Maryland Wing aircrew utilizes airborne repeater to support search training

8/25/2018 – Hagerstown, MD.- Maryland Wing Civil Air Patrol aircrew is utilizing a high-tech radio system to expand communications with teams. An electronic repeater installed in a Cessna 172 single engine aircraft allows teams from all around the state to communicate on VHF (very-high frequency) radios. As the airplane circles at 7,500 feet above Westminster, MD, ground teams in Frederick, Baltimore and Bowie can speak directly to Incident Command Post staff in Hagerstown. Radio communications with the repeater can expand the signal 45 miles or greater, depending on weather conditions. Dedicated frequencies supplied by the Department of Defense allow CAP uninterrupted communications throughout the nation.

Nearly 1,500 CAP members serve in Maryland. Last year wing members flew 13 search and rescue missions. The wing was credited with four finds. Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland. Members flew 2,245 hours in all mission categories. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For more information, contact the Maryland Wing at mdwg.cap.gov or follow the wing on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarylandWingCivilAirPatrol.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit http://gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.

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Lt. Col. Christopher Roche, CAP

Public Information Officer

Maryland Wing, Civil Air Patrol

christopher.roche@glmcscap.org