Air Force Auxiliary And Fellow Pilots Keep An Eye On Their Home Skies

Civil Air Patrol will be helping fellow pilots with their own brand of neighborhood watch, a watch for suspicious activity at their local airports. CAP is joining forces with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to participate in the AOPA Airport Watch program, which has earned the support of the federal Transportation Security Administration. According to AOPA, using its 400,000 members to support the program is more cost-effective than federally-mandated security alternatives. Adding CAP’s more than 63,000 members to the effort strengthens the program even more.

“AOPA is pleased that CAP has supported the Airport Watch Program,” said AOPA president, Phil Boyer. “Their participation and willingness to draw on the depth of their membership is important in this community-wide effort to report possible terrorist and criminal activities to law enforcement."

Andy Cebula, senior vice-president for government and technical affairs at AOPA, presented the Airport Watch program to the CAP National Board at its quarterly meeting March 1 in Washington, D.C. Cabula said AOPA has effectively moderated government security restrictions on general aviation airports and airspace, partly by taking the initiative to create the Airport Watch program.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with AOPA in this well-developed program,” said Maj. Gen. Rick Bowling, CAP national commander. “The training provided by AOPA will dovetail with our own CAP training to provide significant protection for general aviation in our country.”

Under this program, pilots are trained to notice and report suspicious activity at their home airports, making it more difficult for terrorists to use general aviation airports for criminal activities. The Airport Watch is supported by a centralized, government-provided toll-free hotline (1-866-GA-SECURE) and a system for reporting and acting on information provided by general aviation pilots. Included in the program are warning signs for airports, informative literature, and a training videotape to educate pilots and airport employees on improving airport security.

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force Auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with more than 63,000 members nationwide. It performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs.

FMI: www.capnhq.gov