Aerospace Education
Aerospace Education
Your future in Aviation!
Pilots & Aircrew
If you're a pilot, CAP has plenty of opportunities for you. CAP owns the largest fleet of single-engine piston aircraft in the nation, primarily Cessna 172s and 182s, and CAP pilots are able to fly those planes to perform CAP missions in service to their local communities.
CAP pilots fly reconnaissance missions for homeland security, search and rescue, disaster relief, and even counter drug operations at the request of government or law enforcement agencies. They sometimes transport medical personnel and supplies and blood and live tissue. In times of disaster, they assess damage and transport emergency personnel from site to site. When not flying traditional emergency missions, cadet orientation pilots fly orientation rides for cadets and teachers while also maintaining their own proficiency.
The Civil Air Patrol's aircraft are located at strategic locations throughout the nation to be readily available when missions arise. CAP members maintain these aircraft at the highest levels of safety and efficiency and have access to specialists at CAP National headquarters for maintenance, safety and training questions.
As a CAP pilot, you perform some of the organizations' most important work. CAP is also a great place for you to meet and work with people who share your interest in flying and want to use their skills in a meaningful way.
Teachers
A significant part of the Civil Air Patrols mission is the promotion of Aerospace Education for adults and young adults. Our programs provide teachers:
Free national standards-based aerospace education materials (for homeschoolers, too!)
Awards, such as AEX, for schools that adopt aerospace education into their curricula
Grants available from Air Force Association to incorporate aerospace into the classroom
Low-cost aerospace textbooks for grades 6-12
Aerospace education newsletters full of useful information
Orientation flights in powered aircraft
Aerospace-oriented summer workshops
Aerospace education speakers and resources nationwide
The nation's premier aerospace education conference for teachers
CAP needs adults for its aerospace education program. In addition to educating our own members, CAP's adult leaders provide training and resources to teachers who reach out to students of all ages across the country. Aviation and aerospace impacts the lives of Americans every day, and CAP works to ensure that citizens know the how valuable aviation and aerospace is in our world. Essentially, there is a place for any interested adult to join and help CAP.
Adults
Though Civil Air Patrol is known for its flying missions, CAP adults members, known as Senior Members, do so much more than just fly. In fact less than a fifth of all CAP members are pilots or aircrew members. CAP adult members come from all walks of life. Some are doctors, nurses, paramedics, or other medical professionals. Others are lawyers, paralegals, accountants, computer programmers, and other business professionals and executives. Mechanics, cooks, teachers, police officers, clergy, parents, really just about any career or background can be useful to and found in the ranks of the CAP adult membership. CAP supports a variety of missions that require adults from all walks of life that you may not know about.
In emergency services and operations we not only need aircrew members, but also ground team members to aid in the rescue of survivors or to assess damage after a disaster. CAP needs communications personnel to relay critical messages when there is limited or no telephone support. Administrative staff, financial managers, logistics and supply personnel are needed to document missions and get personnel critical supplies and equipment in the field that they need to conduct missions.
CAP also needs adults to support the cadet program. CAP has over 26,000 cadets across the country that need mentors willing to help guide and support them. The cadet program provides young adults between the ages of 12 and 21 a well rounded program of leadership, aerospace education, physical fitness, and moral and ethical decision making. In today’s world we need good people who are willing to step up and help provide a healthy, drug-free environment to develop tomorrow’s leaders. Many former cadets have gone into the military, government jobs, or private sector employment where they can and do make a difference, and really excel. There are many military general officers that were once CAP cadets. Senators and congressman, CEOs and corporate executives, and others credit their success to CAP and the adult members who mentored them.
CAP needs adults for its aerospace education program. In addition to educating our own members, CAP’s adult leaders provide training and resources to teachers who reach out to students of all ages across the country. Aviation and aerospace impacts the lives of Americans every day, and CAP works to ensure that citizens know the how valuable aviation and aerospace is in our world.
Essentially, there is a place for any interested adult to join and help CAP.
Cadets
Would you like to honor and serve America? Do you want to prepare for your future while making new friends? Then rise to the challenge of cadet membership in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol.
Cadets fly, learn to lead, hike, camp, get in shape, and push themselves to new limits. If you're dreaming about a career in aviation, space, or the military, CAP's Cadet Program is for you.
Orientation flights
Encampment opportunities
Scholarships
Career Exploration Activities
To become a cadet, you must be be at least 12 years old and not yet 19 years old. Cadets meet 2 hours per week and one Saturday per month, on average, and also have opportunities to attend leadership encampments, career academies, and other activities during the summer.
Portions of the text below have been partially imported, with permissions, from the
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters and other CAP websites.