CADETS DISCOVER A POSSIBLE FUTURE IN THE PAST
By Maj. Maria Esparraguera, Harford Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- From the minute 16 Civil Air Patrol cadets walked into the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, aviation history surrounded them. The youth, ages 12 to 18, toured the facility March 23.
Soon after entering the sprawling complex near Dulles International Airport, the cadets gawked at a sleek SR-71 Blackbird while former SR-71 pilot Air Force Col. (Ret.) Adelbert “Buz” Carpenter, who now serves as a docent at the museum, talked to the group about the plane and its capabilities.
President Eisenhower recognized that U.S. spy planes flying over the Soviet Union during the Cold War had shown up on radar, Carpenter told the cadets. The president wanted a high-flying, undetectable, reconnaissance plane.
Civil Air Patrol cadets and senior members from Maryland Wing’s Harford Composite Squadron learn about the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, March 23, 2019. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Michelle Travers)
Of the 35 SR-71s ever built, none were lost to enemy forces, he said. The aircraft flew at a 35 miles per minute, or over 2,000 miles per hour. Carpenter showed up pictures of his view of Earth from 80,000 feet. He said he was never worried about going into space because the plane could not do that.
Carpenter said that the Blackbird got so hot that the glass windows in the cockpit often reached more than 500 degrees and he couldn’t touch them for long, even in his flight suit. The titanium plane expanded so much at speed from the heat that it leaked a lot of fuel when it taxied on the ground at lower temperatures. The cadets learned that the fuel was a special fuel that would not catch fire at higher temperatures. Carpenter talked about the positioning system that the aircraft employed that used the stars as guides. This was long before GPS but had amazing accuracy, he said. Carpenter handed the group his folder of flight pictures and said that the plane could accurately take a picture of a folder handed between two people from 80,000 feet.
He loved to play tricks on air traffic controllers, he said, who may not have been familiar with the SR-71’s call sign “Aspen.” He recalled once requesting a flight level of six-zero-zero, or 60,000 feet, far above the reach of general aviation aircraft. The controller asked how he would climb to that level. He replied that it wouldn’t take long to descend to flight Level six-zero-zero. There was a long pause. Then the controller said, “Aspen, cleared as requested.”
Carpenter told the cadets to “dream high,” and to never lose their dreams. He said he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, and while he was there, he heard about the unique planes. Little did he know that eight years later he would be able to fly them. It was something he dreamed about, he said.
Civil Air Patrol cadets and senior members from Maryland Wing’s Harford Composite Squadron learn about the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, March 23, 2019. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Michelle Travers)
The cadets, from the Maryland Wing’s Harford Composite Squadron at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, tore themselves away from the SR-71 and toured the helicopters.
Several cadets knew the Cobra, Huey and Chinook. One of the senior members, 2nd Lt. Samuel Thomas, a retired Army aviator, had flown the AH-1 Cobra, and told the group that the reason it had flat-paneled windows was to minimize the sun’s reflection and the chances of being seen by the enemy. The Cobra carried Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided missiles, known as TOW missiles. When launched, the shooters had to keep the target in the crosshairs in order to keep the missile on track. Wires actually extended from the missile and could become entangled in the helicopter blades or rotors if maneuvered in a certain way after launch. Pilots could not see the wires and had to ensure that they did not descent into their path or risk entanglement. The wires were automatically cut after 3,000 meters. The complex design was balanced by the effectiveness of the weapon, Thomas said, and the Cobras had much success during many conflicts.
Civil Air Patrol Senior Member 2nd Lt. Samuel Thomas from Maryland Wing’s Harford Composite Squadron, a from AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter pilot, tells cadets about the aircraft. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Michelle Travers)
In addition to seeing many historic planes, the group viewed the Cessna 180 “Spirit of Columbus.” The first woman to fly solo around the world, Jerrie Mock, had flown the plane in a skirt and hose. At one airport in Asia, they didn’t want to let her back across the flight line because they didn’t believe she was actually the pilot of the plane.
The cadets also saw the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, which was the first plane to fly one person, pilot Steve Fosset, around the world without stopping to refuel. He did it in just over 67 hours from February 28 to March 2, 2005. The plane held 2,915 gallons of fuel; 83-percent of the maximum weight was fuel.
They also saw Japanese Tokko-tai (Special Attack) unit planes, which are also known as kamikaze. The model they saw, Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 22, was designed to allow a pilot with minimal training to drop from a Japanese navy bomber and guide his aircraft with its warhead at high speed into an Allied warship. More than 5,000 pilots died making these attacks.
The group learned some facts on the trip that bring aviation so close to home. One of our local airports north of Baltimore is Martin State, which is where an aircraft manufacturer, Glenn Martin had an aircraft factory. Glenn Martin is linked to Billy Mitchell, who in 1920, was convinced that air power would be the decisive factor in any future conflict, and that large fleets of Navy ships were particularly vulnerable to air attack. At the time, it was something that the Navy did not want to hear. On July 20, 1921, MB-2's, built by Glenn Martin, were led by Billy Mitchell against the German battleship Ostfreisland, which naval experts believed to be virtually unsinkable. Twenty minutes and two bomb hits later, the ship was at the bottom of the sea.
It is amazing to think that we’ve come so far in aviation in a little over 100 years. From the rickety wooden planes by the Wright brothers to the space shuttle and the SR-71, aviation has come so far. Who knows where the next 100 years will take humanity and who will make that happen?
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird dominates the center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Michelle Travers)
Harford Composite Squadron features both adult and youth programs. The unit meets Mondays from 7-9 p.m. at the Aberdeen Proving Ground STEM Center, Building 4508, 6483 Wayberry Road.
Do you have a passion for aviation, dream of flight, or are considering a career in the military? Do you want to serve your community and enhance your leadership skills? Join us. Youths, ages 12 to 18, as well as parents and adults interested in the cadet and/or senior program are welcome to visit meetings and talk with the staff. Follow the squadron on Facebook.
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for information.
More than 1,500 members serve in Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing. Last year, wing members flew 13 actual search and rescue missions. Overall, the Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland, flying 2,245 hours in all mission categories, and was credited with four finds. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For information, contact the Maryland Wing at mdwg.cap.gov or follow the wing on Facebook.
