Pell City Squadron - Sep 2011

8/2/2019 Pell City Squadron - Sep 2011

1/14

Volume 2, Number 9 September 2011

nside this issue:

ommanders 1

alendar

2

fety Corner 3

andards and Eval 4

AO and Character

evelopment

orner

5

wards &

omotions

6

ghtspeed 7

adets Corner 8

d You Know? 9

ESS Information 10-12

n Man 13

ublic Lands Day 13

COMMANDERS CORNER . . .

From the Commander:

Keep up the good work:

I recently had the opportunity to attend the SoutheastRegion Staff College. One of the items on theagenda was a question and answer session with theSoutheast Region Commander. This was a veryinformative session where we were able to get agreat deal of insight into the vision and plans for theentire region. There were several things that werediscussed. There are going to be some changes in the next several months thawill affect the Region. Many of these changes are positive for Alabama Wing.This is due to the proactive approach that we have. Hard work and dedication toduty is noticed, and rewarded.

While I will not go into detail about the changes that were discussed, they will berevealed in due time. The main thing to remember is to keep up the good work.Now is not the time to rest. We have to continue all of the training and work thatwe are doing. The saying Use it or loose it is very true in this area. If we dontfly, they will send aircraft to someone that will fly. If we dont use the vans, theywill send them to someone who will. If we dont use the communicationsequipment, they will send it to someone who will. You get the idea.

We have a lot of nice equipment because of all of the hard work that shows weneed it.

I want to thank everyone for all of your hard work. You are the reason that wehave the equipment that we have.

Jim GosnellCommander AL-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]


2/14

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1CadetMeetingP.T. 18:00LakesidePark

2 3

5LABOR DAY

(FederalHoliday)

6

Happy

Birthday

Beth Taylor

7 8CadetMeeting18:00

9

Happy

BirthdayDonaldBrown

10

12 13Happy

BirthdayAndrew

Dunscombe

14 15CadetMeeting18:00

16 17

HappyBirthdayJamesHouse

19

HappyBirthday

Alena Scott

20 21 22Happy

BirthdayCarrie

GamblinCadet Mt.18:00

23 23

26

Happy

BirthdayCindy

Bennett

27 28 29Cadet Meeting18:00Fun Night

30

Happy

BirthdayAllainaHoward

Octobe

September 2011September 2011

Calendar . . . Page

Cadet Schedule and Uniform for September 2011:

September 1 P.T., Team Building (UniformP.T.)September 8 Inspection, Leadership, Lab, Drill (UniformBDUs)

September 15 Emergency Services, Character Development, Mentoring (UniformDress Blues)September 22 Current Events, Aerospace, AEX (UniformBDUs)

September 29Fun Night (Uniformcivilian)


3/14

Safety Corner . . . Page

From Our Safety Officer . . . SAFETY

A few days ago, Rich Burke and I were assigned a mission to assist law enforcement officials in

the general vicinity of Montgomery, AL. When I do these types of flights, I always file an IFR flightplan to allow for any kind of suspect weather. You may wonder why law enforcement would evenconsider working in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) but, believe me; our lawenforcement will do so in many instances. This day, the weather was clearly VFR and I elected tocancel my IFR flight plan and do Flight Following instead. Rich was dedicated to the mission radiofrequencies so I was talking and listening to ATC and monitoring one of Richs frequencies just incase something came up that he might miss. I heard an aircraft send a transmission toMontgomery approach that did not include Mayday, Mayday but the pilot of the aircraft wasrelaying that he had lost power and was making an emergency landing. When ATC asked him ifhe had a site picked out he replied yeah, it looks a cattle pasture, if I can just clear the powerline. I immediately called ATC to offer our assistance but ATC just wanted me to standby (dont

call me, Ill call you). ATC called a Navy aircraft and told him to try to find the downed companyplane which led me to believe the downed aircraft was also a Navy plane. Shortly thereafter, theNavy pilot called ATC to say that he had found the downed plane and both crewmembers wereunharmed. The pilot gave ATC the GPS position and relayed a phone number for the groundedaircrew to call to get assistance out of the field. Only then did ATC return my call, thanked us foroffering our assistance but declined since the situation was under control.

This experience brought two things to my mind:

First, always be aware of such an opportunity to help when you are in the air. Several timessimilar events have happened when other squadron members were in the air and they were ableto immediately respond.

Secondly, this power failure appears to have occurred shortly after the aircraft had departedMontgomerys Dannelly Field. How well would you have performed under a similar loss of power?Do you routinely survey the areas around airports as you are landing to discover a possibleoff-airport landing site? Have you practiced a power off landing lately as you are coming into anairport? Do you know the best glide speed of the aircraft you fly? Are flaps advisable in off-airportlandings and if so, when do you deploy them? All good questions and the right answers maymake the critical difference if you find yourself in the situation that the Navy pilot did that day.

Stay Safe!

