Missouri Wing Drone Training

Sixteen Missouri Wing members from six different units across the state recently met at the Ike Skelton Training Site in Jefferson City, MO, for a day of small unmanned aerial system (sUAS or drone) training led by Lt. Col. Keith Harter, commander of the St. Francois Senior Flight.

The other five units represented included: Central Missouri Composite Squadron, Kansas City Charles R. Long Senior Squadron, Lake Ozark Regional Composite Squadron, Saline County Composite Squadron, and Sedalia Cadet Flight.

Civil Air Patrol continues to embrace emerging technologies for search and rescue, disaster relief, and other emergency services missions — such as cellphone forensics, radar analysis, and thermal and infrared sensing — and small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), or drones, are the latest tools to prove valuable. Missouri Wing remains at the forefront of CAP’s sUAS program.

With more than 2,250 sUAS stations, CAP is the nation’s largest civilian operator of FAA-registered drones. The crafts’ capabilities include providing rapid real-time information and imagery to help locate missing people and furnish direct life-saving assistance, reaching difficult-to-access areas, providing damage assessment of critical infrastructure following disasters, helping direct limited response resources, and offering additional support to federal, state, and local agencies.

CAP’s sUAS program is designed to complement its traditional aircraft and emergency services operations, expanding mission capabilities while ensuring safety and compliance with FAA and CAP regulations.

“Constant training allows our members to be ready when the call comes from our communities in need,” said Col. Jennifer Smith, former Missouri Wing commander. “Small unmanned aerial systems are yet another tool at our disposal and one we are training to use effectively.”