Fargo, North Dakota.

It’s finally getting warm enough for the snow to melt in the state. In fact, in the eastern part of the state, the snow is all but gone. However, the water that it was storing has to find its way to the rivers. The rivers rise and begin flowing out of their banks threatening towns and farms that are near the river’s edges.

The photos in this post were all captured May 4 and 5, 2022. The opening photo demonstrates the extent of the overland flooding in the northeastern part of the state. I-29 generally parallels the Red River of the North from Pembina at the Canadian border south through Grand Forks and Fargo to the South Dakota border, and points south.

Around the city of Grand Forks and throughout the northern and western parts of the state, water is standing in the fields because the rivers are full. In the Minot area, for example, an April blizzard brought around four feet (1.3 m) of fresh snow on top of what was already there.

Last week, flight crews were needed in North Dakota to capture the current river conditions for several critical areas in North Dakota. It’s no secret on these pages that I am a volunteer for the Civil Air Patrol, an all-volunteer civilian agency that works with FEMA, the United States Air Force, and various departments in state governments. In North Dakota, our main contact is the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

To put some faces on the volunteers, the image above is from a few years ago, taken during hurricane damage assessment flights in Houston, Texas. Though flight crews vary depending upon the situation, our crews normally consist of three members, the pilot, the observer (who may or may not be a pilot), and the aerial photographer. I was the pilot on a few of those flights over Houston. In the photo, the observer, (also a pilot on our crew) was in the background checking the engine oil, and the airborne photographer was checking the camera and gear in preparation for the many photographs he would be taking.

The flood photos above were captured by another flight crew in Northeastern North Dakota. In this image, it is easy to see the normal path of the river by following the two parallel tree lines as they snake through the image winding from left to right.

So far this year, I’ve flown one photo flight, this time as an airborne photographer. Our assignment was to capture images of the rivers and flood protection projects in southeastern North Dakota. Our flight path would take us over the Red River around Fargo, then we would follow the Sheyenne River south and west to Valley City and conclude with images of the Bald Hill Dam.

In these images, captured May 5, you will see that this part of the state has far less severe flooding than some other areas of the state. The Veterans Bridge is on the left in the photo above. Directly to the right is the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge, and immediately right of that is the NP Avenue Bridge. In the upper right corner, the 1st Ave North Bridge spans the river which is also the state line between North Dakota and Minnesota. You may have noticed that the river is just slightly out of its normal banks under the NP Avenue bridge. You can see one of the roads under the bridge is underwater.

A bit further north along the Red River, the Oak Grove neighborhood is well protected with dikes on the west bank of the river which is clearly out of its banks in this part of the city.

In the suburban community of West Fargo, the Sheyenne River flows right through the center of town. In 1992, a flood mitigation project was completed that diverts the bulk of the floodwaters into a diversion that flows west of the city. As you can see by the image above, the diversion is handling the excess water. One interesting design of the diversion is that on the east (left in this photo), the diversion is higher than on the west. If the diversion does overflow, it will spill to the west onto open farmland rather than east into the city.

On our sortie, we captured an image of the dike protecting the city of Mapleton from the Maple River, and captured images along the Sheyenne near Horace, Kindred, Lisbon, Fort Ransom, Kathryn, and Valley City before we concluded the project with a series of images of Baldhill Dam.

To see these photos in the context of the area where they were taken, you can click here to view image icons on a map. On that Google map page linked above, click on a circular image icon to see a small version of the image, and click on the image that appears in the upper left corner to see a full-screen view.

I will conclude this post with an invitation to join the volunteers in Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Many people believe CAP is only interested in pilot volunteers. That is not the case. We have a large percentage of members who are involved with radio communications, digital cellular emergency location services, and aerospace education. CAP is also building the largest fleet of small unmanned aerial systems (drones), and we have a great need for aerial photographers and drone pilots. Training is provided, and generally, the members use equipment supplied by CAP rather than their own personal equipment. CAP members in the cadet program range in age from 12 to 18, and our regular membership is open to all ages from 18 up. Visit a local squadron to learn about CAP’s programs for your community. Click the big red button underneath the main photo on this page to find a local squadron in your area.

