C.A.P.

Success four flights Thursday morning all against twenty one mile wind started from Level with engine power alone speed through air thirty one miles longest 57 second inform Press home Christmas.
-- Orville Wright

Tuesday, May 15, 2001
Two years ago: Look Both Ways
Three years ago: Green Tea Therapy
Four years ago: Lobster Salad and Champagne

We got Jack's daughter H---- to her first Civil Air Patrol Meeting tonight. This is a program (an civilian arm of the Air Force) that trains young folks in leadership and aviation skills. If she sticks with it, she'll get free pilot training, and an automatic in to the Air Force academy (free college with a committment of some years service afterward).

The facility where the meetings are held is up by the Bellingham airport. We found it after some casting around in the neighborhood there. The meeting had already begon, so we just watched the cadets practice drilling for a few minutes, then walked across the room (a large, gym-like structure) to find some of the officers in the back hall. We met a young woman, a junior in high school, who talked to H---- about her CAP experiences. She described trips and excursions that sounded great! After a while, Jack and H---- went to sit in on a classroom training session, and I went back to the car and read.

We all three went for ice cream after the meeting was done. H--- seems to be into the CAP thing; she's talked about wanting to fly or be an astronaut for a long time. This would be a good step towards those goals, with lots of other benefits, too.