Flight instructors from around North Dakota gathered at Avflight at Minot International Airport Sunday to start the process of tripling Magic City Composite Squadron’s number of qualified Civil Air Patrol pilots.
Pilots from Fargo, Carrington and Dickinson brought their units’ aircraft and expertise to train three new members and requalify two experienced members in Civil Air Patrol (CAP) flying.
Pilots certified by the Federal Aviation Administration can join CAP to fly search and rescue, transport, disaster response and cadet orientation flights. However, additional CAP-specific training is required.
Magic City’s Sebastian Forster coordinated with Lt. Col. Chad Smith, North Dakota Wing’s Standardization and Evaluation officer, to gather the two additional aircraft and four instructor pilots required for the day’s training. Three pilots, experienced in flying, but new to CAP, received corporate-sponsored training, up to two hours, in a Cessna 172. These initial flights are provided to better prepare pilots for their initial flight checks to become CAP pilots.
Two experienced CAP pilots, based in Minot, also received secondary training and evaluation. Capt. Jeremy Skalicky and Capt. Ben Conlin required use of Fargo’s Cessna 182 to maintain advanced qualification, not available in the locally based Cessna 172 aircraft. Skalicky completed his annual evaluation, while Conlin returned to flying fixed-wing aircraft in preparation for his reevaluation.
Continued training is still required for CAP pilots at Minot. Two students were unable to complete training at the recent event due to illness or scheduling conflicts. Four pilots still require initial examination flights. The next flight training day for Minot is scheduled for mid-February, depending on weather conditions.
Air and ground crews from the Magic City and squadrons around the state also have been scheduled for advanced search and rescue training next month. Members plan to travel to Mandan on Feb. 10 to train as ground search and rescue teams. CAP members ages 12 and older are eligible to participate in ground searches, while aircrew members must be at least 18 years old. Previous flying experience or pilot licensing are not required to participate.
Several team positions remain open to be filled in the Magic City Composite Squadron. Positions include aerospace education instructors, ground support and aircrew. People who are interested in finding out more about CAP in Minot can visit a squadron meeting, held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Avflight.
Reprinted with permission from The Minot Daily News
