Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland

07/07/2019

Gill Robb Wilson, father of the Civil Air Patrol, had West Virginia ties (Daily Mail WV)

A nice article about Civil Air Patrol founder Gill Robb Wilson https://www.wvgazettemail.com/dailymailwv/daily_mail_features/gill-robb-wilson-father-of-the-civil-air-patrol-had/article_ff8409cc-1afc-5a71-8f02-f82973a8e875.html #GoFlyCAP

The invention of the airplane and the successful flight of the Wright Brothers quickly led to a new means of travel. Aviation changed many things: how we lived in peacetime,

07/04/2019

CAP National Commander Maj Gen Mark Smith on the At Altitude podcast, check it out today!

Check out the At Altitude podcast with the Civil Air Patrol's 24th national commander, Maj. Gen. Mark E. Smith.

With over 60,000 members across the organization, the Civil Air Patrol serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

07/04/2019

A bittersweet final all-hands meeting last Tuesday; Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland is moving, and by next month will be cleared out. We had a visit from Civil Air Patrol CAWG Group 2 Commander Lt Col Noel Luneau visited in order to present an award and perform a promotion ceremony for our Commander Maj Jordan Hayes. We participated in both the National HF radio net and the local NorCal VHF radio net; had a June squadron recap of events and missions; a safety briefing; and refreshments and camaraderie afterwards. We'll have a final tribute to this wonderful building that we've called home for the last 11 years sometime later this month. Photos by 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev

07/04/2019

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

07/03/2019

Many thanks to Lt Col Noel Luneau for visiting the squadron and conferring these achievements.

Congratulations Major Hayes, Squadron Commander of Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland on your promotion to the grade of Major!

Lt Col Noel Luneau, Group 2 Commander and Capt Luis Rivas, former Commander presented the Paul E. Garber award and his new grade of Major.

07/02/2019

Civil Air Patrol - California Wing

Thank you to Maj Jordan Hayes for acting as the Air Operations Branch Director; 1st Lt Chris Devine and 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev for serving on the Ground Team; and 2d Lt Antonio Forenza for participating as a Mission Pilot trainee this weekend at CAWG Mission Aircrew School.

July 1, 2019

Bakersfield, California – Civil Air Patrol’s California Wing held their annual Mission Aircrew School on June 28th – June 30th, 2019 at Meadows Field Airport.

With over one hundred training sorties flown on fifteen CAP aircraft and twelve vehicles used during the ground portion of the mission; aircrews, ground teams, and operational personnel participants reached in the high nineties over this three-day exercise.

“California Wing has led this standardized aircrew training for the past seven years,” the Incident Commander Maj. Marc Sobel said.

Mission Pilot and Mission Observer training consist of two parts, aircrew ground school and training sorties. Pilot and Observer trainees attend a ground school in either Northern or Southern California to learn technical knowledge on how to operate the navigation and communications equipment on board the CAP aircraft prior to flying the training sorties.

In addition to the flight hour requirement for Mission Pilots, both Mission Pilot Trainees and Mission Observer Trainees are required to be Mission Scanner qualified. The in-flight portion of Mission Aircrew School includes the hands-on part, and helps Mission Pilots and Mission Observers to become familiar and proficient with CAP operations in aircraft.

Each flight sortie consists of a Mission Pilot Trainee, a Mission Observer Trainee and a CAP qualified Trainer. Each CAP Trainer observes and provides guidance during the pre-planning period, and in the flight phase of each training sortie of their assigned route.

“It has been designed to produce consistent quality training of future Mission Pilots and Mission Observers,” Maj. Sobel added.

During this exercise, Mission Observers can be qualified after these three days, if they fulfill the training requirements and flight expectations of their rating.

Lt. Col. Joe Brickman explained that for those that are earning their Mission Pilot rating will still need to complete a check ride before they are assigned to fly CAP missions.

“The training this weekend has been very effective, the weather held out and the crews got all the training they needed,” Lt. Col. Brickman said.

The California Wing Commander, Col. Alan Ferguson added, “This opportunity not only gives our aircrew and ground teams a chance to train and work together, but also gives our base staff a big operation to manage, and that’s imperative to get ready for disasters”.

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Contact Info:
1st Lt Christina M. Rivas, CAP
Public Information Officer
[email protected]

(Mission Aircrew School Video Released by 1st Lt. Christina M. Rivas, CAP)

#CivilAirPatrol #GoFlyCAP #CaliforniaWingCAP #TotalForce

06/17/2019

A few Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland members helped out yesterday down the street at the Oakland Aviation Museum for a great #FathersDay open cockpit event. Thank you Lt Col Glenn, Maj Hayes and SM Ott.

Fun day at Oakland Air Museum’s Open Cockpit! Thank you to Squadron 188, Sq 18 SM Fontanilla, 2nd Lt. Fontanilla,
1st Lt. McCoy,
C/Major Carson and Cadet Sadaghiani for your help today!

