Civil Air Patrol makes quick find at West Memphis Airport

Local CAP squadron aids in aircraft recovery

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

A Marion resident earned the Civil Air Patrol Find Ribbon for responding and locating an aircraft with its emergency beacon calling out from West Memphis. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) reached out to the Arkansas Wing Civil Air Patrol to _nd an electronic locating transmitter signal coming from an airplane that went off at the West Memphis Airport. The Arkansas Wing Incident Commander contacted the 99th Composite Squadron in West Memphis to immediately begin a search. First Lt. Winthrop McWright received of_cial recognition for his efforts in the incident.

With an electronic locating transmitter activated the AFRCC reached out to the state wing. It was important to follow up on the call as there is no way to know if this is a transmitter had been activated because it was bumped hard, battery went bad or there was an airplane in distress. The Civil Air Patrol reacted immediately and located where the signal is coming from. Though this _nd was not an airplane in distress, it could have been.

Lt. Col. Larry Webster and 1st. Lt. Winthrop McWright immediately went to the airport to locate where the signal was coming from. While doing a search of the airport they located the airplane that the signal was coming from. They coordinated with the owner of the plane to shut off the electronic locating transmitter. In doing so, the Arkansas Wing, Lt. Col. Webster and 1st Lt. McWright were credited with a _nd.

Since this was the _rst _nd for 1st Lt McWright, he was awarded the Find Ribbon. Lt. Col. Webster was accredited with his 16th _nd and will earn a clasp to the Find Ribbon should he tally 20 _nds.

To date there have been 104 lives credited to Civil

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Air Patrol nation wide by the AFRCC. Each year Civil Air Patrol saves the taxpayers millions of dollars by doing these searches versus using military resources which are more costly to use.

Civil Air Patrol needs more volunteers to help in these searches. Ground teams, pilots, scanners, Chaplains, and mission base personnel make up a team that can save lives. Not only in searches like this, but in times of disasters also. In support of the Coronavirus to date Civil Air Patrol volunteers have put in 47,317 volunteer days with a value of $10,288,252. Support of the Coronavirus has included distribution of test kits, PPE, transporting personnel, augmenting emergency operations centers and Chaplain support. Volunteers are needed.

The 99th Composite Squadron meets on Monday nights at the ASU Aviation Technical Center at 409 Taxiway in West Memphis from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. To learn more about Civil Air Patrol go to www.gocivilair patrol.com or www.CAP. News. For more information about the 99th Composite Squadron and meetings, contact Lt. Col. Larry Webster at hornets99compsq@aol.com.