I flew from Fort Meade to Hagerstown, today, to catch lunch with my friend at the Civil Air Patrol cadet solo school. The weather was perfect for VFR flying, and the cadets are progressing well, in both their academic and flying skills.
The Maryland Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is hosting a 10-day solo school for highly-motivated cadets at the Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A Henson Field. My friend, Dan, is one of the flight instructors at the school; he invited me to come out to meet the cadets and have lunch, today.
I picked up my favorite CAP aircraft at Tipton Airport at Fort Meade, Maryland, and flew out to Hagerstown. The weather, today, is absolutely perfect for visual flying: 10 mile visibility, low winds, and about 65 degrees (up at 5,500 feet). The cool air is a welcome relief, after a week of record-breaking temperatures.
When I arrived, Dan was preparing to take off wth a student to practice steep turns and emergency procedures. I was invited to fly along in the back seat, but I opted to wait in the pilot’s lounge. Aviation maneuvers are tough enough when I’m the pilot; I don’t want to sit through them in a cramped back seat. Other cadets were hard at work preparing for their ground school test. They have just over week to prepare for and complete a written test and a practical test that will culminate in their flying solo in the traffic pattern, a major milestone for all pilots. The first solo flight is often more emotionally rewarding than completing the requirements for a pilot’s certificate, as it is the first time that a student pilot is able to demonstrate autonomy in the cockpit, through three take-offs and landings.
Although we had planned on eating lunch at a restaurant, the cadets and CAP senior members talked Dan and me into eating with them, and I’m glad that we did. There’s not much that complements a good meal as much as camaraderie.
I think that I may return to Hagerstown on Wednesday, so I can watch the students solo. They deserve my cheers.