06/13/2019

California Wing's newest CAP Pilot 2d Lt Antonio Forenza after successfully completing his Form 5 check ride this afternoon.

06/10/2019

Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum is having one of their open cockpit days this sunday! Check it out, it's always fun.

Please join us for Open Cockpit Day on June 16th from 12 noon to 4pm

06/10/2019

Last weekend Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland hosted the Civil Air Patrol - California Wing Mission Aircrew School ground school (North). Congrats to graduates who are now Mission Pilot and Mission Observer candidates. See you in Bakersfield for the air portion!

06/06/2019

All the way from Oakland!

N341A, one of two aircraft requisitioned by Major General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold as VIP transports for himself and military command staff, as well as other high ranking officials including the Secretary of War, in Greenland.

06/05/2019

Another great all-hands meeting last night at Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland where we caught up on missions and activities in May, recognized the accomplishments of our members and had a lively and topical safety discussion. Photos by 2d Lt Roudnev.

06/05/2019

5 June 1948 - This Day in Aviation

Capt Glen Walter Edwards (USAF), the namesake of Edwards Air Force Base, was a native of Lincoln, CA (north of Sacramento) and a graduate of UC Berkeley (BS, Chemical Engineering).

5 June 1948: Flying at 40,000 feet (12,192 meters), north of Muroc Air Force Base, California, the second Northrop YB-49 “flying wing,” serial number 42-102368, was undergoing stall recovery performance testing with a crew of five aboard. The pilot was Major Daniel A. Forbes, Jr., United States ...

05/28/2019

"Beginning in January 2020, all DJI drones weighing more than 250 grams (.55 pounds) will display ADS-B Out-equipped manned aircraft position information to the drone pilot, leveraging ADS-B In data to allow remote pilots to detect and avoid all aircraft broadcasting their position and other information via ADS-B Out."

An AOPA-owned DJI Phantom 4 Pro sports an FAA registration in compliance with current requirements; broadcasting an electronic version of this drone registration will soon be required. Jim Moore photo.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/may/22/drone-deconfliction-advances

05/28/2019

Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland members participated in this search in all three roles: aircrew, ground/water, and base. Congrats, everyone!

California Civil Air Patrol Teams Up with Coast Guard to Find Active Distress Radio Beacon

Cooperation will often yield quick results. That was the case on Saturday when the California Wing of The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) partnered with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to assist in finding an active distress radio beacon in the Ballena Bay area of Alameda City. The United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, working with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and San Francisco Police, initially alerted the Civil Air Patrol. Both airborne and ground crews zeroed in on the large harbor area.

The Coast Guard Sector San Francisco was called to assist. A Coast Guard Response Boat-Small out of Station San Francisco picked up a ground-based Civil Air Patrol crew. “Our crews discovered more than a hundred boats in the area,” said Capt. Mark Wheeler, CAP Incident Commander Trainee. “The United States Coast Guard responded, while our CAP ground-based crew provided specialized handheld equipment designed to pinpoint distress radio beacon signals. The cooperation with the Coast Guard and the specially trained CAP crew allowed both agencies to work seamlessly together in an area of shared jurisdiction to efficiently complete a task that would have been difficult without each other.” Said Wheeler.

The Civil Air Patrol regularly cooperates with Federal, State, and Local emergency officials. “We value our partnership with the Coast Guard and always enjoy working with them to meet our common objective, saving lives.” According to Wheeler. Finding no vessel in distress, the Harbor Master handled further silencing of the beacon.

Mariners are reminded to always check their equipment before and after a trip to ensure that it’s in working order and not accidentally activated as was the case Saturday.

05/24/2019

Civil Air Patrol TOP flight

Our own Maj Mark Fridell!

The AEM (Aerospace Education Member) program allows teachers who sign up, to take a free flight in a CAP aircraft. AEMs also can order free STEM kits for the...

05/22/2019

Capt Jordan Hayes checking in with former Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland member Lt Col Don Tujax Jones at his new squadron in Austin, Texas. Howdy, Don!

05/20/2019

APNewsBreak: Sharp increase in US states' use of drones

"The small, unmanned aircraft are often used for prosaic tasks, like inspecting bridges and roads. With sophisticated cameras and thermal technology, they can detect tiny cracks and identify potential potholes before they’re visible to the human eye."

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — In Utah, drones are hovering near avalanches to watch roaring snow. In North Carolina, they're searching for the nests of endangered birds. In Kansas, they could soon be...

05/20/2019

FAA clamps down on recreational droning

"The notice details eight conditions that recreational drone pilots must comply with, based on the 2018 law, including a prohibition on flying for commercial purposes. In addition, recreational drones are to be flown “in accordance with or within the programming of a community-based organization’s set of safety guidelines that are developed in coordination with the FAA.”"