Ron Harlan, Unit 118 Safety Officer

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

Please email Ron Harlan at - [email protected]


4/14

STANDARDS AND EVAL . . . Page

FREE

What is a word that can catch the attention of

almost all of us? Free. I think for some it is afavorite word. But like the old saying goes thanothing is totally free.

However, the Alabama Wing Standards andEvaluation DOV is in the process of making aform 5 and form 91 check rides free. Now,heres the catch you must be a mission piloThis is another great reason to complete allqualifications to become a mission pilot. Once

you have accomplished this goal, all future check rides will be funded (free).

Check out my qualifications in e-services and see what you need to complete the mission pilotqualifications. Remember that fall (cooler weather) is just around the corner so make plans to do moreflying soon.

If you are a mission pilot each time you fly it should be on a B mission. Review the profiles for Bmissions and begin to work on completing them. If it is time for your check ride be sure to conduct thecheck ride as a B17 and not a C17. This provides much more insurance for you and your family.

One very important note is that effective immediately all funded A mission flights will be refueled fromthe fuel truck at the PLR airport when refueling at Pell City. This means that we no longer will turn in

receipts from the self serve pump for reimbursement on A missions.

Fly Safe,Maj Chris Iddins

ALWG Assist DOV / AL-118 Stand/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.


5/14

PAOs CORNER . . . Page 5

Character DevelopmentIn addition to being the PAO for our squadron, Ive recently acquired the job of CharactDevelopment officer. It has posed a very difficult dilemma for me because the field is big and the topics so numerous.

In July, we discussed the importance of setting goals. After a goal has been chosen, omust keep in front of them at all times. Recruit positive-thinking people to help you wotoward your goal. Make reasonable, smaller goals that can be achieved in realistic timframes. Dont wait for someone else to make choices for you. When you experienfailure, own it, learn from it, and move forward. Dont give up!

Setting goals is not a youth exclusive activity. Us old-timers need to realize that we tcan better ourselves and strive to reach for the stars. One should never stop trying to leaand expand horizons.

What are your goals? What are you doing to see them become reality? I challenge you be a goal setter and achiever!!! Who knows what you can do and where you can go!

2nd Lt. Elizabeth Shurbutt, PAO

WHERE TO FIND US ON THE IN-TERNET:

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/


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Awards and Promotions . . . Page

SENIOR AWARDSCongratulations to

Major Christopher Iddins and

Major James Gosnell

for their work in achieving theCharles E. Chuck' Yeager Aerospace

Education Achievement Award

And

Cpt. (P) Eddie D. Shurbutt

In his work achieving theBenjamin O. Davis Award.

CADET PROMOTIONS

C/A1C David ThompsonDaniel Smith,

Billy Mitchell Award

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

New Cadet Members:Logan Carter

Zachary Swafford

Gabriel Sweatt

New Senior Member:

Donald Brown


7/14

Lightspeed Aviation Foundation . . . Page

Civil Air Patrol is one of 20 nonprofit aviation organizations nominated for the 2011 LightspeAviation Foundation gift and grant program. The 20 organizations, selected from hundredsominees, will benefit from grants to be awarded this year. The foundation is in its second

ear of partnering with the pilot community to identify worthy causes, giving pilots a voice inwhich organization they believe should get a grant.

eople are invited to vote online at the foundation's website. The top five charities, as chosy the aviation community, will each receive a check for no less than $10,000. Gift recipient

will be announced via webcast on AOPA Live at the Pilots Choice Awards at the AOPAummit in September. Lightspeed Aviation customers will also be able to participate by

egistering their Lightspeed headset and designating a portion of their purchase to one of thominated charities. Designated gifts will be distributed to the finalists no later than January

012.

Civil Air Patrols candidacy in the 2011 Lightspeed Aviation Foundation gift and grant prograas been boosted by a video summarizing the organizations core missions andchievements. The 77-second video contains multiple images of CAP members and

missions. The accompanying narration outlines the organizations successful record inarrying out its congressionally mandated missions emergency services, cadet programsnd aerospace education as well as its role as a major partner in the annual Wreaths acr

America campaign honoring U.S. veterans every December.

ou can view the video on Lightspeed Aviation Foundations website:

ttp://www.aopa.org/aopalive/?tch=tia2dqMjrilhmzMGOYet1wn4H1p3EYaz#search=lightspe

lease take a moment to vote now for CAP to receive one of the five grants from Lightspee


8/14

Cadets Corner . . . Page

CADET OATH"I pledge to 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 educationand training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service

to my community, state and nation."

Pell City Cadet Volunteers

This year begins the 4th year that C/1st Lt. RachelShurbutt has volunteered for the MGH Arena SpecialEquestrians Program in Talladega. She will be spendingfive hours each Friday helping students from theTalladega Schools for the Deaf and Blind learn how toride and tend to horses. The students range fromelementary school through high school with varying

levels of physical challenges.

Rachel enjoys seeing the smiles on the students faces asthey reach new levels of skills and grow in confidence.

