Civil Air Patrol and accountability

[MBA]

I am a CAP member and disguisted about malfeasance, waste, abuse, and overall unprofessionalism by the CAP at taxpayer expense.
I brought a complaint all the way to the highest levels of CAP and used the chain of command. No one cares!

Is CAP accountable to Congress or the USAF? If so do you think they would be interested in hearing about a complaint from a member regarding waste, abuse, and an ALLEGED cover-up?

Please advise if you have any suggestions. I am one angry taxpayer because I see OUR money being wasted.

Thanks

 

[avbug]

CAP was nearly shut down over that very issue during the past few years, and the corporation has been walking a tightrope since. Chances are that no one wants to hear your complaint because they're trying to shuffle it under the rug.

I was very active with CAP for about seven years, and during that time saw the very same thing you describe. Nothing has changed over the years, apparently.

Don't expect it to do so, any time soon. I found that while CAP has a number of people who believe in what they're doing, it's largely occupied by folks who feel the need to wear a uniform and create an aura of prestige about themselves. CAP does some good things, but there is far too much internal abuse of both members and resources.

 

[Pilotadjuster]

CAP

I have a question for both of you and any other CAP members; how do you become a member and is it a good way to build time and actually do some good? the actually doing some good part was what I used to love about being a national guardsman, though we did little but train for employment in wartime situations...

Thanks

PA

 

[bobbysamd]

CAP

The CAP is an excellent organization overall with a great mission and a rich history, but the mediocrity you might see is on the unit level.

We had a great wing in Oklahoma and an excellent squadron in OKC. There were politics, but overall our wing was run very professionally. I joined CAP because I wanted to fly, but as I became more involved with it I became more immersed in it. I enjoyed the fellowship. I got a great deal out of the leadership and personal development courses I had to take. Oklahoma Wing offered some fantastic flight training opportunities and I jumped on every one of them. The best example was the check pilot training course. A Monroney Center fed (and great guy) who trains DEs gave us check pilots the same training as he gave examiners. I was eventually appointed as an Assistant Chief Check Pilot and helped put on the course. The experience helped me then when I gave annual Form 5 rides and helped me as a flight instructor, but it was priceless a couple of years later when I was promoted to stage check pilot at Riddle. I had learned how to conduct a practical and therefore knew how to conduct a stage check.

I saw what MBA was talking about when I joined Arizona Wing CAP. It seemed as if the wing commander's wife was running the show. Our squadron was not run professionally at all. I became less active and eventually went inactive.

I attended a couple of meetings at a cadet squadron at Colorado Wing CAP. My impression was that Colorado Wing is extremely political and pilots who want to fly and contribute would have to wait years for the opportunity. Perhaps it is because Colorado Wing CAP is the de facto state SAR organization and receives state funding.

CAP members wear uniforms, with some members feeling the need to do so, but it is nothing like the Guard. You have to wear a uniform when flying CAP corporate aircraft and/or on CAP missions. I didn't mind it. You take initial and annual Form 5 check rides and a Form 5 in each type aircraft you will fly. A Form 5 ride is basically a very thorough BFR-type checkout to Private Pilot standards. Your check pilot will likely sign you off for a BFR afterwards. CAP members can fly corporate aircraft for proficency. There are some flight release requirements. You can instruct in CAP aircraft but you CANNOT charge for your time.

Check out CAP, but, sadly, I must second Avbug's comments in the last sentence of the last paragraph in his post.

 

[flyboy321]

Exactly what kind of waste, abuse, and unprofessionalism have you experienced? I am looking into joining CAP and would be interested in more details.

 

[ShawnC]

Well I was intrested in joining CAP for a while, the meetings that I went to (I was a considered cadet at the time) it was all the senior officers kids were the cadet officers in charge. They did have an occasional CAP version of the young eagles flight but they didn't have a dedicated flight training group.

I am now in Daytona, one of the airports that I am routinely at is the same airport that CAP keeps it's aircraft, you know I have yet to see once those aircraft fly, they look on the outside very new, no bugs on the wings or windshield, what not. I think CAP is a way for adults and kids to play soldier and not really do anything worth while. I wanted to join up to learn to fly, and to learn SAR techniques as a co-pilot when I mentioned that to them they all looked at me funny. Oh well I did learn to fly on my own to bad I can't help out the country by using my skills for a greater good.

 

[de727ups]

My .02 cents worth

I try to not say anything if it's not nice....but.....

I went through the process to join as an adult recently. Did the background check and went to a meeting. The adult meetings were held in a hangar with no heat in the winter, in WA state. Seemed like a good old boys club to me....no one was particularly friendly or welcoming. Pretty much a waste of time and quite political. My sole purpose with joining CAP was to get a chance to work with kids who are into aviation....and as much as that appeals to me....in the end and as a whole...it wasn't worth getting involved with.

Another thing that stuck me was seeing the cadets at the fair. It's nice for the CAP to volunteer for crowd control or security or whatever you want to call a bunch of kids in uniforms running around with a radio. The problem is....the ones I saw were acting more like a bunch of wild teenagers than the ones with the green hair. Now I have no problem with teenagers being crazy at a fair....that's what it's all about. But when you take kids and put them in a uniform and give them a job....they need to act more mature or the public is gonna look at the CAP as a joke....which maybe it is.

They do have a darn nice 182 that they fly every now and then.

 

[Pilotadjuster]

CAP

Guess it all depends upon the local authorities in control of the individual units; anyone have experience with the various units in the SLC area? I do hear them on the radio flying from time to time, and it seems as if they do several SAR missions per month.

Thanks for all the input!