Out Of Pattern

The images burn into our corneas. On "Real TV," helicopters lift flood victims off the roofs of their cars in the middle of raging torrents of water. We see the look on a parent's face as a search and rescue ground crewmember returns their lost toddler. We share the relief in the wife's eyes when an airborne search and rescue crew reports spotting her husband's boat, operator on board, drifting, powerless on the open seas.

The search and rescue crews that saved those people were all highly trained, you know that. You might not realize, however, that many of the people who participated in those rescues were not professionals - just ordinary men and women who simply wanted to help out. Perhaps, like you and me, they, too, had seen the images on TV and decided there was something special about learning to save lives.

I got the "helping" bug myself after watching a particularly moving episode on the nightly news. With research I discovered not one, but two search and rescue oriented volunteer organizations in my hometown, and I suspect there are others. I focused on the Sundowners Search and Rescue of Lee County and the Civil Air Patrol, because they involve airplanes and aircraft searches - naturals for me.

Sundowners President Ralph McDonald explains that the group flies coastline patrol every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening, shortly before sunset. Two Cessna 172s, each with a pilot and observer, head out to cruise up the coast some 40 miles along a long, popular sound, across a large bay, then out to sea and back onto the coast, then across a bay and back home by dark.

"We're looking for boaters in distress," says McDonald. "We watch for flares, boats that have drifted into the mangroves and might not easily be seen from the ground, those that might have overturned, gone aground or are drifting in open water." When the pilot or observer spots a boater in distress the Cessna circles, pinpointing the location and letting the boater know he's been found.

"We use a marine radio on the airplanes to let other boaters nearby know about the problem, and, if there's no one nearby to help, we'll notify the Coast Guard about the problem," McDonald says. Imagine the feelings of a young family with small children after sitting in an isolated area for a few hours, with darkness approaching, when they see that Cessna circling overhead.

The Sundowners consists of 90 pilots and 50 observers, all of whom donate their time for the project. The money to operate the airplanes is also donated (the group has 501(c) (3) tax deductible status) by others in the local community. With so many pilots and observers and so few airplanes each person's chores are minimal, but their rewards are substantial.

Major Charles Vogelsong's Civil Air Patrol Wing is a somewhat bigger commitment of time and energy, but has some other tangible benefits to even things out. "The CAP has a national mandate from Congress to provide search and rescue for downed aircraft in the U.S.," says Vogelsong. "Our emblem is a three-bladed propeller, which stands for our three missions: Emergency Services and Disaster Relief; Aerospace Education; and finally, Cadet programs."

By word of mouth alone the CAP Wing in my hometown has grown from three cadets (sixth graders and up) to nearly 30 in little more than two years. Vogelsong and other adult officers teach the cadets all aspects of ground search and rescue, as well as how to assist the mission staff and control flightline safety during rescue missions.

In return for their hard work cadets are treated to orientation flights by the adult officers, learn military etiquette, and have the opportunity to advance to junior officer positions. Those junior officer positions earn a cadet officer significant benefits, even advanced-pay standing in the Air Force, should he or she choose that career path.

The cadets in my hometown do more, though. They staff and run an after-school program at one of the middle schools, help with crowd control and flightline safety at all our local air shows, and generally present a positive face in a community where juvenile crime makes up 70 percent of the police calls. These kids learn quickly that the top 10 percent of military academy graduates are former CAP cadets - they know that if they stick to it there are lifelong rewards. Besides, it's interesting and fun.

Now that I've found a few fine outfits who can train me and keep me busy, I've got to make some tough time-management decisions (but that's another story). If you've watched these unsung heroes and felt the urge to help out, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd find a few search and rescue outfits around the corner from you, too. Give them a call. They'll train you to really make a difference with your piloting skills. Come on. There's a little bit of hero in all of us.