She also enjoys taking care of the horses,which includes brushing, cleaning hooves,and saddling the animals used for theclasses. Occasionally she is allowed toride the horses and for Rachel, that iswonderful. (The horse in the photos,Dutch, is Rachels favorite horse withwhich to work.)

Volunteers must be 14 years of age towork with horses and students. If youreinterested in volunteering at the HorseBarn, please contact Courtney Carboneat:[email protected]


9/14

Did You Know? . . . Page 9

A lot of you may have gone to NESA this year or in years past. Somof the Senior members may have even gone to the Air School at sompoint. I know that none of the cadets have attended the NESA Missi

Air School (MAS).

After having attended WESS and getting my Ground Team Leaderating, I decided to take a look at the other side of the mission. Mission Scanner and Arial Photography (MS/AP) soundenteresting. So I went to the NESA website, completed the forms and started the approval process. After a few days, th

squadron commander and wing commander put their approvals on it (all online) and in no time I was approved to go forraining. Unfortunately though, I missed something in the process. Somewhere on the site was a list of things you needbring to NESA for your class. (Just like with ground team training.) I still have not found that list but, believe me, the neime I go to a class, I will ask someone if there is anything I need to take.

got to NESA and we began right away to be filled with facts, and information about what to expect during the week. Ididnt even have time to check in. That is when I found out that I needed a couple of Sectionals of the local airspace, aplotter, headphones, colored pencils and a knee board. Had I checked with the other senior members before I left forNESA, I might have avoided some embarrassment. All was not lost, I was able to buy some of the things I needed andborrow the rest. I also found out that I could not wear my new flight suit if it didnt have all of the patches on it. How wasgoing to look cool without a flight suit? Instead, they actually recommended that we wear khaki shorts and the black NEshirts that they had given us. So off to the store I go to get the shorts. That turned out to be a blessing because it waseally hot in the plane.

Our first day of class was spent learning more about how to read a Sectional and how to look for things on the ground. ook a flight in a 7 passenger CAP plane and took a written test. After that, we were qualified as Mission Scanners. Thehe real work began. We learned more about finding our way around the sky by what was on the ground. We also learna lot about how to use the very nice Nikon cameras that each wing is supposed to have. We had to be able to safelyemove them from the container and assemble it. Once assembled, we needed to know how it functioned. Just like

anything else that is complicated, we had a manual to help us. These cameras even come with a GPS that is attached he camera flash mount. In a pinch, you can even attach a handheld GPS to it.

All of this was very interesting and all during the rest of the week we were instructed on various techniques of takingpictures from a moving aircraft. And just when you were really busy doing something, they would shout, get you gear!We are going flying. That could be a lesson in being always ready. The fact is, on some days you had to wait on the

weather or possibly for an available pilot or plane. There were three schools going on simultaneously, so it was quite buaround the airport.

Did I mention that it was a lot of fun flying and taking pictures? Well it was but, it wasnt all fun and games. You see, whyou get on site, you are the boss. The pilot is the charge of the plane and safety of flight and the Mission Observer is incharge of the mission but, when you get on site, you are in control. That does not mean that you are a General now. Wt means is that now you have to give the pilot very specific instructions on how you want him to maneuver the aircraft inposition, so that you can get the pictures that you need to complete the mission. You may also have to have the Observwriting down information about the shots you are taking. It is amazing how fast you will fly by a target and you need to ghe shot the first time if possible.

Why is that important? On our last sortie, I was the last of four students to look for and photograph the target. Everyoneelse had taken a lot of time and by the time we got over my target, the pilot had announced that I had 3 minutes to get m

pictures. How could he do this to me? This was for my final grade. The issue wasnt that he was tired of flying or that hdidnt like me. The issue was our fuel level. We flew with a safety rule that stated that we must return to the airport witheast one hour of fuel. Needless to say, I took my pictures quickly and we were on our way. Safety is still our number omission.

By the way, did I mention that cadets can qualify in Mission Scanner and Arial Photography? Out of the seven studentsour class, 3 of us were from Alabama and one of them was an 18 year old cadet named Tyler Jester. He also has a pilocense. So if Ground Team Member isnt your thing, maybe you would like to consider training for Mission Air Crew. Bhe way though, no wings are issued for MS/AP but, you have to be MS qualified to move to Observer level. And they gwings. So now you know.

Eddie Shurbutt, CPT(P)


10/14

W.E.S.S . . . Page 10


11/14

W.E.S.S . . . Page 11


12/14

W.E.S.S . . . Page 12


13/14

Iron Man . . . Page 13

IRON Man Competition 2011This 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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Volunteering Opportunity . . . Page 14

National Public Lands Day will be celebrated September 24. The U.S. Forest Service will be hosting volunteers tcomplete a number of projects on the Shoal Creek ranger District. If youd like to volunteer, please contact KarenMcKenzie at the number below or at [email protected]

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Pell City Squadron - Sep 2011

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