CAP Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Recovery Mission

[Nels_Anderson]

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[lnuss]

A great write-up, Tony -- thanks, and another one that I missed the first time around. You obviously had a great experience, and I appreciate you sharing that with us -- great pix, too. The ES side of CAP has changed since I retired in 2008, though it was a change in progress even then. Of course the Cadet Program has changed some too, but not as much. As a reminder to readers here, the CAP Cadet Program is a great way for young people to learn about, and experience, many facets of aviation, as well as learning about military customs and courtesies and, with sufficient progression in the program, to even gain some actual military benefits, should you join the service. You can also learn and experience the ground side of the Emergency Services that is one of CAP's core missions.

 

Hope you've read Flying Minutemen, the 1948 book by Robert E. Neprud that details the beginning of CAP and it's history in WWII and shortly after, a superb read, IMO.  For those not having a copy, it can be read online here: https://archive.org/details/FlyingMinuteMen. My copy is old and frail, probably from the original printing -- I've reread it several times over the years.

 

 

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Long overwater flights in single engine airplanes were not something I had heard of CAP doing, at least during my 10 year membership.

They did so in the early 1940s (see Flying Minutemen), though in a bit different fashion back then, but otherwise those experiences have certainly been scarce as hen's teeth.

 

For those who wonder, "RON" means Remain OverNight.