Cadets check out the plane they will be flying
Kat Toney (left) and Jocey Cutshall ready to fly the plane
Submitted by Jackie Blankenship
Calhoun County Civil Air Patrol Cadets are youth 12 and up
that are interested in Aerospace and other
areas.
The Calhoun Squadron youth have each received 1 hour of flying a plane
under the supervision of West Virginia's Wing Commander
Col. Paul McCroskey (right).
What an amazing experience
for youth. These young Cadets can obtain a
pilots license by their 16th birthday if they
are willing to put in the hours to obtain this
degree.
Civil Air Patrol membership does not
mean you are committed to joining the Air Force
as an older youth. The opportunities are
endless and there is no obligation to join the
military.
Cadets are young leaders who think seriously
about their futures. They may not yet know
exactly what they want to do in adult life, but
they're 'test-flying' potential career interests.
Cadets prepare to take plane controls over Calhoun County
Bradyn Toney flying off into the wild blue yonder
Cadets take aerial photos of the county from the plane
The core cadet curricula are those tasks every
cadet is required to complete along his or her
journey to the Spaatz Award, the Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet honor. It is presented to cadets who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education. The Spaatz Award is named in honor of Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Cadets accomplish
these mostly during weekly squadron meetings, special "Saturday" activities, and encampments.
The real fun in cadet life is in the special
activities or electives. Beyond the core
curriculum, cadets have opportunities to follow
their own interests and explore potential
careers. The higher a cadet advances in cadet
grade, the greater breadth of opportunities
become available. Electives are mostly
experienced as weekend and summer programs.
Civil Air Patrol - Auxiliary of the United
States Air Force - Calhoun Squadron WV-016 meets every Tuesday evening
from 6-8 p.m.
CAP members participate in Search and Rescue
missions - training and actual missions. To
date 155 people have been saved through the
efforts of Civil Air Patrol.
Civil Air Patrol is for adults also - to get
more information about CAP please contact any
Civil Air Patrol member or call 304-354-6130 and
leave a message.
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