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Cadets From Encampment Fly High

Encampment
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Maj Tim Tessin supervises fuel sampling. Photo by Lt Col Don Beckett
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Orientation Flights for cadets

7/11/2010––At 0700 Saturday morning June 26, 2010 the solitary quietude of a sleepy rural airport in North Carolina was shattered as 7 aircraft and several vanloads of cadets and seniors descended upon the airport, increasing the local population temporarily by 2000%.   By 0800 flight operations were in full swing as the NC Wing conducted
Cadet Orientation Flights all weekend long.

When the last airplane departed at 1930 on Sunday, the score was outstanding!

Cadet “O” flights: 56  - Form 78s: 0

Every flyable 172 was tasked this weekend, and we even had help from the VA wing who brought a pilot and airplane each day.  Saturday we flew 20 cadets (using 6 planes) but ran into weather issues in the id-afternoon as a thunderstorm shut down flight operations for at least an hour.  Sunday was better with regard to thunderstorms, but was even hotter, and we flew 36 cadets (3 rounds of sorties, 6 aircraft, and 2 cadets per round).

Cadets training at the encampment staffed the flight line all weekend gaining valuable real-world experience moving metal back and forth on the tarmac.

None of this would be possible without tons of help from pilots, encampment staff, logistics, flight line supervisors, and air operations staff.  

This operation was as big or bigger than most of our SAR Exercises. I want to extend my deepest thanks to all who participated.  I’m sure I forgot someone.  I’m still working on getting some photos uploaded.

My compliments also to the Cadets and Encampment Staff as the cadets themselves were an outstanding example of discipline and cooperation.  The airport manager told me at the end of the event that he was impressed at the performance of our cadets and staff.

Air Operations: Bailey, J Johnson, Gaddy, Tessin

Logistics/Flight line/Safety: Draper, Peting, Beckett, Beck, Draper

Pilots: Eldredge, Dawson, Santiago, McCoury, Viventi, Mason, Hawke, Peting, Newton, Draper, Sardone(VA), DeFoore(VA), Shoffner, Williams, A Johnson, Bailey, Tessin

Special thanks to Oxford-Henderson Airport for allowing us to invade for the weekend!

Vital Statistics: Cadet First Rides: 15
Cadet Syllabus O-rides: 56, O-rides
including 99 (backseat): 116, Total Flight
Hours: 73, Aircraft Fuel used: more
than 550 gallons