Navigator / Spotter Training Feb 2012

Seven of our certified spotters have decided to take the Navigation Course through CASARA.

On Jan 6, 2012 we got together for the first time to start the process of becoming Navigators.

Al, Brian, Elaine, Larry, Lauretta, Marty and Sandi started with the slideshow presentation followed by map info, plotting lat long, laying out search patterns, in short learning a lot of new information for some and a review for others. We met again on Jan 24 and completed the course on Jan. 31. How comes the hard part. While we can plot a search pattern we now face the task of trying to keep an airplane on course following that pattern. The goal will be four individual flight each of different search tracks and doing this in a manner that is within 600 feet of the search track we are to be following. This requires an excellent pilot and good communication so that both the pilot and the navigator are of one mind. Sounds like a challenge. Tomorrow is Feb. 4, 2012 and it's the day we get to try out the knowledge we have gained in the past weeks. Good Luck guys. Tomorrow is also a Spotter training day. Stephaine, Dave and Nader will be able to gain the flight time to become certified spotters. Many of us well also be able to get in a refresher spotter flight to keep us current with the requirements of the CASARA standards.

The great thing in all this is that Lethbridge is well on it's way to re-certification to hopefully regain it's former status as Zone # 1 in Alberta. That would be a very good situation. It will most certainly take some of the pressure off of CASARA Calgary volunteers.

Books, Patches and Wings

Oct. 27, 2011

At the Lethbridge Sport Flyers Annual General meeting, I was please to be able to hand out the log books, patches, wings and pins to Larry, Elaine, Al, Sandy, Lauretta and Ed, six of the newly certified nine, CASARA Lethbridge Spotters. I have received my log book already. These members are also members of the LSF and I was proud to be able the present the certification in front of our fellow members and I believe everyone is happy to see a CASARA presence in Lethbridge once more. Brian and Emery are also certified spotters and will receive their wings, books and patches ASAP.

We still have some work to do, Nader and Stephaine will need classroom training. Dwight needs two more flights and Jason and Dave need the final flight. Hopefully we can do the classroom ASAP and get a plane do so everyone can be certified. Once this is done we can start to look at navigation and hopefully pilots. First Aid training is being looked into. I am also looking at some general public awareness by getting our group in local print.

On another note, you will have noted the CASARA cap, I made a link to CASARA merchandise on the upper right side of the blog. New caps are being looked into as these have the button and may be uncomfortable with a headset when flying. All merchandise can be ordered directly by CASARA members. As for the possible new caps I'll keep you posted.

Please also feel free to post to this blog, just send me the article and I'll post it. I will set this blog so you can post directly very soon.

Marty CZCLC CASARA Zone Commander Lethbridge / Calgary

Welcome to CASARA Lethbridge

Welcome to CASARA Lethbridge

CASARA Lethbridge Sector is new to the CASARA Calgary Zone family.

CASARA stands for Civil Air Search And Rescue Association. CASARA consists of provincial links in BC, AB, SK, MB, ONT, QC and Nova Scotia. Many provinces are divided into sectors and Alberta is no exception. Alberta has several zones and Lethbridge is at the start of one day establishing itself as a zone once more.

This all began with contact being made at a Fly In breakfast in Medicine Hat. Larry and I flew from Coaldale and met the reps from CASARA that were in for the day to promote CASARA. I also serve on the executive of the Lethbridge Sport Flyers a local flying club and suggested we invite CASARA to speak to the club at a monthly meeting. The invite was sent and CASARA Calgary responded with an excellent presentation of what they do. Next was to send out an email to the membership of the LSF's and see who may be interested in becoming active members of CASARA.

The result was that 12 individuals directly connected to the LSF's decided to take the training to become spotters for CASARA. Two more individuals also signed on and the stage was set to get the show on the road.

-mn

Training Day

On Friday evening June 18,  the first training event was held for the new Lethbridge CASARA trainees. Dwight and Dave from CASARA Calgary held a three hour informational class and introduced many of us to CASARA for the first time. Thirteen individuals went through the class with the plan to do two hours of flight training the next day.

Our thanks to Excel Flight School (Roland) for donating the use of his classroom for the training evening.

Saturday ..  Flight Training

The day started at 9:45 am with three teams of two "spotters in training", a navigator and pilot soon in the air and off to the various targets and ELTs . In this two hour flight the new spotters put into practice the lessons of the previous evening and did their best to locate the ground targets. There were three target areas and two ELTs to find. The ELTs or Emergency Locator Transmitter is a radio beacon carried aboard all certified aircraft in Canada.

The training day also consisted of ground location training as well. Two vehicles with the remaining trainees were dispatched from the Lethbridge Airport with equipment used to locate the target ELT's. The morning teams located both ELT targets and all includiing the flights returned to the Air West hangar for lunch and debriefing. In the afternoon the ground teams took the air training and the Air team took the ground training.

Twelve individuals were put through the training exercise and are well on their way to becoming fully certified CASARA spotters. The next step is to arrange for one more flight training day where we one more hour of spotter training. Soon stay tuned.

Thanks again to Excel Flight School for the use of their classroom on Saturday and also to Air West Flight Services who cared for the needs of the CASARA team of pilots.
Thanks also to the CASARA training team, Pilots; (Gary, Dwight, and Denis)  Navigators; (Norm, Fred and Warren) and ground trainer;  (Dave) from CASARA Calgary.



mn

Training Day Photo

What were we looking for ?

Assisting CASARA Calgary with targeting

CASARA Lethbridge assisted the Calgary CASARA team with training on Sept. 10, 2011 by placing a target and ELT. Thanks to Fletcher aerodrome for allowing the placement and aiding in the training. Apparently only one team found the target but that is the way things happen. It is very hard to spot things from the air. In the training plane you are about 500 ft. up and are moving along at about 150 mph based on the ground.

mn