A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF PILOT

At about this time a year ago our Chairman, Arnold Parker gave me the opportunity to pen a few words for Sky Watch Report, to reflect on the achievements of 2006. In my closing paragraph I suggested that 2006 had been a vintage year for Sky Watch and that 2007 could be even better - a bit of a guess on my part, but how true these words have proved to be!

In the space of a year Sky Watch has grown to 250 members with almost the same number of aircraft in a fleet that is mostly fixed-wing, but includes some weight-shift microlights and a small number of helicopters, gyrocopters and paramotors. At the same time Sky Watch has re-invented itself and is now Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol with a new badge and an amended constitution. I'm quite sure that everyone will agree that the new name more closely reflects our ethos which is to promote public safety through the use of air observation. To this end we have continued to develop our links with HM Coastguard and we are now a member of the Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum (VSCP) which gives us direct access to the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat. Some of units are also developing very useful links with their local police and volunteer mountain and lowland rescue teams. We should also recognize the work of our Chairman, Arnold Parker and our National Secretary, Graham Whitehead - a pair of swans gliding across the water but with legs going flat out under the surface!

A significant change in the organization, the result of increasing numbers is that responsibility for the running of Sky Watch has been devolved to the chief pilots of individual units. Only the unit chief pilot and his colleagues can understand the local geography, the air picture and the opportunities that may be available to a group of pilots and observers who wish to use their skills for the benefit of the community. We now have 16 units of which a third have elected to become 'responders'. Whilst 'observe and report' during recreational flying and dedicated patrols will continue to be the cornerstone of air observation there will be other occasions when the emergency services and volunteer search groups will require a hand with an 'eye in the sky' that can only add value to any ground search activity. This is where the 'responder' units will come to the fore with crews that can respond to an emergency call-out. Nevertheless, we must never go off 'half-cocked' and any call-out will be the result of a call from the RAF Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) or one of HM Coastguards Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC). We now have Sky Watch liaison officers at the ARCC (see Sky watch Report No 29, Dec 2007) although individual units must make local arrangements with their nearest MRCC and local government civil contingencies unit. But please don't run until you can walk, the recommended experience for a 'responder' pilot is no less than 250 flying hours and the endorsement of the unit chief pilot.

Radio communications are, of course fundemental and in some respects we must make the best of a bad job. Here in the North East the airband frequency shared with HM Coastguard works very well and, to date Humber Coastguard have never failed to answer a radio check; they keep the airband radio permanently on. In the north of Scotland VHF radio communication is less reliable and our colleague Peter Macintosh finds that a cellphone connected to the aircraft communications system works when the VHF radio becomes unreliable. In the South West our radio officer, Bryan Harper monitors a marine band radio and, in an emergency he may have to use the transmit facility if lives are at risk. Communications with MRTs who have access to the marine band on Ch 0 and 73 are still a bit 'hit and miss'. Nevertheless, we'll continue to press for access to the marine band in 2008 and, in the meantime, I recommend that you contact Bryan if you have any radio communication problems. Please don't break the law unless lives are at risk and then make sure the radio officer and myself are aware of what has happened. If you find that poor radio communications are placing lives at risk then let me know so that I can build up a case for access to a wider range of radio frequencies.

Another change in 2008 will be a much improved web site with a members only area. This will become the 'shop window' for Sky Watch but, like all web sites it can only bring credit to the organization if it is interesting and kept up to date. Ian Rutland, our new Web Master is always on the look out for information and photographs so do keep sending your stories and pictures to Ian at oatlands@talk21.com

We also have a newly appointed Flight Safety Officer (FSO), Peter Macintosh so if you can't sleep at night because you've done something daft or, on reflection, dangerous then do let Peter know so that we all learn from any mistakes. I'm sure that Peter will hide the identity of the person making the report if this is likely to cause any particular embarrassment but, as someone once said, the person that never makes a mistake never makes anything. Please don't keep a hard lesson to yourself when we could all 'listen and learn'.

Our new name, Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol may draw some comparisons with the USAF Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. The latter organization, formed in 1941 is, of course much larger with some 55,000 members, it includes the US air cadet organization, and around 4,550 aircraft mostly Cessna 182s with some Gippsland GA8 Airvans and some gliders for the air cadets. However, we should remind ourselves that the USA is about the same size as Europe with many States the same size as European countries. If we divide 4,550 aircraft among the 50 States it works out as 91 aircraft per State, so 250 aircraft to cover the UK is pretty good going, you may agree!

Finally, at the beginning of the New Year I would like to wish all Sky Watch members blue skies and successful landings. Please remember that if you should become involved in a search operation during the coming months and you don't find the target it doesn't mean that your efforts have been in vain. A properly conducted air search with a negative result will allow the search commander to concentrate his ground forces in those areas that cannot be quickly eliminated by the Sky Watch pilot and his observer.

Tony Cowan
Chief Pilot