Photo credits: The first three images of flooding were captured by another flight crew on assignment over the Red River in northeastern North Dakota. All remaining flood images were captured using a Nikon D7200 with Sigma 18-200 lens by yours truly. You pixel peep at these images in 2K HD by clicking on any image above or by visiting the entire album here. All flood images are the property of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, used with permission.

John Steiner

Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Over the years, my membership in Civil Air Patrol has given me the opportunity to assist in our nation’s air defenses. Almost always, our smaller aircraft are used as “targets” to help our nation’s National Guard or the United States Air Force in joint training missions.

One of the more interesting missions concluded last month in Devils Lake, North Dakota. For this exercise, we had the entire fleet of North Dakota Wing’s red, white, and blue Cessna aircraft at our disposal as necessary. We assisted in the training of the 1-188^th Air Defense Artillery Regiment as they learned to operate upgraded equipment. From their Facebook page: Soldiers with the 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment’s Minimum Deployment Package (MDP) conduct Sentinel radar familiarization and emplacement May 17, 2021, during the battalion’s annual training at the Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake, North Dakota. For their upcoming deployment, the MDP will provide early-warning ground-based aerial surveillance in the National Capital Region (NCR).

My main duty assignment was as one of the three Incident Commanders for the 25 Civil Air Patrol volunteers who spent at least part of their week supporting the mission. On the day prior to exercise start, I captured an image of the other two Incident Commanders (IC) and two of the three Communications Unit Leaders (CUL) who were on duty for the week. From left to right, Ken (IC), Rob (ND Guard Air Boss for the exercise), Walt, (IC), Dean, and Rusty (CULs).

Our usual routine involved multiple aircraft flying at multiple altitudes with a goal of arriving at a specific point within seconds of each other. Our pilots and navigators in the two-person air crews did an excellent job of matching their ground speeds as they approached from different directions starting as far as 30 miles (48 km) out. The photo above captured two aircraft that would be crossing the same point over the ground within seconds of each other.

We started with two aircraft as the guard calibrated their systems, then progressed to three. Our last day was to have included four aircraft with simultaneous arrivals, however the weather “went south” on us so the last day of the exercise was scrubbed.

North Dakota Wing flight crews flew over 135 hours over the seven mission days and two aircraft relocation days. In the image above, James and Kai are tying down one of our Cessna 182s after completing an exercise sortie.

There was no way I was not going to get the opportunity to be airborne on at least one of the sorties. On one of my “days off” as Incident Commander, I volunteered to fill in as navigator on one of the evening flights. During the sortie on our several inbound trips to the target, I was quite busy reporting position and ground speed while coordinating with the other aircraft as each pilot adjusted air speed to meet our target arrival requirements. Of course, on our way outbound to make another run, I had a few minutes to capture the view of the approaching sunset over Devils Lake.

By the time we finished with another inbound leg, it was already dusk, that after-dusk glow lighting up the western sky in gold.

At the conclusion of our flight, our aircraft happened to be closer to the airport than our teammates in the other plane. I was able to capture an image of them being marshaled to their tiedown by Mike, one of our ground team leaders.

On the last full day of our mission, I had the honor of accepting a letter of thanks addressed to the North Dakota Civil Air Patrol Wing Commander from Major General Timothy J. Sheriff, Commanding General of the 263d Army Air Missile Defense Command at Anderson, South Carolina. From left to right, CSM Davin Powell, SCARNG; Col john Steiner, CAP; Maj Gen Sheriff, SCARNG; Lt Col Dean Reiter, CAP; 2^nd Lt Joseph Aho, CAP.

Exercise America’s Shield is one of the more interesting joint training assignments I have been involved with in CAP. For a closer look at the gallery of images, click the Flickr image below to enlarge the images and to scroll through the album.

John Steiner

This week, guest host Shetal Bravon invites us to share a glimpse of our world in the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. She writes, “Show us the things you love that makes your world spin or things about your world that make you delirious with joy.” You can find her entire challenge post here.

The opening image is a “selfie”. What better way to share a love for photography and aviation than as an airborne photographer. On the way to a photographic assignment, I spotted the mirror mounted on the wing strut of the plane we were using. The rear seat of this aircraft, equipped with a camera port in the window, is the airborne photographer’s station. I’ve spent many hours at this station doing various volunteer photo assignments over the years.

