The Bent Page

While at my local small airport doing some writing, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of pilots who work with the Civil Air Patrol. Here in the United States, the Civil Air Patrol is given the task of inland search and rescue. If a small plane goes down these volunteers head out to find it. They also patrol for other purposes such as firewatches and the like. Here’s a look at one of their planes, a Cessna 182.

Many of these volunteers are former military and commercial pilots, that is people with many years of experience and plenty of training. The guys that I met were among the most competent pilots I had the pleasure of speaking with in recent months. They were also friendly and willing to explain the details of their tasks, equipment, and approach to both. I learned a few good tips this day, all for the price of a handshake. A great deal if ever there was one.