Oregon CAP Wing Purchases Cessna 337

by Marjorie Woodfin, Curry Coastal Pilot News, special to ANN

Search and rescue readiness is being taken very seriously in Brookings.

A small group of Civil Air Patrol pilots and supporters have formed a private organization, Guardians From Above, to fill in cracks in current search and rescue readiness.

With the death of James Kim, the 35-year-old editor who died of exposure and hypothermia in the Southern Oregon wilderness in November, search and rescue readiness has become a hot topic.

There are those who believe that additional equipment might well have saved Kim's life.

Members and sponsors of Guardians From Above (GFA) have gone into action with a completely new idea to ensure that adequate aircraft, communication, and identification equipment will be made available in the area more quickly to find and rescue anyone in any situation similar to the one that took the life of James Kim.

South Coast Squadron Civil Air Patrol Commander Scott Bakker, with help from friends and sponsors, originated a new Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), formed to obtain funding for the purchase of a Cessna 337 Skymaster search aircraft and equip it with the latest search and rescue devices.

"I am driven by the events that occurred with the James Kim family," Bakker said. "My squadron volunteers and I feel that if we had had this aircraft in place, we may have been able to save his life. I was contacted four days before he left his family to get help. The weather was clear and with available cell phone technology and the new PA system in the aircraft the outcome might have been a successful rescue."

Although Bakker and other CAP pilots and observers were ready to fly the CAP squadron's Cessna 182 (type shown below), they were unable to join the search for Kim. Bakker explained, "In order to activate a Civil Air Patrol Squadron for this type of mission, a request must be made by a local sheriff's or state agency to CAP. Because the sheriff did not ask us for help we could not be activated."

With the new entity being formed as the private owner of the aircraft, the group will be able to activate a search mission at any time it is requested.

Ironically, Bakker was in Bend making arrangements for purchase of the Cessna 337 for GFA at the time he was contacted about the search for the Kim family. The aircraft is dedicated to the memory of James Kim.

To support the activities of GFA, Bakker and supporters have formed a nonprofit corporation, Friends of Guardians >From Above, to which donors may make tax-deductible donations to a Friends of GFA checking account at Chetco Federal Credit Union.

Bakker and another CAP member, retired United Airlines Capt. Tom Moore, are the principal owners of the Skymaster. Charter sponsors include Dr. Douglas Walker and his Eye Center, and family practitioner Ellen Winger.

Walker said, "Under Scott Bakker's leadership and great direction, we have formed a nonprofit corporation, Friends of Guardians >From Above, to support the private pilots' foundation, Guardians From Above, with the stated purpose, ‘That Others May Live,' in honor of James Kim who lost his life recently." Walker explained that the participants are concerned folks who want to support CAP and Friends of Guardians as an important resource for search and rescue and mercy flights. The GFA is not, however, involved in medical or air ambulance flights, he added.

Winger said she sees the possibility of mercy flights to provide transport to Portland or Roseburg for some without the resources to join an ill family member, and as a resource for search and rescue, such as the search team for the Kim family.

"It could have turned out differently," Winger said, adding, "I have a commitment to support the organization for the entire year, and I would like to see this available to the whole community. Donors are needed, one time donors, as well as those who will make a continuing commitment to help ensure that a family in need can contact the Guardians for assistance."

Bakker said corporate donors of money and equipment include Dallas Avionics, Dan Brattain's Cal-Ore Life Flight, Chetco Federal Credit Union, Power Sonix Public Address Systems (which will revolutionize the PA system because of its clear communication up to a mile away from the aircraft), Jet Center North in Medford, supplying labor to install the avionics and public address system, and the Garmin Company, a major manufacturer of Global Positioning Systems.

Moore explained GFA will have $100,000 invested in aircraft and radio equipment. "It's a great aircraft with low time on the engines, but the radio equipment is from 1966. We're looking for equipment donations, upgraded radio equipment, camera sights, infrared capacity to sight bodies in woods or ocean."

He explained that with infrared spotting they might have located the Kim family earlier. However, Bakker noted that the expensive spotting equipment is out of their range until additional donors come forward.

Moore noted that volunteer pilots can fly without official invitation throughout Oregon, and they have agreements with the Coast Guard at Humboldt Bay, and permission from CAP to fly into California. "We can service the coast from San Francisco to Astoria," Moore said.

About the Skymaster Moore said, "We can use it in the mountains or on other dangerous missions where we wouldn't use a single engine aircraft. Volunteers and CAP pilots love it because it flies faster and doesn't use any additional fuel."

He also emphasized the cooperation between counties and organizations. Referring to the recently rescued hiker on the Chetco River, he said, "This last rescue mission included Curry, Jackson, and Del Norte counties."

Bakker also praised that growing spirit of cooperation, "I want to say that with (Oregon) Gov. Ted (Kulongoski) creating the Search And Rescue Task Force, and the cooperation of the sheriffs in the region, I feel that the air assets of the Civil Air Patrol will be activated quickly and we will use the 337 on the coast and mountain rescues for the actual Air Force assigned missions. The Guardians From Above will act as a private group to perform the humanitarian flights for the local and regional communities."

Bakker's unmitigated enthusiasm for the search and rescue project motivated someone to ask if he would like to be doing it full time. Bakker, who is employed in information systems at Pelican Bay prison, responded immediately, "With my 30 years of search and rescue experience, if I could find a sponsor to pay my salary, I'd quit my job at the prison in a minute."

FMI: www.orwg.cap.gov