CAF - Looking for info on joining/flying

[FastPilot]

Anyone here have any direct dealings with the CAF? I aminterested in joining. What are the requirements to get checked out in the aircraft?

Steve

 

[PA-44Typed]

FastPilot

I am currently in the process of joining the CAP. You need to find out when the local chapter has its meetings. Just show up and tell them that you are interested in joining as a senior member. They will be able to tell you what you have to do.
In a nutshell, you need to pay something like $27 to the local chapter and then $57 to the national board. Fill out an application and go get finger printed for an FBI background check. After all that you will need to attend a senior member training (only a few hours). Then you can get checked out in the chapter’s airplane. Once all this has been done you can teach (if you have a CFI) or fly search and rescuer or counter narcotics.
As far as the uniform goes you can either wear the “flight suit” or just wear gray pants with a navy polo.
Over all I am really looking forward to getting involved, there are many other things to do other than just fly.
Fly safe.

 

[BradG]

I believe that he ment CAF....Confederate AIr Force......

 

[bobbysamd]

Do you mean the Confederate Air Force or Civil Air Patrol?

I belonged to CAP for six years. I met some great people, learned a great deal about flying from some real professionals and enhanced my abilities, took some excellent personal development courses, was a real part of my organization, and had some great experiences. A lot depends on the quality of your squadron. CAP is like a lot of volunteer organizations; if everyone pulls their weight and is professional it can be very satisfying. But if only a few people do the work and there are the typical volunteer organiztion politics CAP can be very disappointing. I've experienced it both ways.

Run a search on CAP on the board. There have been several discussions on it.

 

[Airline Pilot27]

It is now called The Comemorate Air Force. Confederate was not politically correct. One of my stews was a volunteer on a B-25 based in Midland. She said that they are always in need of pilots.

 

[flywithastick]

CAF - membership is about $350 as I recall. Sponsorships are variable. Best I can recall they start at ~$1000 and go up to ~$10,000. I believe a T-6 sponsorship is ~$5,000 as I recall, but this may be wing specific.

If it were easy to walk up and plunk down your money and get to fly their planes, there'd be a lot of people (like ME) in line to fly. More likely you'll have to get to find a wing with something you'd be able to fly (L-birds, trainers, T-6) get to know the folks in the wing, wash some planes, do some maintenance, do some more maintenance, then start working on a checkout, put up a sponsorship then get a CAF checkride.

 

[PA-44Typed]

My bad, I should have spent a few more seconds reading and less time dreaming about a CRJ.
~Sorry
The Confederate Air force……….I mean Commemorative Air Force. IF you want to fly the aircraft then you have to pay a “sponsorship fee”. The amount differs from plane to plane. For the smaller one like the PT-26 (preWWII trainer) it’s something like $1500 a year. This fee will usually entitle you to 2 hour a month. IF you fly more than that, all you pay for is gas. There are other things to do as well; we always need people to turn a wrench or two.

 

[bobbysamd]

CAF

One of my best experiences in aviation was before I turned to it full time. I was a radio news reporter in Oklahoma City at the time and the CAF came to Wiley Post Airport. I covered it for my radio station. The CAF brought its B-29 and a B-24 Liberator (the Liberator was really a C-87 and/or LB-30). I got to sit in the left seat of the B-29! It had two instruments at the top of the control column; the turn and bank, for sure, and an HI.

It was soooooooooo awesome!

 

[FastPilot]

I was referring to the Comemorate Air Force. I'm not going to say that the money is easy to come by, but my wife is very involved in the Houston LS@Rodeo, and so we agreed that my joining the CAF would be the same thing. My father used to fly their aircraft in Louisiana many years ago, and I always wanted to do the same. Do they have lifetime memberships? Does anyone know any people in Houston who are involved, and what aircraft are available?

Steve

 

[EagleRJ]

Everyone else is correct about the sponsorship fees. They are as much to seperate the serious pilots from the dreamers as they are to fund the operation of the aircraft. Once you join a wing, you will get to know the wing's officers, and whoever is in charge of checkouts will be able to give you guidance.

A lot of pilots think they can use the CAF to put them in their dream machine- that they can pony up $10,000 and strap on a Mustang or a Corsair. Flight sponsorship of the fighters is very different from flying the trainers, transports, and bombers. There is an interview process, and they usually start looking at people when they have over 1000 hours in high-performance singles (and by that, I mean T-28s, AT-6s, A-1s, and the like). A P-51 is obviously a lot of airplane, and they want to make sure you have plenty of experience before they entrust you with one.

There are a lot of great people invoved with the CAF. They range from people who aren't pilots but are interested in WWII history, to retired and current airline pilots. Getting to know people in the local wing is the best way to get involved, and it sure helps if you have the time to help out. Most wings have a monthly meeting, and on weekends they meet at the hangar to BS, do chores, and perform maintenance. Those old airplanes need a lot of maintenance- sometimes hundreds of man-hours for every hour of flight, so sweat equity is one of the most important contributions you can make.

You can PM me if you have any other questions. I've only been in the CAF for a few years and I'm not a flight sponsor yet, but I'm planning to be soon- probably this summer!