CAP Payson Squadron 209 Seeks Help From Volunteers

Payson Squadron 209 has put out an urgent call for volunteers to help it conduct a host of rescue and emergency missions, from pilots to photographers and navigators.

Payson Squadron 209 has put out an urgent call for volunteers to help it conduct a host of rescue and emergency missions, from pilots to photographers and navigators.

The volunteers will help crew the group's new airplane, a turbocharged veteran of the Afghanistan War, where the plane was used to train pilots.

The Civil Air Patrol this year celebrated 75 years of serving the nation as a volunteer Air Force civilian auxiliary. That includes Payson Squadron 209, chartered in 1977.

The volunteer force helps in search and rescue and other missions and relies on volunteer pilots, many of them with Air Force and National Guard experience. Nationally, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and deploys 55,000 volunteers. The CAP performs 90 percent of the inland search and rescue missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

The Payson Squadron has 31 senior members, six pilots and eight cadets. The squadron conducts air and ground search and rescue missions, trains senior members and cadets, flies missions to assess damage and detect fires, floods, and other disasters. The group provides aerial photographs to local and federal emergency officials. The squadron also coordinates with local search and rescue and Forest Service officials to assist in rescues.

Recent missions include:

- Discovering, reporting and serving as coordinator of the February fire on the Rim, since the Forest Service didn't yet have its own air resources in place. The CAP AZ 209 served that role until the USFS was able to gear up. Early detection and rapid coordination helped minimize the fire's impact.

- In 2005, the Payson Squadron was the first Arizona squadron to receive an "all glass" navigation equipped aircraft. Payson became the hub of all training on this new equipment for all of Arizona CAP.

- ADOT engaged the CAP to fly and report disabled vehicles on AZ 87, especially during heavy traffic periods. - In 2006, the cadets and senior members of Squadron 209 painted the large runway markings of the Payson Airport.

Building character in cadets

CAP Senior Master Sergeant Duane Dobstaff, a retired Navy Seal Senior Chief, is a member of Squadron 209, a key leader in Payson's CAP Cadet Program, and was recently appointed as the Command NCO for Arizona CAP.

The cadet unit regularly perform honor and color guard at local events and parades.

The Payson squadron participates in searches for lost aircraft and people and provides location and photographic evidence in support of search efforts.

The Payson squadron is housed in the Rich Henry hangar, bay 4 at the Payson Airport (1060 W. Airport Road, Payson AZ 85541).

Monthly meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month at 9 a.m.

Payson needs volunteers

The Payson squadron continues to work to attract volunteers to serve the area, where tourism and small plane crashes generate the need for many rescues.

CAP volunteers, trained in fire detection, navigation, and aerial photography, provide fire officials, search teams, and damage assessment with valuable early detection information. The squadron plane also has radio repeater capabilities to provide a vital communications link between ground and air search crews from a high altitude.

The squadron has put out an urgent call for volunteers so it can get crews in the air on short notice. Other volunteers can serve as pilots and flight crews, including the mission observer and the mission scanner. Navigation, communication, search skills and photography all are necessary and CAP will provide training. The squadron needs people to run the radios, organize the search, supplement the navigation, and document and distribute the photographic images.

The CAP also needs people for everything from aerospace education programs to handling administrative responsibilities.

The objective of the CAP cadet program is to transform youth aged 12 to 20 into responsible citizens. The program allows young people to progress at their own pace through a phased 16-level program including aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness and moral guidance.

How to join

Start with a visit to a squadron meeting. Senior members meet on the first Saturday of every month at 9 a.m., typically at the CAP hangar at the Payson Airport.

Cadets meet every Thursday 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Payson High School.

For more information on CAP, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Contact PaysonAZ102@gmail.com or Dave Barry (714) 654-1080, DBBarry@aol.com for further information.