last modified: Thursday, May 20, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Civil Air Patrol will offer special activities for parents, children and classroom teachers during the June 5-6 Wings of Victory air show at Maxwell AFB, Ala.

As part of a comprehensive display, CAP will provide hands-on educational activities for children of all ages.

Younger children can try their hands at maneuvering a small remote-controlled Mars Rover as well as other small remote-controlled vehicles. They’ll also enjoy airplane and spaceman beanbag toss games.

Older children can build their own boomerangs and robotic arms using wooden craft sticks. They can also test their flight skills on CAP’s flight simulator.

These activities are part of CAP’s MARS program (Making Aerospace Real for Students). Teachers and parents visiting the CAP display can get more information about using these educational activities at home and in the classroom.

CAP’s display also will include aircraft used for its missions and training programs. Of particular interest will be a classic Stinson LT air ambulance similar to planes flown by CAP members during World War II. Present-day CAP aircraft on display will include a Cessna 182 and Maule MT7, both used today by CAP for search and rescue and reconnaissance operations, and a Blanik L23 glider, frequently used in aviation training for cadets.

CAP’s headquarters operations staff will display aerial photos taken with new satellite digital imaging equipment. They will also demonstrate a new portable high-frequency radio, also known as “high-frequency automatic linking equipment,” which provides CAP with the capability for nationwide command and control communications.

CAP members from the Alabama Wing and staff from CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell AFB will be on hand to provide information about CAP programs, including emergency services training, aerospace education school programs, cadet activities, and drug-free programs for youth. CAP’s larger-than-life mascot, Cadet Ken, will also make an appearance.

Visitors will find the CAP display on the grassy area behind the Maxwell Aero Club, with an additional CAP information center located in the nearby fuel cell hangar.

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force Auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its 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. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

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