The Civil Air Patrol surpassed 100,000 flying hours for the year earlier this week. The flying time is a seven percent increase over the same period last year, according to a CAP release. John Desmarais, director of national operations, attributed the jump largely to disaster relief missions and the training needed to fly them. The 46 missions across the country, including Hurricane Hermine flights in Florida, thus far have required 850 more hours than Fiscal 2015 relief missions. CAP crews have also flown an additional 1,000 training hours this year. “We don’t often know where the next disaster will be, but CAP works to be prepared all the time,” Desmarais said, according to the release.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
