Newsletter - April 2001

August
1	Wing Staff Meeting - Iowa City Airport
16-19	National Board Meeting - Cincinnati, Ohio
18-19	Wing Ding - Waterloo Airport
25-26	FlyIowa - Iowa City Airport

September
5	Wing Staff Meeting
15	CN Downlink Training - Des Moines ANGB
15	Mission Aircrew School - Des Moines ANGB
29-30	Squadron Leadership School/Corporate Learning Course - Camp Dodge, Johnston, IA
29-30	Cadet Leadership School - Camp Dodge, Johnston, IA
October
12-14	Annual Wing Conference - Iowa State Memorial Union, Ames, IA
14	Commander's Call- Iowa State Memorial Union, Ames, IA
14	Cadet Advisory Council Meeting- Iowa State Memorial Union, Ames, IA

For lodging at the Memorial Union call 515-292-1111 as soon as possible $55.00 per night for 2. Conference information and the registration form are in the mail.

Seniors

Conference & Banquet - $50.00
Conference Only - $25.00
Banquet Only - $35.00.

Cadets

Conference & Banquet - $40.00
Conference Only - $20.00
Banquet Only - $30.00.

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH
FROM THE DESK OF THE THE DAVENPORT SQUADRON COMMANDER - MAJ JERRY LOWRY

Davenport recently had a Bonanza land short of runway 21. Barely missing the recently built masonry distributor's storage yard. A mechanic was taking the 1965 H-35 up for a test flight and apparently lost power before completing the circuit. No one was hurt and damage was limited to one bent prop blade, collapsed nose gear, dinged cowling and wing tips. The gear was down but the engine wasn't running when it landed. The final resting place was at the edge of an uncultivated bean field, 50 yards from the public highway.

I was at the airport shortly after the event preparing for a B-12 flight. On takeoff from runway 21, the ELT DF alarm light began to blink, what a surprise. I began circling the field to land thinking we had another hanger ELT when I spotted the Bonanza off the airport about 300 yards from the end of 21 and 100 yards short of the brick wholesaler's storage yard. The Eldridge police and news media were already on the scene so an emergency didn't exist. After putting 919CP in the hangar we drove over to the site to get the facts and tell the FBO to make sure the ELT was deactivated. I also informed the wing Commander in case AFRCC called. Subsequently, the FAA gave permission to move the plane to Carver's maintenance hanger at the airport.

Four days later, I'm at the airport again, taking off from runway 15, when at 300 feet the DF alarm light blinks again. It stayed on for about ten seconds and then stopped. On the next touch and go the same thing happened. This time I noted that it happened when the plane was approximately opposite a large maintenance hangar. After the next landing we taxied over to the hangar and received a good ELT signal and directional information. Carver aviation was informed but insisted that all ELTs were disabled. They finally sent a mechanic over with a key. The ELT in the same Bonanza had been disconnected from the external antenna but was still TURNED ON.

The lesson here is to fly with the DF gear in the alarm mode. You never know when you'll fly by an off airport incident. Be sure to switch off the alarm for tracking since the sense/direction gauges don't work in alarm mode. Also if someone deactivates an ELT they may think that disconnecting it from an antenna is good enough. Be sure the switch is off and if the wreckage is moved check it again with a tracker.

Since these weren't official missions no finds were credited. Sure beats the midnight phone call. The aircraft wasn't visible from the runway 21 during the pre-takeoff checks because it was behind the brick yard and sales building. The same problem would exist with tall corn and terrain depressions.

Iowa Wing received an "Excellent" rating at the Evaluated Exercise held at the Grinnell Airport. All are to be congratulated. REMEMBER PILOTS to update your personal information in your profile regarding your medial and your CAPF 5 (flight review)

FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR OF GLIDER OPERATIONS - LTC STEVE LEWIS
Remember we are having some good weather for the glider program. Iowa is making its mark in total CAP Glider Flights. Let's keep up the good work and contact me to set flight times for your cadets and any seniors who would like to receive training. So please contact me as soon as possible to set up flight times.

FROM THE DESK OF THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS - LTC MERCER RICHARDSON
New tests for CAPP 214 "Specialty Track Study Guide - Communications Officer" have been posted to the Communications Web Site. Now trainees can take the new and improved tests online. Scoring is automatic and when successfully completed, students are given a certificate of completion they can print out and have entered into their training records as documentation. This takes comm specialty track training into the 21st Century and makes it easier for all.

