Squadron News

Ithaca-area Civil Air Patrol seeks new members for public service missions. Demand increases for aerial photos

December 5, 2011

They have planes and missions, but now they need more pilots to fly both.

In recent years, the South-Central Civil Air Patrol Group (CAP) has been increasingly tasked to help in disaster response, such as the April tornado in Danby and flooding in the wake of Hurricane Irene, according to CAP mission pilot Vince Monticello. This increased demand for their services -- mostly aerial photography -- has created a need for volunteer pilots, said Monticello, who is also an Ithaca police lieutenant.

Captain Vincent Monticello takes pictures of a field near Barton where the Tioga County Sheriff's Department had asked them to look for a missing person. Photo Credit: SIMON WHEELER

"The biggest problem we're facing now is that we're short-handed," he said, adding that the group operates out of Ithaca, Binghamton, Elmira, Cortland and Oneonta. The aerial photographs they take of disaster areas give incident commanders valuable information to guide their responses to those incidents, Monticello explained.

CAP members have been answering calls to duty such as this since before WWII, according to the CAP website. More than 150,000 volunteers lobbied to have their planes and flying skills used for America's defense in the late 1930s, and the CAP was formed a week before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Overseen by the United States Army Air Corps, thousands of CAP volunteers logged a half-million flight hours rescuing hundreds of crash victims and performing other missions, including the sinking of two German submarines, the website said. Legislation after the war founded the CAP as a benevolent, nonprofit U.S. Air Force auxiliary with three main missions: aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services, such as search-and-rescue operations.

The 60-member South-Central CAP has trained ground search teams and three pilots, but only two of them are trained for aerial search-and-rescue missions, Monticello said. Nonetheless, their aircrews have flown their Cessna Skylane aircraft on aerial photography missions over Tompkins, Cortland, Tioga, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Schuyler and Otsego counties, he said.

In addition to helping incident commanders assess tornado damage in Danby and recent flood damage in Owego, the photos allowed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate the strength of Broome County dams swollen with rain and runoff from Hurricane Irene, Monticello said. The aircrews photographed 17 Broome County dams in 2 1/2 hours, he recalled.

"We were able to do that very quickly and effectively, and get them those photos so they could do assessments," Monticello said. "They were very happy about that." The aircrews spent about three to four minutes circling each dam, photographing them from all angles, he added.

While flights by other organizations and aircraft for such missions can run up to $3,000 an hour, a CAP flight usually costs between $100 and $150 per hour, he said.

"It's a cost-effective way of doing aerial assessments," Monticello said. "All our members are volunteers. We're almost a volunteer fire department, but for aircraft." They can deliver supplies as well, he added.

The CAP's cadet program gives youths 12 to 18 years old things like aerospace education and orientation flights, Monticello said. In addition to taking advantage of educational opportunities and training CAP provides, pilots and others can get satisfaction from keeping their skills sharp and helping their communities, he added.

"I've been flying since I was in my teens," Monticello said. "To put that skill to a purpose, I find very rewarding."

For more information to join the South-Central CAP, e-mail ipd251@hotmail.com or go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com.

Broome-Tioga Composite Squadron Partners with the American Legion Riders

February 4, 2010

Binghamton, NY - On January 28, 2010, The American Legion Riders from Post #86 made a special delivery to the Civil Air Patrol Broome-Tioga Composite Squadron (NY292). The Legion Riders generous donations are part of the growing partnership between the two organizations.

American Legion Riders Tom Gallagher, Jim Brewer and Terry Rockwell presented the donations, including four new Parade Rifles and a new Casket Flag for ceremonies. Cadets from NY292 will proudly use these items for practice and events. Perhaps the rifles may even be used in the upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade in Binghamton on March 6.

For Emergency Services, NY292 also received a dozen Hard hats and a used but still working Stokes Basket. As the squadron builds their Search and Rescue Team, no doubt their services will be requested more often. Thus, the Legion Rider's donations are timely and most welcome.

This event has further strengthened the relationship as the squadron was reminded that one of the visiting Legion Riders, Jim Brewer, was instrumental in obtaining the Squadrons Headquarters Facility for CAP use on the Grater Binghamton Health Center Campus, ten years ago. The NY 292 squadron moved into the building in 2004, leaving their old home at the Tri-Cities Airport.

CAP NY292 and American Legion Riders Post 86 look forward to working together in the future.

Broom-Tioga Composite Squadron Cadet receives General Ira C. Eaker award

September 10, 2009

Cadet Major Marc Ghiron receives General Ira C. Eaker award

Binghamton, NY- At the Autumn Promotions and Awards Ceremony, Civil Air Patrol Cadets of the local Broome-Tioga Composite Squadron witnessed a rare Civil Air Patrol cadet promotion. Cadet Major Marc Ghiron was presented the General Ira C. Eaker Award by U.S.Navy Captain Robert Wuestner, (Retired) and promoted to the rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel by the Squadron Commanding Officer, LtCol Richard Bohman.

This award was earned after completing all of the achievements in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program, completing the Cadet Officer School equivalent, and passing written and speech requirements. Nationwide, only about 200 cadets per year receive this award.

Capt Wuestner presented the Billy Mitchell award to Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Daniel Hecktor, who was also promoted to Cadet Second Lieutenant. The Billy Mitchell award is the second of the three major milestone awards in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program.

Four cadets, Kristi Aksay, Sidney Borne, James Pietrosanti and Evan Shelp were presented the first milestone award, the Wright Brothers Award, by Capt Wuestner. They were also promoted to Cadet Staff Sergeant.

Friends and family members participated in and watched the promotions of 21 other cadets. Ethan Dudden was promoted to Cadet Senior Master Sergeant. Samuel Carman, Kyri Jones, and Beverly Martin were promoted to Cadet Master Sergeant. James Bryan, Jr, Brian Conn and Logan Redolphy were promoted to Cadet Technical Sergeant. Abraham Caceres, David Conn, James Ellis and Noah Kiekel were promoted to Cadet Senior Airman. Noah Garland, Ethan Hahn and Jesse Redington were promoted to Cadet Airman First Class. Peter Day, James Donlon, Jordan Frazier, Jake Owens, Jacob Rossie, Nicholas Shelp and Trevor Wright all earned their first promotion to Airman.