Regular readers know that given the chance, I will bring up the subject of aviation. Therefore, for this challenge, it took me only a few moments of consideration to determine what I should focus upon. I decided to share a few images that provide a glimpse of my aviation interests. My aviation “career” has always been an avocation, my own personal mid-life crisis that drove me to earn a pilot’s license in my late 40s. It didn’t take me long to learn of a volunteer organization where I could spend time in the air doing a service to the community and gain flying experience as well. The photo above features a Cessna 182, owned by the Civil Air Patrol and operated by volunteer members of the organization.

The Civil Air Patrol (hereinafter referred to as CAP) is a civilian volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force. At times we are considered full partners in specific missions for the Air Force, at other times, CAP is involved in disaster relief work with FEMA and other government agencies. CAP operates the largest fleet of single-engine aircraft in the world.

If you don’t pay attention to your charts and GPS, you may find out how you get “pulled over” for being somewhere you don’t belong in a small aircraft. Over the years, one of our missions is working with the Air National Guard in interdiction training. On this sortie, I could see one F-16 quite clearly. Invisible to us, the F-16 on our tail was going through the exercise that in a real interdiction would arm a missile that could “take us out” should it be deemed that we are a threat to persons or property. The photo above is courtesy of Lt Col Jay Manley, (CAP), my colleague on this flight.

Cadet Aerospace Education is a primary mission of Civil Air Patrol and annually CAP provides both powered aircraft and glider rides to cadets to further their interest in aviation careers. Over the years I have given many powered flights to cadets between the ages of 12 and 18. My latest efforts in this program, however, are as a tow pilot. I use a specially equipped Cessna connected by a long rope to a glider. At the appropriate time, the glider pilot disconnects the tow rope from the nose of the glider and the cadet gets a typically 15-20 minute glide back to the airport we just left.

Most of the time, I’m in the tow plane during glider operations, but occasionally I get a front-row seat in the glider. This is the view of the tow plane on the other end of that 250-ft (76 m) rope. That red piece of yarn taped to the canopy is actually a flight control instrument. In more than a century of glider flying, no panel instrument has been developed that is more efficient than this rudimentary yaw indicator. Oh, there are such panel instruments, but they can’t beat the cost or accuracy of a piece of yarn.

The image above is the tow plane that I usually fly. Look carefully at the area below and behind the tail and you will see the tow rope connected underneath the tail. At this moment, the aircraft is in the process of towing a glider having just taken off from the airport where CAP homes the glider we use in North Dakota.

Our work in CAP is not “fun and games” flying. Our missions are serious and require many hours of planning and execution, especially in large missions where large numbers of aircraft are required. Working with FEMA and state agencies, CAP flight crews are tasked with photographing areas impacted by disasters such as hurricanes and floods. In the image above, one of our North Dakota flight crews assigned a specific area to photograph is in the process of briefing on the specific details of their assignment. In the background, other crews are briefing their specific flights as well.

At the aircraft, the crewmembers complete preflight checks for both aircraft and camera equipment. I was pilot-in-command on this sortie, and before starting my specific preflight duty, I captured an image of Casey, our airborne photographer, checking camera operation, and our co-pilot, Shawn, checking the level of engine oil.

Seated directly behind the pilot, upon reaching our target area, Casey opens the camera port and begins his assigned photographic tasks. To capture this image, Shawn took the controls for a few moments while I photographed Casey at work.

In recent years, I’ve been “flying” while remaining on the ground. In 2016, I added a commercial drone pilot rating to my license. CAP has a large fleet of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems that is becoming a larger part of CAP missions. Those buckets, mounted at angles onto a frame each have a printed “target” inside. To build pilot proficiency, the pilot flies the drone on a prescribed pattern stopping at appropriate points to take a photograph of the target in each one of the buckets. An expert drone pilot can fly the course in about 12 minutes. I still need work at this skill, let’s just say that I clock in at somewhere above 12 minutes.

As this is being written, CAP volunteers are working hard to support state and national agencies in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. As of February 17, 2021, members have spent the equivalent of 40,000 volunteer-days on this mission.

