CARIBOU — The weather may have been wet on the morning of July 18, but the Maine Wing of the Civil Air Patrol had high hopes for the day. Over 30 members of the Maine Wing gathered at the Caribou airport to conduct a Search and Rescue exercise.
Contributed photo
Major Wayne Kilcollins, left, debriefs flight crews during the recent CAP exercise. The first mission was briefed to aircrews and ground search teams. A simulated small aircraft was reported missing on a flight from Frenchville to Houlton. Ground crews were dispatched to an area where an Emergency Locator Transmitter was last heard.
One aircraft was able to conduct an air search and reported finding the ‘missing aircraft’ after about 10 minutes. Forest Ranger Richard Martin monitored the Incident Command Staff and Malcolm Walker from the National Weather Service briefed the staff. All the teams returned safely to the airport.
Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force auxiliary, is a non-profit organization. It performs more that 90 percent of inland search and rescue missions in the continental United States as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to America’s youths through CAP Cadet Programs.
Civil Air Patrol members expressed their thanks toward the Caribou Tim Hortons and Shop N’Save for the donation of snacks and coffee.
For more information about Civil Air Patrol programs go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com or call Capt Ray Burby at 492-1615.
Contributed photoCAP aircraft based in Lewiston arrives to take part in the Caribou-based exercises.
