Pilots focus on mountain training

ASHEVILLE — Civil Air Patrol pilots doublechecked their equipment before takeoff during the annual Mountain Fury Pilot Training on Saturday. The five planes used during the training exercise were painted red, white and blue. 

“It’s a great refresher for mountain flying,” pilot Bill Hawke of Winston-Salem said. “We get the feel of it again.”

Challenges to flying in the mountains include the winds. Observer Rich Auger of Asheville said the heat also can be a challenge.

“An airplane doesn’t fly so well when it’s hot,” Auger said. “Air gets thinner. The airplane doesn’t perform as well.”

Capt. Clint Parker, spokesman for the Asheville Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, said about 15 pilots took part in the training, which started Friday and was scheduled to conclude today.

Parker said the Civil Air Patrol’s mission includes aerospace education, search and rescue, and disaster relief. Nationwide, Civil Air Patrol squadrons helped find 58 people in 2011 — mostly in downed aircraft. Parker said in North Carolina, the CAP has participated in 10 to 12 search-and-rescue operations. Parker added that the pilots also have assisted with disaster relief and have helped to determine the extent of damage during disasters, which they did during Hurricane Katrina and following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

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