McLean County’s branch of the Civil Air Patrol is looking for new recruits.
The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, with a mission that includes public education about aerospace and aviation and assistance during emergency situations. Locally, the patrol is represented by the McLean County Composite Squadron, which has around 30 members.
That includes around 20 younger members known as Cadets. The group will host an open house Tuesday, Sept. 2, for those between ages 12-18 who are interested in joining.
“There are a lot of folks that think flying is pretty cool, and through this program there are opportunities to do it at a lower cost. To become a pilot, like everything else, the prices are getting astronomical. This is an alternative,” said 1st Lt. Richard Schuely of Bloomington, the squadron’s commander. “We’re just getting people involved and excited about aviation. Because there’s a lot of cool things you can do in the field.”
Cadets can earn various qualifications and skills as they progress through four milestones, with expanded responsibility as they advance. They can earn a model-rocketry badge, for example, or try out a flight simulator. The squadron also arranges orientation flights for new members when a certified pilot shows them what it’s like to fly a plane, Schuely said.
Cadets come away with leadership and teaching skills, he said. Schuely’s 17-year-old daughter joined about four years ago and has since become Cadet commander with the squadron.
“One of the neat things about Civil Air Patrol is that it’s encouraged that Cadets are running the program to an extent, with us being there to promote safety and making sure things don’t get out of hand.”
The broader Civil Air Patrol is comprised of “wings” all over the country, each filled with squadrons like McLean County’s. Emergency assistance is part of their mission. Schuely said that most frequently involves tracking down emergency locator transmitters, or ELTs, that are going off for some reason on a small plane. Sometimes, that’s just because the battery died, but it could also be the sign of a crash.
“Sometimes they just go off for no reason, and rather than having the Air Force go out and looking for them all the time, they call us up,” he said.
They’re also trained for missing persons. (Civil Air Patrol has their own fleet of aircraft.) Schuely said two of his Cadets are qualified to assist with ground searches, too.
The McLean County Composite Squadron will host an open house for its Cadet program from 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the EEA Chapter 129 Hangar at 2825 E. Empire St., Bloomington, near the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
