Vol.

1 Issue 1

Gazette
Gumby
Semper Gumby

June, 2008

Asheville Squadron conducts flight academy for cadets

During the normally low activity winter months, the Asheville Composite Squadron (NC019) has combined two of Civil Air Patrols three main mission, cadet programs and aerospace education, and has started its own ight academy for cadets. The effort is to train the next generation of Civil Air Patrol pilots by giving the cadets an inexpensive opportunity to start working toward their private pilots license. On February 2nd the Asheville Composite Squadron started a local version of the CAP National Powered Flight Academy with seven cadets participating. What normally takes 10 days of concentrated instruction during the summer Flight Academies is being spread over the month of February due to school and work schedules of those involved. All cadets will receive 10 hours of ight training toward their private pilots license and 22 hours of ground school instruction following the National Flight Academy Training Course Outline. Ground instruction has been completed with nine classes totaling 22 hours covering the following material: aircraft controls, Aircraft systems, Aircraft speeds, Aircraft ground operations, Standard trafc pattern, Airport layout, Towered airport communications, Non towered airport communications and collision

Some of the students and instructors of the ight academy. (Left to right) Captains Arnie Andresen and Brett McElheney, C/CMSgt Jason Nadle, C/CMSgt Rob Lollar, C/CMSgt Stephen Bloemsma, (kneeling) C/Sgt Sam Pollock, C/CMSgt Nicholas Padleckas, C/2LT Michael Gallandt, Major Rich Augur, Lt. Colonel Ray Davis and Lt. Colonel Wally Courtney.
avoidance just to name a few of the subjects. Out of the squadrons nearly 50 cadet-strong membership, seven have taken advantage of this rst opportunity. They are C/2LT Michael Gallandt, C/CMSgt Stephen Bloemsma, C/TSgt Tristan Wicker, C/CMSgt Jason Nadle, C/CMSgt Nicholas Padleckas, C/Sgt Sam Pollock and C/CMSgt Rob Lollar. Even with the unfavorable weather and numerous windy days, 30 sorties have been completed. Asked what he thought about having a program that is usually conducted at a national or wing level being run at a squadron level, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Jason Nadle said, I think its great because its close to home, we dont have to spend a lot of money traveling and we know everybody! Nadle, 16, from the Leicester community said that he got interest in aviation after visiting the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina when he was 13. He has been a cadet for two years now. Conducting the ight school for the cadets are ground instructors Lt. Colonel Wally Courtney and Captain Gary Lux. Flight instructors include Lt. Colonel Ray Davis, Major Rich Augur, Captain Rocky Fleming, Captain Brett McElheney and Captain Arnie Andresen. With improving weather we look forward to completing all 70 hours of ight training before the end of March, said Lt. Colonel Ray Davis. This report led by Clint Parker for the Asheville Civil Air Patrol.

Instructor Captain Arnie Andresen watch as cadet conduct preight of the aircraft.

Lt. Colonel Ray Davis goes over cockpit instructions with C/CMSgt Stephen Bloemsma.

Lt. Colonel Wally Courtney (using pointer) and Captain Rocky Fleming work with cadets during a ground school class.

Update: Three solo from flight academy, so far

(Left to right) Cadet 2 Lt. Nicholas Padleckas, Cadet 2 Lt. Rob Lollar and Cadet 2 Lt. Jason Nadle have all soloed in the ight academy program.

Three of the Asheville Composite Squadrons Cadets have completed the ight academy conducted earlier this year by soloing. Cadet 2 Lt. Nicholas Padleckas was the rst to solo followed by Cadet 2 Lt.Jason Nadle and then Cadet 2 Lt. Rob Lollar. All look forward to some type of career in aviation and are very appreciative of what CAP has given them in the way of ying experience. Lt. Padleckas achieved his solo on his 16th birthday and hopes to y for the US Navy. Cadet Second Lieutenant Rob Lollar, a two and

a half year member of CAP, was inspired to join the volunteer group because of his interested in a career in aviation. He hopes to become a personnel ofcer, ight line ofcer or air trafc controller in the Air Force after getting commission from Liberty University Rob Lollar is the third cadet from Asheville to solo through the teaching of Asheville Composite Squadrons Flight Academy. Asked what he thought about having a program that is usually conducted at a national or wing

level being run at a squadron level, C/2Lt. Nadle said, I think its great because its close to home, we dont have to spend a lot of money traveling and we know everybody! Nadle, 16, from the Leicester community said that he got interest in aviation after visiting the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina when he was 13. He has been a cadet for two years now. All were recognized by the Asheville Squadron members for their achievement.

New cadet commander takes over

In a Change-of-Command ceremony held at the Asheville Composite Squadron, Cadet/2Lt. Stephen Bloemsma (far right) takes over command as cadet commander from 2/Lt. Michael Gallandt (middle). Lt. Col. Bob Bauer (left) holds the squadron standard as it is pasted from the out going commander to the incoming. Gallandt held the post for nearly ve years.

For those who didnt know... Last month the Asheville Composite Squadron turned 51 years old!

Wilderness training exercise

Members of the Asheville Composite Civil Air Patrol Squadron (CAP), Asheville Fire & Rescue Department, Buncombe County Rescue Squad and Mission Air Medical Ambulance (MAMA) participated in a survival exercise in the Chimney this past weekend. Nearly 50 participants in all joined the two-day exercised conducted by the CAP in cooperation with the other agency that allowed CAP aircrews to play the role of survivors of a crashed aircraft. The weekend training mission taught individuals how to establish their location on a map, make Cadets receive attitudes training about the mind set they should have after surviving a crash. a shelter, eat off the land, how to signal search and rescue teams, start a re using no matches, locate sources of water and rst aid. The exercise also included a Sunday morning visit by MAMA (Mission Air Medical Ambulance) which landed for an up close inspection of the helicopter by wilderness training personnel. Ground team personnel also took turn directing MAMA into a simulated landing site. The ideal behind the exercise was to train CAP aircrews how to survive in the wildness if their planes ever went down, but the training call also aide ground crews and rescue workers. The operation was under the command of Captain Butch Phillips of the CAP and included an overnight stay in the wilderness by members of the exercise.
Cadet Airman Taylor Parker starts a re using a nine-volt and steel wool.

A group picture of wilderness training group and MAMA aircrew on Sunday. More pictures on the next page.

Surviving was tough... but someone had to do it!