Thanks again to Shetal Bravon for allowing me to share a glimpse of my 20-plus years as a volunteer for the Civil Air Patrol. Though I find myself flying a drone more often lately, and I even purchased my own drone for use on my travels, I close this photo essay and challenge-response with a selfie as Shawn, Casey and I prepared for takeoff on our photo sortie. That old man on the right still enjoys “slipping the surly bonds of earth” on a regular basis.

Col John Steiner, CAP

Since early in the pandemic, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has been volunteering for missions to assist state and local agencies in many ways. Given my availability to assist, I’ve been part of North Dakota’s team of volunteers who help coordinate the delivery of PPE, test kits, and other necessary supplies. Early on, our wing’s pilots delivered PPE around the state and even moved supplies between North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota at the request of the respective state governors. For many weeks, our mission in North Dakota went dormant as the supply chain filled up and the National Guard and other agencies were able to support the needs of our healthcare system in the state.

In early August, we got a request from the North Dakota Department of Health and the Department of Emergency Services to assist in transporting test kits from the testing sites to Bismarck for processing at the state’s laboratory. The need for our service is due to the large number of students returning to colleges around the state. As this is being written in mid-August, our responsibility assigned is the delivery of kits from the eastern colleges, the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, Mayville State University at Mayville, North Dakota State University at Fargo, and the North Dakota State College of Science at Wahpeton.

I volunteered to fly the first transport from Wahpeton to Bismarck. To accommodate the large, secure outer packing of the kits, we ordered the removal of the rear seats in the aircraft currently assigned to the Fargo squadrons, (a Cessna 182T for those interested). The entire flight plan deployed without a hitch beginning with a 20-minute flight to Wahpeton. I arrived early, waited about 15 minutes until the National Guard Team showed up and transferred the first batch of tests to me along with a Chain of Custody document. I arrived in Bismarck slightly late due to insufficient time allotted for the transit and 20-knot (23 mph) headwind. The National Guard transport team came out to the plane before I completed the after-flight paperwork. The kits and documentation were transferred, I requested an aircraft refueling, and prepared for my flight back home to Fargo.

About the photo: The weather was beautiful throughout the entire state. Pilots would have shortened that condition to three letters, “VMC”, (Visual Meteorological Conditions). As I flew over the southern end of the city of Jamestown, I was struck by the view of the city. I aimed my Samsung S20U at the city and captured the late afternoon view. That “X” toward the top of the photo is the concrete runways of Jamestown Municipal Airport, about 100 miles (161 km) from my home in Fargo. After downloading to my computer, I cropped the image to focus the viewer on the city and processed for clarity and haze removal using both Adobe Lightroom and Luminar 4.

John Steiner

The USAF Thunderbirds were in town for the Fargo Airsho (spelling correct), and a couple of the members of our Fargo Cadet Squadron did the advance “legwork” to arrange a “Meet and Greet” on the day before the performances began. Thanks to their forethought, cadets and senior members from squadrons in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota were able to visit with one of the Thunderbird pilots and some of the ground crew members. I must say, it was a thrill for this old man as well and I was glad to be in town when the meeting occurred. The image above features all of the CAP members in attendance as well as the Thunderbird crew members.

The meeting started with a briefing by Thunderbird Pilot Michael Brewer (above). At first we were kept back from the aircraft, as you can see in the photo above. They were prepping one of the birds to fly an honor flight. A staple with the Thunderbirds is to fly a home town hero as chosen by the host city. Fargo’s choice was Officer Matt Niemeyer, a police officer and Community Trust Officer. Niemeyer works with children in neighborhoods to build trust between the Police Department and youth. Once the area was prepped and safe for visitors, our group was allowed to get “up close and personal” with the fleet of F-16s. We watched the final procedures as they readied to launch the F-16 on the Hometown Hero Flight.

As you might expect, the attention to every detail is systematic. What surprised me is that they even went to the effort of placing the name of the Hometown Hero on the aircraft just below the cockpit canopy. Everyone watched the process of prepping the bird for flight.

With two aircraft support personnel in place, it’s a well choreographed dance that occurs as the pilot prepares to launch. I’ve been to many air shows over the years, but I’ve never been so close as to be able to see the preflight process in progress. The photo above wasn’t taken with a telephoto lens. We stood maybe less than 30 feet from the aircraft as it was readied for flight. A crew of 24 professionals tend to the mechanical and other aviation specialties for the duration of the show and its preparatory requirements.

