ASOG Article of the Month: June 2021
ASOG Author: Darrin Guilbeau
If you didn’t know, there are many volunteer organizations around the world that leverage the talent and skills of Airborne Sensor Operators to support community & humanitarian efforts. One such organization is the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in the United States. In this months ASOG Article of the month, Darrin highlights his volunteer experience with CAP and the world of a CAP Mission Observer (a.k.a. ASO). If you’re looking to gain actual flight and ASO experience while helping others, follow Darrin’s footsteps.
For those of you in the United States, we have access to a great opportunity to indulge in your love of aviation. If you want to break into the airborne mission systems operator career field or use your existing sensor operator skills to support your local community, investigate volunteering with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
History & Mission
I would like to share a brief history of my experience with the CAP and the opportunities and experiences it provided. I loved being around airplanes and served as a cadet when I was a teenager. As an adult, I wanted to be a pilot, but did not have the funds for training. Instead, I fulfilled my flying desires by joining CAP and began the training required to be part of an aircrew.
There are 3 primary missions of CAP: emergency services, aerospace education and youth leadership. In the emergency services realm, the most common mission is search and rescue, so you’ll be using your eyeballs as sensors. However, there are many other missions that utilize cameras or other sensors.
Mission Aircraft, Systems & Crews
A typical mission crew flies a Cessna 4-seat airplane and consists of a pilot, observer and a scanner. The pilot’s sole job is to fly the aircraft to and from the mission location. The observer is in the co-pilot seat and runs the mission radios, direction-finding equipment for ELT location and visual searches from the right side of the aircraft. The scanner is in the back seat and performs searches from the left side of the plane. The first position you’ll train for as part of an aircrew is to become a mission scanner.
From there, you can move to other specialties, such as Airborne Photographer, RPA operator or disaster reconnaissance. I’ve had the opportunity to operate FMV systems, learn about hyperspectral imaging systems, utilize Garmin VIRB and Nikon DSLRs, including missions mapping the Florida coastline during the Gulf oil spill. There are numerous other missions available around the country such as searching for forest fires, calibrating radar systems and providing aerial imagery to state and national agencies.
sUAS (unmanned systems) operations are growing rapidly and require both pilots and observers/technicians to operate the sensors and manipulate the data collected. You’ll learn how to process imagery and provide basic ortho-rectified products to a customer.
Professional Development for Good
CAP is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and relies on volunteers to perform all these missions. There are great opportunities to share your talents, as well as learn and grow, all while providing a needed service to your nation and fellow citizens. My experiences through CAP led me into a career as an airborne sensor operator and now a commercial pilot and still gives me an opportunity to serve.
Please see attached capabilities brief for more information or go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.
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