"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

CAP is almost always looking for CFIs. If you join, they will make you a
captain.

Keeping everyone trained and qualified seems to be the big challenge at our
squadron. Our CFI has to be checked out so that he can perform the Form 5
checkrides for the rest of the pilots. Once you get your level 1 training
completed (really just a CAP orientation), your fingerprints done, and get
your Form 5 checkride in the squadron's plane, you'll be a very popular guy.
Other squadrons will want to use your services in addition to the squadron
you belong to.

My squadron has cadets now, but it didn't start that way. It's always been a
composite squadron, but when I joined there were no cadets. Hence, I have
seen both sides of the coin. I have to say that I like the cadets being
around. I was with a young girl when she took her first airplane ride and it
was as exciting for me as it was for her. She could hardly contain herself
once we got back on the ground. Teenagers can be awfully downbeat sometimes,
so it was great to see one so happy and excited.

Another note about uniforms: If your squadron has cadets, you MUST be in
uniform when you attend meetings or any CAP function. CAP is very very
strict about how senior member interact with the cadets. A good portion of
your level one training is about child abuse by authority figures, not
unlike those who would be in CAP. In our squadron, the cadets are treated
with the utmost respect and in return, they are probably more professional
than the seniors! Their uniforms look a lot better than ours do for sure.

I have BDU's and the green nomex AF flight suit. It looks exactly like the
AF version (we have active AF members) except it has a couple of different
patches. I don't have the gray slacks type of uniform right now. .You must
wear some kind of uniform if you fly the CAP plane for training or on actual
missions. At first, I felt very self-concious about being seen in the
uniform outside CAP (grocery store, pumping gas etc.), but you get used to
it. My neighbors were afraid I was being shipped off to Iraq!

-Trent
PP-ASEL

2LT, MC-055 central composite squadron, NC wing