MART Vol. II MO/MP - NESA - Civil Air Patrol

9.2.6 Trainees and inexperienced crewmembersCAP aircrew members may be trainees, or simply inexperienced. You musttake the time to ascertain the qualifications and experience level of anycrewmember assigned to you.• If a crewmember is a trainee, spend extra time on briefings and be veryspecific as to duties and responsibilities. If the trainee is a scanner, listenin on the observer's briefing to make sure he does the same. Make suretrainees understand that, while you will teach them as much and as oftenas possible, you (and the observer) have duties that must not beinterfered with.• Check each trainee's SQTR. This will give you an idea of what you canexpect from the trainee, and allow you determine if any of the remainingtasks can be signed off during the sortie.• If a crewmember is newly qualified or has not flown in some time, makeallowances. You may have to assume some of their normal duties (e.g.,setting up and operating Navaids or radios) in certain situations, so besure to brief them so there is no confusion. For example, you may briefthat you will handle all ATC communications while in Class C airspacewhile the inexperienced observer will handle all other communications.• Cadets and some seniors often qualify as flight line marshallers as theirfirst mission specialty, and there is no practical way to determine theirexperience level. On some missions the flight line is handled by whoeveris available, regardless of qualifications. Be alert and brief your aircrew tobe alert. Don't hesitate to stop the aircraft if a marshaller's signals don'tmake sense or seem to be leading you into an unsafe situation.9.2.7 Low and/or slowCAP mission search patterns often require you to fly at 1000' AGL and atspeeds at or below 90 knots (never < V x ). Proficiency and planning are critical.• Ensure that "low and slow" is an integral part of your proficiency program.• Strictly enforce sterile cockpit rules under these conditions, and makesure your crew is briefed on all obstacles in the search area.• Flying at low altitude often means losing radar and communications withATC and mission base. Don't hesitate to climb back up to an altitudewhere you can make your "ops normal" reports.• Maintain situational awareness and continually ask yourself, "If the enginequits now, where will I land?"• Per CAPR 60-1, pilots shall not maintain sustained flight below an altitudeor lateral distance from any object of 1,000 ft during the day or 2,000 ft atnight except for takeoff and landing or in compliance with ATC procedures(such as IFR flight). At no time will the pilot allow the aircraft to comewithin 500 feet of terrain or obstructions unless taking off or landing. So,pilots may descend below the designated search altitude to verifypotential crash sites or the presence of survivors, and to prevent loss oflife, property, or human suffering, but never below 500' AGL; once thetarget has been identified the pilot will return to 1000' AGL or higher.[Refer to CAPR 60-1 for special restrictions for over-water missions.]158