One of St. Tammany Parish's most in-demand organizations in an emergency is the Civil Air Patrol, especially in the early days of aviation when search and rescue missions and the urgent need for commercial and military pilots prompted young people to seek careers in aviation. CAP training and hands-on instruction gave many a headstart in aviation opportunities.
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CAP members are in demand when boats are overdue, planes are down, and even when local and regional aviation showcase events require knowledgeable young people to answer questions. The Civil Air Patrol began in 1941, as World War II loomed on the horizon, and St. Tammany Parish was forming CAP units from 1943 on. Click on the articles below to make them larger and more readable.
October 8, 1943
World War II needed trained and skilled pilots
Finding airplanes to train on posed a problem
Aviation was front and center in many people's minds.
Local clubs were kept informed on CAP progress
Slidell organized its CAP unit in 1944
Flight training was a major activity
The emphasis on flight training and aviation in general provoked efforts to build local airports in Covington and Slidell.
CAP Cadets visited area airbases.
By 1946, Pete Pravata was building an airport in Slidell, which the CAP unit there used for their aviation training and other activities.
In 1946 local CAP members participated in grand opening ceremonies for the Moisant airport, the "World's Largest Commercial Airport."
Pravata's Slidell airport was a welcome addition to aviation
CAP took part in 1946 aviation "goodwill" tour with 43 planes statewide.
Covington's "KP Airport" was instrumental in promoting CAP Activities. It was located north of town where the LA. Hwy. 25 McDonalds is today. Its full name was the "Keen-Privette Airport"
The Air Force helped supply some CAP units with radio equipment and training materials.
A "Civilian Air Parade" was held in 1948, taking off from KP Airport north of Covington. It was followed by a gala dance at the Madisonville Community House celebrating the day's activities.
The CAP was called upon to assist whenever military planes had to make unscheduled landings.
Jim's Place on Claiborne Hill hosted a dance for the CAP Squadron
In June of 1949 a CAP unit was organized in Mandeville.
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In 1951 this essay written by Walter Schultz, a twelfth grade student at Covington High, won second place in the annual essay contest sponsored by the Business and Professional Women group.
Text from the above essay:
MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
By Walter Schultz
St. Tammany Farmer January 5, 1951
My grandfathers' father may have seen the steamboat struggling along the river and longed to be at the wheel. My grandfather may have seen the early railway train pushing along like a giant of power and longed to be the engineer. My father may have seen the early motor-car, lunging forward at a mile a minute and longed to have one. But I have seen a thing that wise men and clever men have never dreamed of; I have seen a thing that men have laughted at when it first appeared; I have seen an airplane riding through the clouds.
Think of it any way you like: and it may seem to you a miracle. Yet it flies far above our heads; so graceful and confident of its power that it thrills a man to think of being in that majestic monster.
Through my youthful years I have cherished one dream—one that countless other enthusiastic youths have spent many sleepless nights dreaming about—and that one realism is to be the lucky human up there in that airplane. My one and only way through life is through aviation. There can't be any other way, for it is the only career I could put my heart into.
Since an early age I have watched many planes of different types fly over my house until I learned to identify them all at high altitudes. I have read booklets and pamphlets concerning them until I was familiar with planes in every way.
At the age of fifteen I enlisted in the Civil Air Patrol. We held meetings once a week where we received instruction in many aeronautical operations. We familiarized ourselves with different types of engines, and learned to forecast the approaching weather with only a glance at the sky. We received flying hours in the two L-4s, which were owned by the group. In this way we developed a barricade to the weakness of seasickness which most of us possessed.
In 1947 we flew to Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Miss. During the two weeks we were stationed there, we received instruction on such tactics as air plane operation, formation flying, night flying, effects of high altitude flying, and basic military training. We received five hours flying time in the two-engined B-25's, which are the main type of planes at Keesler.
Last year we again flew to Barksdale Air Base in Shreveport, La. During the two weeks we remained there we received the same previous training as last year plus courses on Jet plane maintenance. In other words we received a taste of military life.
Therefore based on the facts that I have reviewed, I am inclined to believe that I have received enough vocational training to honestly choose the field of life I can best fit into for a future career.
End of Essay
The local CAP unit was re-activated and re-organized in 1952.
Practice missions on search and rescue operations took up a large part of CAP activities.
A number of actual search and rescue missions were conducted.
One mission dealt with keeping track of an escaped suspect from the air.
Other missions involved finding overdue boaters and a lost child.
In 1954, high winds damaged the CAP facilities and hangars at KP airport north of Covington.
Photos below from April, 1955
The Civil Air Patrol of Covington in 1955 staged a practice mission with the "object" to be found the carcass of an old white horse which Commander "Sonny" Champagne had spotted on a flight before. The photo on the left shows Commander Champagne briefing members on the patterns that each of the three planes with pilot and observer are to fly. The middle photo shows Commander Champagne with Commander Ken Furbos of the Hammond Squadron who came over for the practice mission. Photo at right shows pilot Warner and observer Jack Gaines who found the "object" of the search after only ten minutes in the air.
The photo on the left shows members of the local squadron which participated in the April, 1955, mission, and the photo on the right shows John Braun seated in a link trainer. the cabin of this link trainer is an exact duplicate of a real plane and the instruments of the trainer react in the same manner. Seated at a control table, a few feet aways, and observing instruments, the training officer can tell what the trainee pilot is doing inside the link trainer.
A 1947 speech on the importance of youth aviation training
In the year 1972, several articles about the Civil Air Patrol appeared in the Covington Daily News
Personality profiles from August of 1972
July 1987 --------------------
In July of 1987 the area Civil Air Patrol held a large group training session for its members. Here are some photographs of that event.
The Civil Air Patrol now uses facilities at the St. Tammany Regional Airport east of Abita Springs. Here is a photo of the CAP aircraft at the airport.
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