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Civil Air Patrol cadets train with Emergency Locator Transmitters

  • Published
  • By Civil Air Patrol Capt. Greg Hoffeditz
  • Scott Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Eleven members of the Scott Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, recently received training on electronic direction finders and search techniques using a practice beacon in an effort to build its ground team capabilities and to prepare the unit for future missions.

Training was also provided on aircraft ground handling techniques for use at search and rescue mission bases and other special aeronautical events like air shows. Trainees used their aircraft marshalling skills throughout the day as 12 cadets completed one of their orientation flights aboard one of CAP's glass cockpit Cessna 182s.

"Ninety-seven to 99 percent of all ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitter) are false alarms," said CAP Lt. Col. Ted Lohr, Illinois Wing Group 1 emergency services training officer. "Even though no actual emergency may be taking place, we must treat all signals as the real thing--just in case."

An Emergency Locator Transmitter, or ELT, aids rescuers in finding downed aircraft. Similar to an airbag deployment in a vehicle, ELTs are activated during an impact. Devices can also be set off by a jolt to the aircraft during ground handling or possibly by faulty circuits.

Once a signal is detected, usually by other aircraft flying in the vicinity and monitoring the emergency frequency, Civil Air Patrol air or ground teams are dispatched to locate the source through the CAP National Operations Center at Maxwell AFB, Ala., with direction from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla.

"If 97 to 99 percent of ELT signals are non-emergencies, that means 1 to 3 percent are likely to be bona fide, life-threatening situations," said CAP 1st. Lt. Lee French, the group's emergency services officer. "Without shutting down the non-distress beacons, real emergency signals will be masked and lives could be lost."

In the past month, CAP's Illinois Wing Group 1, to which the Scott Composite Squadron is assigned, has responded to one Air Force Rescue Coordination Center tasking in search of a subsequent non-emergency signal. The entire wing has had three missions of this nature in the last month and approximately 15 throughout the past year. Most "false alarms" tend to be emitted from aircraft parked in a hangar or on an airport ramp.

ELT missions commonly include an aerial search by a CAP Cessna 172 or 182, with a crew of two or three, including a pilot, observer, and a scanner. The aircrew will attempt to narrow the search area from above while a ground team is dispatched with hand-held electronic direction finders, known as L-Pers, to pinpoint the exact signal source and ensure it is terminated.

Why use CAP resources for these missions?

First, it costs $120 to $160 per flying hour to fly a CAP aircraft--as opposed to the several thousands of dollars per hour that can be spent to operate a military aircraft or helicopter.
Secondly, the military dollar figure does not include the cost for aircrew and personnel. CAP members, on the other hand, are volunteers. These non-paid members of the Air Force auxiliary are also more cost effective than using local law enforcement and other emergency resources.

During the 2009 Scott AFB "Airpower over the Midwest" air show, an ELT was inadvertently triggered in one of the performing aircraft while on the ground. CAP units displaying equipment and capabilities at the show were able to pinpoint the specific aircraft before a search mission was activated.

About Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief, and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state, and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 71 years.

The Scott Composite Squadron meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Pronto Pizza/Rockwell Hall facility, 502 Ward Ave., adjacent to the base bowling alley and library. Cadets must be between 12 and 17 years of age at the time they join. Senior members (adults) are 18 and over. People interested in joining CAP can attend the meeting.

For more information, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.