Fall-Winter - Minnesota Wing

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Northern Flights Minnesota Wing Civil Air Patrol 6275 Crossman Lane Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 651-291-0462 gsupan@mncap.org Colonel Thomas Theis Commander, Minnesota Wing Northern Flights Fall-Winter 2009 Editorial Supplied by Major Al Pabon National Public Affairs Team Leader CAP National Headquarters Northern Flights is the authorized publication of the Minnesota Wing of Civil Air Patrol and is edited by the Minnesota Wing Headquarters Office. It is published by a private firm which is in no way connected to the United States Air Force or the Civil Air Patrol. Opinions expressed in the articles and advertisements in this magazine are the sole responsibility of the contributors and are in no way endorsed by the United States Government, the United States Air Force, or the Civil Air Patrol Corporation. This publication is published three times a year. Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit volunteer organization. Federally chartered by Congress under 36 U.S.C. §§201-208, which is dedicated to emergency services, aerospace education and motivation of America’s youth to the highest ideals of leadership and public service through cadet programs. Funds received by the advertising sales are used to support this publication and to support various CAP activities throughout the State of Minnesota. For information on advertising rates and space, please call: 1-800-635-6036 Minnesota Flight Academy Flying High has New Meaning for Cadets at Minnesota Flight Academy Major Richard Sprouse Public Affairs Officer, Group 2 Minnesota Wing Regardless of the distance traveled, training young glider pilots is a job Senior Member Steve Dee loves doing for the Civil Air Patrol. Even better is doing so when one of the cadets who takes their solo flight also happens to come from south of the Mason-Dixon Line as well. So how does a glider instructor pilot from Tennessee Wing connect with a cadet from Georgia Wing at the Minnesota Wing Flight Academy “It’s a great group of positive cadets and adults that make the Minnesota Flight Academy such a success, so I look forward to coming back each year,” Dee said. Dee, a retired Colonel who served 30 years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, is a pilot for FedEx when not sharing the finer points of how to fly gliders to cadets. He has been making the trip to the Minnesota for nearly 10 years. This was the first visit to “The land of sky blue waters” for Cadet Airman Basic Nathan Bernth of Peachtree City-Falcon Field Composite Squadron in Georgia. Continued on page 5 . . . COVER IMAGE: C/AB Nathan Bernth is congratulated by SM Steve Dee after soloing.
Sprouting Wings Pat Christman The Mankato (MN) Free Press A glider lands while a powered flight takes off during the Minnesota Wing Flight Academy. Ben Leaf, 15, closes the canopy on a glider as he prepares for his second solo flight during the Civil Air Patrol’s flight academy at the Mankato Municipal Airport. Photo - The Free Press One of their instructors likened the group of 25 Civil Air Patrol cadets learning about flight at a weeklong flight academy to sponges. “They’re soaking wet, tired and full of information at the end of the day,” he said, “but they come back the next day fresh and ready for more.” The academy, sponsored by the Minnesota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, is an intense course designed to teach students from Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska about ground and air operations of both powered airplanes and gliders, said the Civil Air Patrol’s Dave Skaar. “The idea is to give them the experience of flying, not necessarily time in the airplane,” Skaar said. To get that experience, cadets spent the first three days of the academy in the classroom, learning about how an airplane or glider works and the basic controls. The students also learn about safety around aircraft and performing duties on the ground with the gliders, such as hooking them to the tow plane and guiding the wing as they gain speed on the ground. For the next three days, the cadets learn to fly the airplane or glider, taking short flights called sorties with an instructor. Many of the 14- to 18-year-old cadets take their first solo airplane or glider flight during the academy, an experience that leaves them smiling from ear to ear, but also costs them their shirt. A tradition among pilots, students taking their first solo flight have the date written on their shirt and a panel cut out of it to remember the experience. C/CMSgt Ben Leaf gives the thumbs up with his ground crew.
Page 1: Northern Flights The Official Magaz
Page 5 and 6: Flying High at MN Flight Academy Co
Page 7 and 8: NCR CONFERENCE A Cadet Perspective
Page 9 and 10: NCOS BCOC Minnesota Leadership Acad
Page 11 and 12: Services, it got me hooked, and now
Page 13 and 14: C/TSgt Richard Shmel and C/CMSgt Al
Page 15 and 16: LINDBERG SAR Civil Air Patrol membe
Page 17 and 18: NORTHLAND ORIDES Northland Cadets F
Page 19 and 20: Members Ride in CH-47 Chinook Helic
Page 21 and 22: Minnesota Encampment Tests Skills,
Page 23: Flying High Black Hawk Style C/SrA

Fall-Winter - Minnesota Wing

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