FROM THE DESK OF COL JOHN LALLA IC FOR MISSION 01M1713
On Monday 30 July 2001 there were satellite hits in the Des Moines Area. The Ames ground team was contacted to respond. The ground team picked up the signal 30 minutes after they left Ames and followed it to Des Moines. The ELT was located in the Air Life Helicopter at Mercy Hospital. The ground team was Capt Jansen, Capt Halbrook, and Cadets Sean Frantz and Eric Richardson. The entire mission was run in about 5 hours.

FROM THE DESK OF COL GENE KELLOGG IC FOR MISSION 01M1686 AND CAPT DOUG JANSEN GTL
It was a quiet Friday night in July when Central Iowa Composite Squadron Alerting Officer, Capt John Halbrook, received a phone call for COL Gene Kellogg, Iowa Wing Senior Mission Coordinator alerting the Squadron to an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) going off. Capt Halbrook alerted the squadron ground team immediately. The ground team, led by Capt Doug Jansen, included 2LT Kelly Calhoun, C/TSgt Sean Frantz and C/Amn Eric Richardson. The team was dispatched to the Indianola, IA area to conduct an electronic search for the ELT on 243 mHz. 243 mHz is usually reserved for military aircraft, so the ground team did not know quite what to make of this.

An aircrew from the Des Moines Composite Squadron, which included Mission Pilot Capt Don Reynolds and Mission Observer MAJ Chuck Lord, had been dispatched and arrived on scene to help narrow the search area for the ground team.

The search was narrowed down to a private airfield south of Indianola. A sweep of the area found that the signal was coming from a row of hangars in the residential part of the airfield. The owner of the airfield helped the ground team search for the ELT in several of his hangars. The ground team found the ELT in a restoration hangar. The squadron had located this same ELT a year ago at the same location. Apparently the owner was going to send the ELT in for service and hadn't removed the battery for shipment. This was the first actual mission and first "find" for 2Lt Calhoun and C/Amn Richardson.

NORTH CENTRAL REGION ENCAMPMENT
BY CAPT DOUG JANSEN AND TFO THERESA REUTER North Central Region Encampment The North Central Region decided that after a decade of not having a regional encampment, that it was time to revive this tradition. The Iowa Wing hosted the 2001 North Central Region Encampment 7-13 July, at Camp Dodge National Guard Base in Johnston, Iowa. There were over 100 cadets and over 20 senior members present under the command of COL Burgess Rennels, Director of Cadet Programs for North Central Region. Present at the encampment were cadets and senior members from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, and North Dakota Wings.

Opportunities to learn presented themselves everyday during the week-long encampment. For example, cadets were able to conquer fears of heights and learn to trust their leaders while rappelling down a 40-foot tower. By participating in the Leadership Reaction Course, the cadets worked as a team to overcome obstacles and achieve a common goal. Participation in installments of the Global Diplomacy activity allowed cadets to work as a team again as they attempted to create a world that operated peacefully. The week also presented more chances to learn through firearms training in the Firearms Training Simulator. COL Rex Glasgow, Iowa Wing Commander and Deputy Encampment Commander, Capt John Halbrook, Chief Tactical Officer, and Capt Doug Jansen, Logistics Officer, showed cadets how to safely operate the M-9, M-16, and SAW weapons. LTC Gerry Levesque, National DDR Coordinator and Commandant of Cadets for the encampment, taught the cadets how to make a "squared-away" bunk. The cadets marched to the STARC Armory and were briefed on how the Iowa National Guard is prepared to handle natural disasters as a team. Every evening the cadets competed in a volleyball competition, but nobody had enough teamwork to beat the staff! Finally, on the last day the cadets looked sharp as they marched in the Pass in Review in front of dignitaries, friends, and family.

The North Central Encampment served as a learning opportunity for everyone present. From the basic cadets to the senior staff, everyone went home having leaned valuable lessons that could be taken home. Plans are already being made for the 2002 Region Encampment.

This & That

--We understand the Flight Encampment in Minnesota was a BIG success. All 24 cadets attending soloed. This includes our own cadets Steve Skiff from East Iowa Cadet Squadron and Erin Lowry from Davenport Composite Squadron. Major Jerry Lowry and Capt George Cobley were instructors. Look for pictures at Wing Conference.

Thanks to one and all for sending material for this months issue. Please send any information anytime to pa@iawg.cap.gov

1LT Julia Bachtell
CPT Dave Bachtell
E-mail - pa@iawg.cap.gov