Flying - Passenger Style

Although I got to fly today, I was only a "passenger" in one of the Civil Air Patrol's Cessna 182's. One of the things about CAP: be ready to fly on a moment's notice.

Here it is, the day after Christmas. It may as well be its own holiday, as no one is really out and about except for the shoppers who dare to brave the cold. Today's high was a balmy 21 degrees, but little wind and a crystal clear sky made it quite nice for flying.

I got a call in the afternoon from one of the pilots who was planning on going out for some touch-and-go's. He was up at the field, and had just preflighted the plane, so I rushed to get my CAP uniform on and gathered up my flight bag and headset. In short order, he showed me some of the special checklist items for this model aircraft, and we were set to fly.

In a standard CAP aircraft, they fly missions with two or three crewmembers. There is the pilot, the "observer" in the right front seat, and the "scanner" in the left rear. The observer's and scanner's jobs are to look out the window to find the objective, which might be a lost hiker, a downed aircraft, or other search-and-rescue related item. In addition, the observer (though not necessarily a licensed pilot) acts as a co-pilot to work radios, assist with navigation, and perform other duties as directed by the pilot.

Today's flight wasn't intended to do anything for me except familiarize myself with the plane and see it in action. I was content to simply be a passenger, but took the controls during climbout and the short "cruise" out to the local practice area. Not only was it odd to fly from the right seat, but there are extra controls for the constant-speed prop and the plane generally feels heavier to fly. I think I had some extra aileron pressure just because of the odd sight picture from the "wrong" side of the plane.

Overall, the CAP experience is interesting to say the least. Another senior member who joined just after me has taken a special interest in making sure I stay involved with the group. An ex-Marine with hundreds of hours and a long-expired CFI certificate, he fits right in but knows how challenging it can be to keep young pilots engaged in the organization.

My new duties involve teaching aerospace concepts to the cadets, which I think I will enjoy doing. I also have started looking into the idea of taking the tests to be a certified FAA ground instructor. Then, I can sign off pilot logbooks for classroom instruction.

Hopefully, the coming year will include some improved finances and allow some additional flying time. If not, I may have to settle for tagging along whenever I can.