Once the Hometown Hero flight launched, we were all invited to get close-up with the venerable F-16 jets. Ladders were set up on each side of the aircraft so that two guests could view in the cockpit and ask questions of one of the expert ground crew members. The questions came fast and furious and the team members answered them patiently. We were allowed all the time we needed to have everyone get their chance to look in the cockpit and ask any questions that came to mind.

There was plenty of time for everyone to get a photo with Captain Michael Brewer, including the old man, yours truly. Captain Brewer is a true war hero and veteran with over 315 combat hours over Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. This year is his first year as a member of the precision flight team, pilot of Number 3 and flies the Right Wing position. After about an hour or so, the unmistakable sound of an F-16 filled the air. Hometown Hero Niemeyer and Operations Officer Lt. Col. Eric Gorney returned from their flight, announcing themselves with a fly-over. As they were returning, so it was also our time to say goodbye to the ground crews and Captain Brewer. The gallery of images below features images captured during our visit to the Thunderbirds flight line. As usual, most browsers will allow you to click on an image to enlarge it and scroll through the gallery.

John Steiner

Fargo, North Dakota.

Since my first flights as a youth in the 1960s, I’ve been interested in aviation. Our family didn’t have a lot of money, certainly none to be wasted on expensive aviation fuel, but a couple of lucky occurrences got me in the air at no cost to me.

Throughout my careers in electronics and education, and with the demands of raising a family, aviation was on my back burner. There was the occasional air show and business related trips, but other than that, I didn’t indulge in any activity that got me into the proximity of an airport.

This digression is brought to you by Stephen Bentley. Last week, he gave us a Travel Tuesday tour of The Ruins at Bacolod on Negros Island in the Philippines. He asked if I would share something about my aviation activities for his blog at Expat in Bacolod. Back to my digression…

Then 1996 happened, and a local airport had a fly-in, the aviation equivalent of a classic car get-together. I decided to take a helicopter ride and I was hooked. I had to do something about this “flying thing.” A few weeks later, I was at a flight school in Fargo asking about what I needed to learn to fly. I connected with a flight instructor who happened to also fly for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Before then, I was totally unaware such an organization existed. Shortly after getting my shiny new pilot’s license, I joined CAP. My first training flight is now over two decades ago, and in October of this year, I become a 20-year member of CAP.

Since its formation in 1941, CAP has performed admirably as an all-volunteer civilian aviation organization. Sometime after its inception, it became an auxiliary of the United States Air Force and today, when assigned an Air Force activity or mission, CAP is a non-combatant component of the Air Force “Total Force” concept. CAP’s motto is “Always Vigilant”. Cap volunteers around the country are ready to assist in many service missions. CAP members are not aerial warriors, indeed members are constrained by law from any law enforcement or surveillance missions of any kind.

As a service auxiliary to the U.S. Air Force, CAP provided me with connections to both the aviation and military communities that I’d never imagined. Though several of my family members served in the military, I didn’t have the opportunity to serve. CAP gave me an outlet and a purpose as a middle-aged man to provide a volunteer service to my country. As a bonus, I have the opportunity to fly and ride in airplanes while performing that service.

CAP has three major missions; Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Emergency Services. For the bulk of my two decades in CAP, I’ve focused on Emergency Services as a specialty. At any time, CAP could be called upon to assist in a search and rescue mission or in some form of disaster relief. I have been directly involved either as a flight crew member or as staff on a mission base in searching for  missing persons or tracking the route an overdue aircraft. Most often, however, I assist in damage assessment in spring flooding along one of our many rivers in North Dakota.

Typical assessment missions include flying along major tributaries in the state capturing photos of specific areas requested by our state’s Division of Emergency Services. The results of CAP flights help them in planning and deployment of resources to mitigate potential flood damage. The image above shows the small town of Oxbow, ND was in serious trouble during the 2010 Red River flood.

