You might see the Civil Air Patrol at your local small airport. Their planes are distinctively marked as you see in this example below:
Civil Air Patrol Cessna parked on the ramp.
They perform search missions as well as many other important functions, including teaching young people about aviation. It’s good to have people out there doing this job. You never know when you might need them.
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.
The Bent Page 
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