AOPA raised concerns about the timing of FAA rule changes for recreational drone pilots announced in a document scheduled for publication May 17.

05/17/2019

Congrats to all the graduates for taking the next step in their professional development #GoFlyCAP

Group 2 members Maj Pesce, Capt Hayes, and Maj Morozko graduated from the Pacific Region, Region Staff College today!

Congrats!

05/15/2019

A Middle School teacher completes the Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Program.
Mrs. Cheri Weinhagen, a teacher from Thomas Hart Middle school in Pleasanton, experienced flying a Civil Air Patrol plane with Maj Mark Fridell, Deputy Director Aerospace Education of California Wing. Mrs. Weinhagen, an Aerospace Education Member (AEM) completed the program established by CAP. So as a reward, she flew out of the Livermore Airport this afternoon, around 4:30 PM, completing her Teacher Orientation Program (TOP). Mrs. Weinhagen class made a big thank you card for Maj Fridell for his contribution to this project.
Photos by Lt Col Juan Tinnirello

05/12/2019

Squadron 188 members are participating in this exercise in a variety of positions.

California Wing Concludes the First Week of Tri-State Exercise.

It started on Monday with a record heat wave in the Southwest US. Temperatures of up to 125-degrees spawned wildfires across California. Lives and property were in danger. But none of it was real. The whole thing dreamed up from a team at the United State Air Force. Every other year, the California Wing of The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is challenged to respond to whatever the Air Force throws at us. Scoring is on the ability of the Wing to respond, plan and perform.

“The Air Force conducts these mission evaluations to help us improve our operations and to evaluate whether we are using the taxpayer dollars appropriately,” according to Col. Alan Ferguson, Commander of the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. This year the exercise is unusual in that it will take place over two weeks and is including both the Nevada and Washington Wings. “The purpose in our change in the OPS EVAL format is to help identify some of the gaps so we can address them in advance and not be faced with them during a real-world mission,” says Col. Jon Stokes, Pacific Region Commander of CAP.

In the first week of operations more than forty-five California Wing members, spread out from Northern to Southern California, participated as aircrew, ground crew, general and command staff. All of the planning and operations took place remotely with no base of operations established. “Throughout the year we conduct most of our missions remotely, it is a rarity to stand up a physical base except for a SAREX,” says Col. Ferguson, “When we are having taskings the entire length of the state it makes sense and saves money to manage them remotely. If the pace of the event is such that it becomes difficult to track our operations safely, then we need to open up a physical base.”

Sometimes the biggest challenges come from the weather. That was treated as real this week. Unstable conditions and the marine layer prevented flights in some areas of the state. Col. Ferguson says, “We have conducted ourselves very well, there have been some minor missteps that we have caught and corrected ourselves.” When asked to photograph targets of interest, aircrews delivered some excellent images and flew CAP aircraft with precision. These are the kind of scenarios that the Civil Air Patrol is asked to perform for customers during actual disasters.

The second week of the exercise begins Monday. Col. Ferguson says, “I expect that we will have more taskings and a higher pace of activity for all branches, but I am still not sure we will need to open up a physical base or where that base might need to be.” As always, CAP personnel is on standby to perform missions throughout California.

05/10/2019

Members from Civil Air Patrol - Squadron 188 Oakland and Civil Air Patrol East Bay Cadet Squadron 18 participated in the Port of Oakland Aviation Day 2019 last weekend by introducing local middle schools to what Civil Air Patrol offers. What a great day!

Thank you FAA for collaborating with us to bring local middle school students to Oakland Aviation Day 2019. The students toured the Oakland Aviation Museum, Southwest Airlines operations at Oakland International Airport, and the FAA tower. It was a good, fun-filled learning day for the kids to find out about aviation and related careers.
#aviationday #aviation #IFlyOAKland #Oakland #FAA #portofoakland

05/09/2019

Members of Squadron 188 along with local officials, media personnel and players from participating organizations were invited by OAKLAND Airport to observe their 2019 OAK Triennial Full Scale Emergency Exercise. Participating organizations included the Port of Oakland, SWA, Alameda County Sheriff, Oakland Fire Department, FAA, Paramedics Plus, FBI and TSA
The exercise scenario included a drone interfering with airport operations which resulted in a Boeing 737-800 crashing at the airport. Response by emergency equipment and personnel was both swift and efficient in securing the “crashed” aircraft, triaging the injured and transporting them to local hospitals.

05/08/2019

2d Lt Valeur completing SLS at KLVK this past weekend. Congrats, Haavar!

05/01/2019

Fifth Tuesday Celebration.
Yesterday, being the fifth Tuesday of the month, members of squadron 188 gathered late afternoon to wash the plane and have a great BBQ afterwards. It just happened that SM Jose Alvarez celebrated his birthday, so he provided a cake for everyone there. It was a fun day and a chance to mingle and converse with each other to exchange stories, feelings and comments.
Photos by Lt Col Tinnirello