The Red River is the border marker between North Dakota and Minnesota. In the spring, the rivers fill up with runoff from the snow that melted in the fields. When the river fills, there is no place for the snow melt to go, so it covers the landscape threatening farms and communities in a phenomenon called overland flooding. In 2010, this was a view of the overland flooding that surrounded the Red River north and east of Fargo, ND. The river itself normally winds its way along the tree-lined river bed near the top of the photo. The highway next to the train tracks in the center of the image is U.S. 75.

A major area of concern during flood season in North Dakota is the many earthen dams. In 2010, this dam near Absaraka, North Dakota had a damaged and eroded spillway due to the high water behind the dam. Normally, a spillway should have a relatively smooth surface. The rough appearance is caused by erosion of the spillway bed. Photos captured during this mission were instrumental in determining that major work would need to be done to ensure the spillway didn’t completely erode causing the dam to fail. In a short time, this area was filled with construction equipment as they worked to build a temporary repair.

Another area of concern is ice damming. As the river ice breaks up, it flows along the surface and the high water level causes ice to back up against lower clearance bridges. The rising water behind the ice dam creates extra hazards for the property upstream of the blockage. State workers are dispatched with an excavator with a large bucket to pluck the ice from the edge of the bridge and pile it where it can melt into the downstream side of the river.

As part of the CAP Aerospace Education mission, cadets between the ages of 12 and 18 are provided with orientation rides in both powered aircraft and gliders. The flights are specifically NOT flight instruction, but a curriculum is defined that teaches the cadets about the aerodynamics of flight in a real world laboratory at least 1,000 ft (305 m) above ground level. Gliders are also used to capitalize on their two major advantages. A glider experiences total aerodynamics effects without the influence of an engine and propeller. It helps that glider rides are much less expensive than powered flight, even including the expense of a powered plane towing the glider to altitude. More flights can be given per cadet due to the lower cost of glider flight. In the image above, a cadet orientation glider pilot is flying solo, meeting currency requirements for carrying a passenger. As you can see by the presence of the tow rope on the nose of the glider, he is just taking off on one of the required three solo take-offs and landings to meet currency.

I have flown a glider solo, and even though I have over 60 glider flights in my logbook, I found that I prefer to fly the tow plane. This image of a gilder on tow was captured with a camera mounted in the back window of the tow plane. In a given day, I can log 10 to 20 take-offs and landings in the powered plane in short 10 to 15 minute flights. Once the glider is airborne and released, I return to the airport and wait for the glider to land. Gliders are very efficient flying machines and it’s not uncommon for there to be a 20 to 30 minute or longer wait after I land before the glider returns for another trip.

In the meantime, I can relax on a nice summer day, maybe grab a burger, chat with the ground crews and await the return of the glider for another flight.

If you happen to be flying along in your little Cessna 4-place airplane, and one of these pulls up along beside you; that will be the first sign you are in trouble. The U.S. Air Force and National Guard have to be ready to interdict aircraft that stumble into protected airspace, inadvertently or on purpose. Fighter jets aren’t designed to fly at the slower speeds of small private aircraft and the military pilots need training in procedures and techniques for interdiction. CAP aircraft and pilots are called upon to help with that training. I was along on one such mission. Our role was to fly into a pretend restricted airspace and to further pretend that our radio was either turned off or inoperative. When we flew into that “protected space”, two fighter jets were dispatched toward Fargo from Duluth, Minnesota, about 220 miles (356 km) away. In only a few minutes, an F-16 appeared off our left wing and started making slow speed circles around our aircraft.

As we proceeded, the other F-16 pilot stayed “at our six”; well behind us, obviously readying to fire those (hopefully) unarmed “missiles” aimed in our direction. Pilots in the U.S. have been given procedures to follow should they become intercepted. Basically, the procedure is to land at the nearest airport where authorities will be waiting. Failure to comply could be quite hazardous to your health.

By providing a target, CAP assists these military pilots in practicing the interdiction procedures while flying at their aircraft’s minimum safe flying speed. The high nose-up attitude of the fighter in the image indicates the slow speed at which he is flying. Though it looks in the image like we are nose up as well, we are not. We are flying straight and level at our maximum cruise speed.

