Hillsborough One Senior Squadron is based at Tampa Executive Airport. Civil Air Patrol is the U.S. Air Force’s uniformed, civilian-volunteer auxiliary. The mission was flown in a Cessna 182 with a volunteer crew of Capt. Bob Maxey, 1st Lt. Peter Westerkamp and 2nd Lt. Lawrence Leduc. Leduc’s job as scanner was to monitor a camera, GPS system and computer that captured more than 2,500 images during the multi-hour flights.

CAP aircrews began aerial photo flights in late May over the Florida panhandle, tasked by the state’s Division of Emergency Management and Department of Environmental Protection. Nearly 41,000 images have been taken so far. When asked about the assignment, Leduc said, “The technology was pretty cool. What we had was efficient and cost effective.”

He mentioned the professionalism of everyone involved -- from such a diverse group of volunteers -- was well-received by both military and government personnel.

Before departing back home to Tampa, the aircrew spoke briefly with Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and Attorney General Bill McCollum. When asked what he learned during the mission, Leduc said, “I learned that the flying community views CAP as a professional aviation crew, even though we are volunteers. We were in the midst of Air Force, Navy, Marine and NASA pilots, and they all treated us with respect – like one of them.”

Florida-based aircrews continue flying state-assigned photo tasking from a Tallahassee base. They are also part of a greater CAP mobilization in the Gulf of Mexico, flying missions for the federal response, based in Mobile, Ala.

Credits:

Story deveoped by 1st Lt. Darrin Guilbeau