Civil Air Patrol

1
Civil Air Patrol
Glider Program Operations
Col Jack BuschmannNational Glider Program
ManagerCAP/DOVG
Citizens Serving Communities
2
Glider Program Operations

• Briefing Overview
• Glider Program Status
• Glider Summit 2014 Results
• Glider Program Safety

3
Glider Program Status

• Glider Program Use Order of Priority
• Cadet Orientation O Flights
• Flight Training
• Cadet Glider Flight Academies
• Local Cadet Flight Training
• Senior Member Qualification and Proficiency
• Senior Member Flight Training

Citizens Serving Communities
4
Glider Program Status

• Glider Sortie Goal
• 200 Sorties Minimum
•  Per glider per Fiscal Year
• Preponderance of Sorties
•  A15 - Cadet Orientation O Flights

Citizens Serving Communities
5
Glider Program Status

• Our Aircraft Fleet
• 550 Powered Aircraft
• 46 Gliders

Citizens Serving Communities
6
Glider Program Status

• 8 Regions and 52 Wings

Citizens Serving Communities
7
Glider Program Status

• There are 46 serviceable gliders in the fleet
• 28 Blanik L-23s
• 5 Schleicher ASK21s
• 1 Schweizer 2-22E
• 1 Schweizer 2-32
• 11 Schweizer 2-33s

8
Glider Program Status

• CAP has 3 functioning winches
• Roman - NER - Solberg Airport, NJ
• Roman - PCR - Los Alamitos, CA
• Ford - PCR - Las Vegas, NV
• There are currently 7 qualified winch operators
  listed in Ops Quals
• NER-NJ - 1
• PCR-CA - 4
• PCR-NV - 1
• SWR-TX - 1

9
Glider Program Status

• Of the 7 qualified operators
• 3 are listed as instructors (all from CA)
• 2 are listed as check examiners (both from
  CA)
• (Note approximate numbers as they change daily)

10
Glider Program Status

• CAP has 420 glider pilots in Ops Quals
• 280 are current glider pilots
• 110 are glider instructor pilots
• 80 are glider check pilots
• 60 are glider check pilot examiners
• CAP has 210 Tow Pilots
• 30 of them are Tow Pilot Trainers
• CAP has another 170 Tow Pilot Trainees
• (Note approximate numbers as they change daily)

11
Glider Program Status

• CAPP 52-7
• 5 Powered O-Flights
• 5 Glider O-Flights
• A Total of 10 Orientation
• Flights opportunities per
• Cadet up to 18 Years Old

Citizens Serving Communities
12
Glider Program Status

• Cadet O-Flight Potentials
• Approximately 24,000 CAP cadets
• 87 under 18 Years Old
• 24,000 x 87 20,880 eligible cadets

Citizens Serving Communities
13
Glider Program Status

• Cadet O-Flight Potentials
• 20,880 550 powered planes 38 O-Flights each
  per year
• 2 flights a year per cadet 76 O-Flights each
  per year

Citizens Serving Communities
14
Glider Program Status

• Cadet O-Flight Potentials
• 20,880 46Gliders 454 O-Flights each per year
  
• 2 flights a year per cadet 907 O-Flights each
  per year

Citizens Serving Communities
15
Glider Program Status

• Success Requires a Continuous Effort
• Funding
• Staffing
• Location

Citizens Serving Communities
16
Glider Program Status

• Dont Forget
• The final day for FY15 Air Force Funded
• Cadet Orientation Flights and flight training
• is 26 September 2015.

Citizens Serving Communities
17
Civil Air Patrol Glider SummitResults31
October 2014
18
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Continued Glider Program goals in priority order
• Cadet Orientation Flights
• Cadet Flight Academies
• Other flight training for cadets
• Proficiency and flight evaluations for senior
  members supporting cadet orientation flights and
  flight training
• Other senior member flight training
• Measure and track critical areas and total flying
• 50 1, 25 2 3, 25 All Other Glider Ops

19
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Determined that the availability of Glider
  Orientation Ride Pilots is adversely and
  unnecessarily impacted by the current CAPR 60-1
  requirement for gliders pilots to have 100
  flights as PIC or be a qualified CFIG as
  previously stated in paragraph 3-7, d. (page 19).
• Approved by CAP National/CC and implemented on 19
  Dec 14.
• CAPR 60-1, 3-7, d. (page 19) should be modified,
  via a page insert, to reflect the following
  recommended change  (4) For gliders have 100
  flights as PIC or be a hold at least a FAA
  commercial glider certificate qualified CFIG.

20
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Determined that excessively rigid tow pilot
  trainer requirements, of the 100 tow min,
  adversely and unnecessarily impacted instruction
  and participation in the CAP Glider Program.
• Approved by CAP National/CC and implemented on 11
  May 15.
• (GPPM, Page 19, top paragraph, 2nd sentence) Tow
  pilot trainers will have a minimum of 100 50 tows
  of experience, be FAA tow current within the past
  12 months, and be designated by the wing or
  higher commander in Ops Quals.