Some of CAPs most recent missions involve the latest technology Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The small camera systems are being integrated into search missions for accessing search areas inaccessible by ground and not easily visible by large manned aircraft. CAP is also involved in research and assistance in integrating the larger UAS aircraft into the national airspace system. Last summer, in North Dakota, several CAP aircraft and 32 members of our wing were involved in an agricultural research project. CAP aircrews followed a large unmanned aircraft as it flew through public airspace. In the image above, professional pilots fly the UAS. Once out of sight from the ground, the UAS presents a limited forward view to the pilots on a small monitor. At all times when the UAS is out of visual range from the ground, a CAP plane follows from behind and below while in full communication with the UAS pilots in case the UAS must be maneuvered to avoid other aircraft in public airspace.

These days, I don’t get as much flying in as I used to. I have taken on a new volunteer job for CAP as the Wing Commander for North Dakota Wing. In this role, taken on almost a year ago, I’m responsible for providing leadership and direction to the 150+ adult and almost 70 cadet members. Our state has a small wing with only 7 aircraft and 9 squadrons. CAP membership nationwide is around 55,000, with access to over 550 aircraft; the largest fleet of single engine aircraft in the world. CAP members are “Always Vigilant” and ready to serve in any capacity in which we are called.

John Steiner

*photo credit: The CAP photographs of North Dakota flooding above were used with permission of the State of North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, the owner of these images.

*photo credit: The F-16 photos were captured by Lt. Col. Gerald (Jay) Manley on this training sortie.

I guess my secret’s out that I like to hang around airports. These days, what with concerns about airport security, airport “lurkers” are no longer welcome.

Two types of events still draw people to airports for the experience, not for travel. Those events are airshows and fly-ins. In the upper midwest, many small airports invite the general public to visit at least once a year typically on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

So it happened that I needed to be in Bismarck for a Civil Air Patrol activity on a Saturday in September. Coincidently on Sunday morning, a fly-in was scheduled for the Bismarck Airport. Lynn and I decided we would spend the night in Bismarck and visit the fly-in before heading back to Fargo. In the opening photo, a Cessna 195 attracted attention. This private aircraft was one of about 1200 built between 1947 and 1954.

Adding to the attraction, for me, often owners of classic automobiles are invited to share the ramp space with their flying cousins. On this day, there were maybe a total of 20 or so classic vehicles on display. In fact, there were more cars than aircraft available for viewing on this day.

Our Civil Air Patrol display featured two aircraft and several members, cadets and adults who shared their enthusiasm for our volunteer efforts with interested guests. As this photo was taken, we were just about finished setting up. Soon we would open the doors to N634CP and give people a closer look at the all-electronic “glass cockpit” flight display and the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera system.

North Dakota CAP was the first CAP wing in the country to mount a FLIR system in one of our aircraft. This joint project between the State of North Dakota and North Dakota CAP led to other wings adopting the technology for their search and rescue activities. In the photo above, the FLIR control unit is displayed on the co-pilot’s seat. Normally the console is operated by a FLIR technician, usually from the rear seat. The operator can manipulate the camera’s rotation and tilt using the joystick. Different modes and functions are selected by the various pushbuttons and sliders on the panel. ND Wing CAP is looking to upgrade our FLIR system to a much more compact control console in the next few months.

But I digress from the topic of the fly-in… People come to fly-ins hungry. As you can see by this line, guests are waiting their turn to be served the traditional pancakes and sausages. Most fly-ins charge a modest fee, or ask for donations to cover the expense of the food. I have never been to a fly-in that charged for admission. Check with someone at your airport to find out when and where local fly-ins are scheduled. If there isn’t one held there annually, you can find out which airports in your area invite guests. The gallery of images below features some additional photos captured at this year’s Bismarck, North Dakota fly-in. Click on an image to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery.

John Steiner

This week, Jen H. asks to share where our heart is. She writes, “‘Home’ is more than where we sleep at night. It is a place that is familiar and comforting, and it gives us a sense of belonging. Home is what and who is local…” You can view the entire challenge post here.

