The CAP's mission statement is "to serve Florida by performing Homeland Security and humanitarian missions for our state, developing our state's youth, and educating our citizens on the importance of air and space power."
     The Fernandina Beach Senior Squadron is comprised entirely of volunteers ranging in ages from 18 to 85 years old. There are 47 members who make up this local group and one Cessna 182 that is owned and maintained by the U.S.A.F. Each person has an interesting background and uses his or her specific skills from a past career to help with operations of the CAP, whether it is in the sky or on land. The many professions vary from corporate financial officer to aircraft controller to ham radio operator. "There are 17 pilots with over 100,000 hours and 300 years of flying experience," states Squadron Commander Paul Condit.

The Cessna 182 used by the Fernandina Beach
Senior Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.
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     Locally, there are three key men who head the Senior Squadron in Fernandina Beach. The Squadron Commander, 1ST Lt. Paul Condit, whose former career was with Kodak for 30 years; the Deputy Commander, Lt. Colonel Jerry Kawecki, with a military background of 35 years in the Air Force as a B-52 pilot; and Director of Operations Frank Reidinger, who also flew for the Air Force for eight years and then with Delta for 31 years. Until about six months ago, Kawecki was squadron commander and Condit was deputy commander. Kawecki said it was time for a change, and that's why their positions have flip-flopped. "New people give a new outlook, a fresh turnover. It is time to let others have a chance to change programs and show new ways to educate people."

Making plans before a recent training mission are
(l to r) Mike Shatzman, Andy Curtin and Jim McCanell.
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     The CAP has an interesting history. The invasion of Pearl Harbor led the United States into World War II, but many Americans saw this threat even before 1941. In 1938, as many as 150,000 men and women involved in aviation began to argue for the creation of an organization that would use its resources in aerospace to aid the nation if America became involved in the event of conflict. The resulting organization became known as the Civil Air Patrol. The CAP was founded on December 1, 1941, just one week before Pearl Harbor. It was started under the Office of Civilian Defense as a private, non-profit corporation chartered under a special Act of Congress. Congress later incorporated the Civil Air Patrol on July 1, 1946.
     The CAP spans all 50 states then splits into regions, such as the southeast region of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. It further splits into Wings, Florida wing, and splits again into Squadrons, Fernandina Senior Squadron. The Florida CAP Wing has been serving the state for the last 62 years.
     The Air Force funds all flights that constitute as missions, such as when a request has been made for assistance with a search-and-rescue mission for a missing aircraft. Also, for each space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral, CAP pilots and mission specialists establish a perimeter around the launch area to enhance the safety of the facility and the launch itself. The perimeter is a box in which the pilots fly looking for other aircraft or boaters that may venture too close to the launch area. In such an event, the proper authorities are notified to neutralize any possible threat. Another instance of Homeland Security, during the events leading up to the War on Terror after 9-11-01, the CAP flew missions over Blount Island to ensure the safety of workers and military equipment being shipped overseas.
     During the summer months, beginning Memorial Day Weekend and ending Labor Day weekend, the local CAP Squadron performs Sundown Patrols each evening that begin no later than 6:30 p.m. and take about an hour from start to finish. During these patrols, CAP crew takes off from Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport each evening of the weekend. These patrols loop the island from Mayport to Cumberland Island and from the Intercoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. During these patrols, the pilot, observer and scanner look for stranded boaters or anything out of the ordinary.

Squadron Commander Paul Condit poses by the
CAP's Cessna 182 with a group of cadets.
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     The local squadron of the CAP is also involved with the CAP Cadet program. In this program cadets ranging in ages from 14 to 18 are taken on eight orientation flights to introduce them to the world of aviation. Also, the CAP operates on the collegiate level by training ROTC cadets from Gainesville and Tallahassee. Most of these cadets will go on to be pilots and eventually participate in their own local squadrons of the CAP.
     The CAP meets twice a month to discuss upcoming events and generalized safety training. The first Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. is the general membership meeting, where current information is passed on. This meeting is also used to conduct training for the volunteers of the CAP. On the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. is the Safety Meeting, which is crucial to all but especially the pilots, due to more mission-oriented information.
     New for this year is a scholarship program instituted for Nassau County High School students who wish to be involved in the aerospace industry. The top candidate receives a two-year, $1,000 scholarship to a technical school of their choice. These candidates will be chosen carefully each May.
     The CAP operates on a totally volunteer basis, and since the U.S.A.F. limits funding to missions only, each pilot is required to pay out of pocket for all the flying time they use to keep their skills up-to-date. The squadron relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the community in order to function properly. Fundraising includes activities such as parking cars for the Concours d' Elegance in March and the CAP Smoothie Booth at the annual Shrimp Festival in May.
     Membership or volunteer information is available via the internet by contacting Squadron Commander Paul Condit at serfl323@net-magic.net, or by regular mail at: Fernandina Senior Squadron Civil Air Patrol, P.O. Box 6282, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035.