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The Hideaway Times: Article Thursday, June 30, 2005 Civil Air Patrol committed to serviceBy H.S. BURDETTE | News-Journal CorrespondentDAYTONA BEACH — In 1941, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Civil Air Patrol was formed in response to concerns about the defense of America´s coastlines. During WWII, volunteer members of the Patrol flew more than 500,000 hours, rescuing hundreds of crash survivors.
Today, the Civil Air Patrol operates as a branch of the Air Force Auxiliary in all 50 states with more than 62,000 volunteer members. In Volusia County, the Patrol has four squadrons in DeLand, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and the 210th Air Search and Rescue Squadron in Ormond Beach under the command of Lt. Col. Joe Wisniewski. Wisniewski´s real job is flying 767s for American Airlines. He retired from the Air Force 14 years ago but he´s been with the Patrol for 35 years. The Ormond Beach squadron is comprised of 33 volunteers from very diverse backgrounds. The roster includes pilots, business people, a retired electrician, an aerospace engineer and a surgeon. “We´re all here because we want to contribute,” said Wisniewski, 56. “We want to give something back to the community and our country.” The Civil Air Patrol is responsible for 95 percent of all inland search-and-rescue operations conducted in the United States. Their missions come from the Air Force, which takes over whenever a private, corporate or military airplane is reported missing. All civilian and military aircraft, as well as most boats, carry Emergency Locator Transmitters. Whenever one is activated, the Civil Air Patrol usually gets the call. In Florida, there is an average of three or four emergency signals every day. “Most of the alerts are false alarms and the ELT signal is traced to an airplane sitting at an airport, either malfunctioning or being testing or repaired,” Wisniewski said. “But occasionally, we lose a plane as pilots from the North on the way to Disney World try to fly around our thunderstorms. That´s when we go to work.” A mission base is “opened” after multiple steps are taken to identify a situation as a real emergency. It usually is because an airplane or boat is reported overdue. In the worst case scenario, someone reports a downed airplane. If that occurs, an “incident commander” will take over and determine the resources necessary to find the missing craft. There is no rule that sets the number of people involved in any one mission but for a confirmed missing airplane, there may be three or four aircraft, six ground teams, plus the mission base support staff of 40 people. The crew of each search plane will consist of an observer/navigator, who will plot map coordinates and handle radio communication tasks; a scanner, whose primary duty is to look outside the airplane for visual clues to the lost craft, such as an oil slick or debris in a forest and, of course, the pilot. “The pilot´s job is 100 percent to fly the airplane,” Wisniewski said. “We don´t want him distracted by other duties and becoming part of the problem.” Once the source of the emergency signal is located using the sophisticated radio equipment packed into the airplane, the observer guides the ground teams to the site by radio. Time is of the essence. Capt. John Carey, a retired Ormond Beach businessman and Patrol member for two years, says the objective is “to locate the source of the signal within three hours of notification. “If we don´t find you within the first 24 hours, your survivability rate drops by 75 percent,” Wisniewski said. Nationwide, the Civil Air Patrol saves an average of 100 lives per year. The Patrol´s Cessna 172 airplane, based at the Ormond Beach airport, is one of 560 single-engine aircraft -- the largest fleet of single-engine airplanes in the world -- used by the Patrol throughout the United States. They also have access to 550 corporate aircraft and 4,000 member-owned aircraft to supplement the fleet. Wisniewski said the Air Patrol is self-funded. Each squadron is reimbursed by the Air Force for actual mission costs but depends on membership dues and other contributions from the community to cover normal operating expenses. One such contributor is Steve Denslow, vice president at Total Comfort Heat and Air Conditioning in Ormond Beach. Last year, Total Comfort installed $7,500 worth of new air-conditioning equipment and repaired much of the electrical wiring in the Patrol´s squadron building. “I´ve known Joe Wisniewski for several years and he told me of the problems at the facility,” Denslow said. “We were happy to help.” In addition to search-and-rescue, the Patrol has responsibilities related to homeland security and drug enforcement. Although much of that work is cloaked in secrecy, Wisniewski acknowledged the Patrol helps keep the skies and waters surrounding Kennedy Space Center clear of errant curiosity seekers during launches. They also work with several federal agencies in the war on drugs, reporting suspected “growing fields” and new, temporary air strips. To borrow a phase from the Marines, the Patrol is looking for a few good men or women. According to Wisniewski, the ideal recruit is someone who is motivated, interested in providing service to community and country, and who can perform in a “military-like, structured environment.” Carey is quick to point out however, “This is not an aero club.” New RecruitsThe Patrol is looking for a few good men or women. Apply if you are: someone who is motivated, interested in providing service to community and country, and who can perform in a “military-like, structured environment.” Contact: Joe Wisniewski or John Carey, (386) 615-0702 or visit the CAP Web site at www.cap.gov/join/join.html.
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