having a model rocketry day. We werent the only AEs from Alabama at AEO school but we were located close to each other. Since Boaz had already received a grant, Pell City agreed to apply. We started making plans for the Rocketry Day before we received word that our grant application had been approved. The plans included inviting the public and using the CAP Rocketry book as a means to introduce adults and children to aviation and rocket science through the use of model rockets.

Pell City used fizzy flyers and pop bottle rockets along with famous men of rocketry to introduce Stage I. Boaz introduced Newton's laws and made air launched rockets for Stage II. Stage III was presented by the Tuscaloosa squadron. Although our location prevented us from launching 2 stage rockets, it was still fun to send single stage rockets soaring into the sky. We started this event at 10:00am and ended at approx 3:30. Was it a success? If the chatter from the cadets on their ride home is any indication, then the answer is yes. No complaints about the day (other than the heat) were heard, just animated discussion about all the fun they had. Our total participation for the day was between 55-60. This was truly a fun and educational day and we would like to thank the AFA for the grant that made this event possible. I would also like to thank each squadron that participated , without them this day would not have been as successful. I know there were many hours spent in preparation so I salute you.
Happy Belated Birthday Wishes go to Senior Member Ray Bennett. His birthday was August 8 and accidentally left off the August Calendar. Mr. Bennett was a great help with Rocketry Day and helps support the cadets in many valuable ways!

New Cadet Noah Andres was so excited about CAP that he joined on his 12th Birthday!