Originally Posted by
block30
I hate to say this, but the SAR should be left to full time, paid professionals.
I've been involved with CAP, got up to Mission Pilot, so I do know from first hand experience that if my loved ones were in trouble, I want the sheriffs dept or the highway patrol out looking. Talk about a cluster.
The development of the kids (cadets) is neat and all, but there are other community orgs that do so as well.
Other than that- it's a government subsidized flying club undercutting the local FBOs. Your tax dollars at work.
block30,
Sorry you had a bad deal. The govt subsidized part: I Was (govt subsidized) and recalled to active duty as a DOD Liaison during Hurricane Katrina. The CAP folks flew missions that we were using Navy P-3's for until they got on scene. The CAP guys were sleeping under a wing at night and flew dozens of sorties saving the taxpayers the expense of running P-3's and less available E-2's for the type missions we were tasked to provide. They relieved the DOD of having to provide many helicopters as well. Our budget costs for a Navy P-3 was on the order of $11,000 per flight hour, whereas the CAP birds were at $130 per flight hour. The CAP Airplanes that the DOD tasked during Katrina literally paid for themselves (at taxpayer expense) during that one event alone. The National Guard routinely uses CAP for missions becuase it is more cost effective in the states.
A huge bargain for the taxpayer and really us in DOD to leave our hardware assets available for DOD missions instead. The CAP folks were tremendous, all volunteers. The teams we dealt with at the DOD level from top to bottom were very professional. Guess CAP only sent the A Teams <g>
Regarding SAR, often times in some of the states, the local Sheriff has no air assets, but the CAP Wing does. I'm not a CAP person, but from a DOD perspective, they are a bargain for DOD relief in any case.
Also, the USAF folks said CAP was pretty fertile recruiting grounds.
YMMV