I am a very fortunate man. I have more than one place I call home, a summer home in Fargo, a winter home in Buckeye Arizona, and at least for an average of 75 hours a year, I find another home in the cockpit of an aircraft. The opening shot features the “flight deck” of N830CP, a Cessna 182 especially equipped with the equipment to tow a glider. I have spent some time in a glider, even been signed off to solo, but my preference is a powered aircraft. Not that I feel unsafe in a glider, I just prefer to have an engine and propeller in front of me. The aircraft is one of the fleet of seven that is operated by North Dakota Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

The cockpit above is also a Cessna 182 with some of the latest in “glass cockpit” (electronic instrumentation) technology. This aircraft is also in the North Dakota CAP fleet. The equipment on the seat in the foreground is the control panel for the FLIR Systems camera mounted on the exterior of the aircraft. In operation, one of the flight crew can manipulate the controls allowing the camera pod to rotate and focus on objects below.

The Cessna 182 is a 4-passenger single-engine aircraft. I could provide more technical details, but I will let the photo of N634CP speak for itself. Unfortunately, from this angle, the FLIR camera pod isn’t visible. It’s mounted on the other side of the aircraft.

I don’t always fly fairly modern aircraft. A friend of mine owns a 1947 Piper PA-11 (Piper Cub) aircraft. My friend is an instructor and he taught me to fly the Cub on floats. Of all the flying I’ve done, “feeling at home in an aircraft” often happens when I conclude the flight and arrive on the runway or on the lake with a “greaser”, a smooth landing.  “Welcome Home!”

John Steiner

Somewhere over Minnesota

Imagine you and a friend are flying along on a beautiful summer day. You are a passenger in his 4-passenger private plane. Something in your peripheral vision catches your eye. Glancing out the right windshield, you see an F-16 fighter jet. He’s rocking his wings in a very unhappy fashion. You know this cannot be good… You know something is coming your way, and you know this is only the beginning of a very unpleasant day…

It was June, 2006. Regarding the story above, my friend is actually a Civil Air Patrol pilot, as am I. We were assigned as a flight crew to simulate a practice interdiction for the Minnesota Air Guard. Since September 11, 2001 (9/11), private pilots have been advised of procedures that must be followed should the pilot inadvertently stray into temporarily restricted or other prohibited airspace. Since 9/11, areas around Washington DC are no longer available for personal flights in private planes, and these restricted areas are well marked on charts. However, wherever the President and other high government officials appear; temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are put into place. Before flying, pilots are supposed to make sure they are aware of these restricted areas which can last hours or days and appear whenever and wherever these officials are in the air or on the ground. Private pilots, being people, and used to flying regular routes to wherever they fly, sometimes skip the step of checking for TFRs, only to fly into a temporarily restricted area.

When an airspace restriction is violated, attempts to contact the stray aircraft by radio are made. If the pilot’s radio is not monitoring the emergency frequency, is turned to an incorrect frequency, or is otherwise inoperable, it won’t take long to scramble a pair of nearby military jets. One will hang back, missiles armed and trained on the errant aircraft. The other will approach from the rear; slowly flying a circular pattern and signaling a procedure that insures the pilot will begin communications. In our scenario, we were to pretend our radio was not operable, and allow the jets to practice the procedures that would escort us to a nearby airport for landing and interdiction.

After making several passes around our aircraft, we heard on our actually operable radio, the all-clear that allowed them to break off and we were given the order to return to our base in Fargo.

John Steiner

Casselton, ND

The ground crewman by the glider is assisting the glider pilot in readying the glider for launch. Another crew member approaches to help.

I specifically kept the items mentioned in the challenge in mind as I framed the photo in my mind. After several attempts during multiple glider flights, I selected this photo as the best of the group in applying the object points of the challenge.

From the challenge:

• Observe a scene first before lifting your camera to your eye.
• Ask yourself: What is the subject? What will you (not) include in the frame?
• Look for natural lines or frames in the shot to guide the viewer’s eye.
• Try different angles: Get low on the pavement. Look down from above.

Instead of finding myself parallel or in front of the glider, I lined up slightly behind both aircraft to direct the viewer’s eyes into the photo from the left.

The crewman walking toward the glider urges me to look in the direction he is looking, toward the glider.

The crewman by the glider is signaling the tow pilot to move forward. He is looking toward the tow plane, causing me to follow to see what he is looking at.

The low angle of the shot emphasizes the lines cut in the turf at the airport. Those lines draw the viewer to look toward the tow plane and the direction of the impending flight.

The low angle and rule of thirds help to give emphasis to the sky, where the two aircraft will soon find themselves.

John Steiner