21
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Confirmed that various procedural operations were
  being utilized during winch tow operations across
  the country in the CAP Glider Program.
• Determined that efficiency and interoperability
  can be enhanced in the CAP Glider Program with
  standardized winch tow procedures and operations.
• In Development Now standardized winch tow
  procedures and operations procedures guide.

22
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• The glider team is continuously reviewing the
  Glider Program Procedures for improvements.
• Worked with the leadership team to determine how
  best to deliver the message accomplished in a
  procedures manual.
• Retained the value of a consolidated document and
  ensured practical requirements.
• Made clear what is regulatory vs. optional.

23
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Re-assigning re-furbishing resources that are
  not properly or fully utilized.
• Plans for a sustained fleet.
• Refurbish Schweizer 2-33s 2-22E over time.
• Complete refurbishment is estimated to cost 30K.
• Plan would be to identify one glider annually
  into refurbishment.
• Considering procurement of used 2-33s that could
  be refurbishment.

24
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Exploring ways to expand the winch program.
• Must document the current qualified personnel it
  was clear that many are not properly qualified in
  Ops Qualified.
• Use the history built over the last year to
  request approval to do re-current training for
  winch operators as AFAMs.
• Plan for 6 to 8 personnel qualified as winch
  operators for each winch.
• Develop consistent procedures for all three
  current CAP winch operations dont expand
  program until all are in sync.

25
Glider Summit 2014 Results

• Developed position descriptions for personnel
  required to support glider operations and
  inserted into GPPM.
• Winch Operators
• Auto Tow Operators
• Supervisor of Flying
• Glider Program Officer

26
Glider Program Safety

• Mishaps Impact Glider Fleet
• 2011 Two L23 Super Blaniks - Totaled
• Short landing Wing gust
• 2012 One L23 two Schweizer SGS 2-33s - Totaled
• Wind storms
• 2013 One L23 one SGS 2-33 Totaled
• Short landing Loss of Control
• 2014 One L23 Totaled
• Collision during landing phase

Citizens Serving Communities
27
Glider Program Safety

• Thats not all
• We are damaging
• Canopies and hinge pins
• Wing tips
• Landing Gears
• Tail wheels
• Brakes
• Fabric and metal skin

Citizens Serving Communities
28
Glider Program Safety

• All But One Was Avoidable
• Two were short landings with instructors on board
• Four were failures to properly tie down or secure
  the gliders
• One was an apparent failure to follow the
  checklist
• One was hit by a lawn mower

Citizens Serving Communities
29
Glider Program Safety

• Glider Program Procedures Manual
• Originally published in April 2014, updated in
  July 2015
• Provides Safe Standardized Procedures
• An extension of CAPR 60-1
• Found on the CAP Pilot Web page
• Includes ORM requirements for all
  all glider activities
• A Must Read and Follow

Citizens Serving Communities
30
Glider Program Safety

• Operational Risk Management
• Prior to launching, it is extremely important,
  before going forward, for the operations and
  safety personnel to perform and document a
  detailed and thorough ORM analysis and assessment
  of the proposed launch procedure and flight
  activity to ensure a safe operational environment
  for gliders, personnel and support equipment.
• Project Officers, Safety Officers, Operations
  Officers (Air Boss) and pilots must all be in
  agreement with the assessment and controls.

Citizens Serving Communities
31
Glider Program Safety

• The Basics of ORM
• Analyze and assess the risks, then place controls
• Field conditions
• Weather and its affects on the aircraft and
  ground crews
• Runway length, conditions and any obstructions
• Airport layout, patterns and traffic
• Operational and staging areas
• Enough Trained Ground Support Personnel
• Adequate supplies for hydration and conditions

Citizens Serving Communities
32
Glider Program Safety

• The Basics of ORM
• All glider activities must have at least one
  person designated to supervising the safe
  operation of the activity.
• In smaller operations it is usually the project
  officer or his/her designee.
• Larger activities must have an assigned safety
  officer and, if necessary, an alternate.

Citizens Serving Communities
33
Glider Program Safety

• The Basics of ORM
• Controls Require
• Situational Awareness
• What will be going on?
• Where will it happen?
• How can it be done with little of no risk?
• When should attention be raised?

Citizens Serving Communities
34
Glider Program Safety

• The Basics of ORM
• Controls Require
• Effective Communication
• Among Ground Support
• Ground Support with Aircrew
• Glider to Tow plane
• Ground Support Calling Pattern Positions

Citizens Serving Communities
35
Glider Program Safety

• The Basics of ORM
• Controls Require
• Proper Tie-downs and/or securing procedures
• Follow recommended procedures
• Stay alert to adverse weather conditions
• Develop a plan to quickly remove aircraft when
  adverse weather is imminent
• Confirm proper tie-down rope tensile strength

Citizens Serving Communities
36
Glider Program Safety

• Bottom Line
• Its up to each one of us to help prevent glider
  mishaps.

Citizens Serving Communities
37
Glider Program Operations

• Briefing Summary
• Glider Program Status
• Glider Summit 2014 Results
• Glider Program Safety

38
Glider Program Operations
Questions?
Citizens Serving Communities