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Seniors


Welcome to the Senior side of
Tahoe Truckee Composite Squadron
(NV027)

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Our Squadron Commander is

Lt Col Kenneth Aronson

Your Tahoe-Truckee Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a public service organization dedicated to carrying out emergency services and disaster relief missions in the North Tahoe region. Here’s a look back at some of our accomplishments in 2023. We hope this inspires you to consider volunteering and becoming part of CAP’s legacy of service.

In the early part of 2023, our squadron, passed a routine Subordinate Unit Inspection (SUI) by the Nevada Wing staff - with a perfect score. Congratulations and thanks to all our section leaders from Administration to Transportation. It takes a lot of people and commitment to run a successful squadron.

New Cessna Turbo 206 Airplane

In early 2021 our squadron received a factory new Cessna Turbo 206 airplane. Major Andrew McNear from our squadron and Col Russ Smith the Douglas County squadron flew the plane from the factory back to the Truckee Tahoe Airport in March. This great new airplane is turbocharged.  It can produce full power up to 17,000 feet and has a maximum operating altitude of 25,000 feet. The T206 is fully equipped with a Garmin G1000Nxi flight management system and a GFC700 autopilot, as well as a Becker ELT locator system. Search and rescue specific radios allow continuous communication with our ground-based crews and rescue incident commanders, all of which make our new Cessna T206 the ideal plane for operating in the mountainous terrain in our Northern California and Northern Nevada area of responsibility.

New Office, Storage and Communications Facility

In February we reached agreement with the local EAA chapter to take over an unused paint booth for office space, storage and a communications center, which allowed us to vacate the old space we'd been using at the end of Hangar Row "C".  Capt Dan Beadle led a group of volunteers that included me, SM Jack Ellis and SM Robert Eyre to refurbish the space.  Capt Bob Auguste designed and built antenna mounts and hooked up all of the hardware.  SM Maggie Schumacher took on leadership of communications center operations.  We received permission from the FAA to install an antenna in June and conducted our first missions in August.

Mission to Mars Space Camp

In July and August we once again conducted our Mission to Mars Space Camp. Senior and Cadet Squadron members volunteered to produce three, one-week space camps. This is a key part of the CAP Aerospace Education mission to increase STEM education. Our volunteers taught children, ages 6-12 years old, in aeronautical basics. During each week campers were able to understand lift, aircraft control, build model airplanes, learn how realplanes are built and even fly drones. All of this was done under a framework of traveling to Mars. Our CAP Senior and Cadet volunteers contributed well over 700 hours to lead this Truckee Recreation Center camp.

Addition of Ground Team Capability

Under the leadership of 2nd Lt Jimmy Smith the squadron has reactivated a ground team search program.  We have new packs for training and several cadets have already participated in a combined ground/air exercise.  We're expecting a set of new handheld radios shortly that will allow ground team members to communicate with our squadron's support vehicle and any CAP aircraft.

Emergency Services Missions

In August we sent an air crew consisting of Capt Dan Beadle, SM Robert Eyre and 1st LT Rick Schnoor to search for a missing person in the mountains near Winnemucca.  Our new communications center, led by SM Maggie Schumacher and Capt Bob Auguste, and staffed by cadets John Schumacher, Levi Cohen and Max Battaglia helped the CAP Incident Commander keep tabs on our crew and a crew out of Minden the following day.

Also in August a four person crew consisting of Capt Dan Beadle, SM Jack Ellis, SM Robert Eyre and SM Charles Lewis flew an all day mission in support of our military by looking for uncharted obstacles along 300 miles of a low level training route used by the US Air Force.

Emergency Services Qualifications

We continued to add depth and experience to our air and ground emergency services staff.  Members added the following qualifications:

Introductory Communication User Training:  SM Robert Eyre, SM Maggie Schumacher and 2nd Lt Jimmy Smith

Airborne Photography:  Capt Dan Beadle and SM Jack Ellis

Check Pilot:  Capt Dan Beadle

Ground Team Member 3:  2nd Lt Jimmy Smith

Instructor Pilot:  SM Art Smith

Introductory Communication User Training:  SM Robert Eyre, SM Maggie Schumacher and 2nd Lt Jimmy Smith

Mission Observer:  SM Jack Ellis and SM Robert Eyre

Mission Radio Operator:  Capt Dan Beadle, SM Jack Ellis and SM Robert Eyre

Mission Scanner:  SM Robert Eyre, SM Skye Laskin, SM Charles Lewis and SM Art Smith

Orientation Flight Pilot:  SM Jack Ellis and SM Art Smith

Transport/VFR Pilot:  SM Jack Ellis, SM Robert Eyre, SM Charles Lewis and SM Art Smith

Several cadets have also earned their ICUT qualifications (c/Amn Max Battaglia, c/AMN Levi Cohen, c/MSgt Sierra Demarest, and c/SSgt John Schumacher).  c/SSgt Schumacher has also earned his MRO qualification, which means he's eligible to join the squadron's emergency services call-out list.

By early 2024 we expect to have at least five qualified members in every air crew and communications position as well as two Air Operations Branch Directors.

 

For more information, see us on Facebook.



 

Take-off from Hawthorne, NV during a Search and Rescue Exercise. Thanks Betty for the picture.

 
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