Air Transport

Air Traffic Control and Civil Air Patrol

In severe disaster situations, local infrastructure may be damaged enough to wipe out air traffic control facilities. Similarly, disasters in remote areas may lack those facilities to begin with. In such situations, one of the first projects targeted by disaster response personnel is setting up an emergency air traffic control tower. Without this step, the risk to personnel and rescue operations is considerable, particularly if weather conditions are bad. This aid is generally provided by government agencies, such as the FAA.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered nonprofit corporation that serves as the U.S. Air Force's civilian auxiliary. In addition to performing courier services and homeland security missions, it is tasked with three central missions: aerospace education; teenage cadet programs; and emergency services, which encompasses both search-and-rescue missions and disaster relief. Originally chartered on the eve of World War II as part of the civilian defense, CAP is headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and includes 57,000 volunteers and about 5,000 aircraft (most of them owned by the volunteers).

CAP search and rescue missions result in about 100 saved lives a year, and are operated throughout the continental United States and from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. CAP crews are active in domestic disaster relief operations, transporting equipment and lending personnel to local, state, and federal agencies, as well as providing aerial imagery to help with damage assessments. Some of the CAP aircraft are equipped with Satellite Digital Imaging System (SDIS) capabilities, enabling digital imagery of disaster sites to be emailed from the craft, improving mission coordination. In these capacities, CAP is especially active in the Gulf Coast, where hurricanes are a frequent concern. CAP crews also provided some of the first aerial imagery of Ground Zero following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. In coordination with the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other civilian groups, CAP conducts numerous humanitarian missions, such as the rapid transport of blood, human tissue, and medical supplies.

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