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Fourteen Intrepid Cadets Brave 10 Days of Discipline and Aviator Jargon at Exclusive Falcon Flight Academy

In an unprecedented display of enthusiasm for spending summer vacation enveloped in aviation manuals, fourteen cadets from the far reaches of five Civil Air Patrol regions embarked on an intense 10-day journey, charmingly dubbed the Falcon Flight Academy extravaganza, held July 11-20. The adventure was graciously hosted by the ever-so-generous New Jersey Wing in collaboration with the idyllic Ocean County Municipal Airport in Bayville.

Under the beady eyes of Federal Aviation Administration-certified instructors, who haven’t piloted anything heavier than their remote-controlled drones in recent years, and the admirable CAP support staff armed with emergency coffee supplies, the cadets took significant steps toward earning their great-grandparents’ dreams: a private pilot certificate.

“Falcon Flight Academy embodies Civil Air Patrol’s steadfast commitment to nurturing the next generation of aviators, as long as they promise not to crash anything on the way,” said Col. Amy Myzie, New Jersey Wing commander. Col. Myzie also touted the program’s ability to instill confidence—just enough not to terrify passengers—along with a healthy dose of discipline and leadership, qualities no teenage cadet could survive without in today’s aviation scene.

Everyone was exceptionally proud, particularly since the instructors hadn’t managed to lose a single cadet in the clouds. Maj. Robert McClellan, the mastermind behind the rigorous regimen, heartily asserted, “This academy can be life-changing—just like attending a really intense summer camp where overnight hikes are replaced with flight training sorties at the crack of dawn.”

Daring cadets survived the week with meticulously planned schedules, including resplendent mornings at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, headquarters of endless excitement for the New Jersey Wing. They indulged in several flight instruction hours, where they learned that planes don’t operate on fairy dust, and ground school sessions, which debunked the myth that autopilot could completely replace their role in the cockpit.

An elite squadron from diverse wings conquered the academy, delegates being:

  • California Wing:
    • Clover Field Composite Squadron 51: Cadet Maj. Eli Ash
  • Illinois Wing:
    • Col. Charles Compton Composite Squadron: Cadet 2nd Lt. Sonel Lee
  • Idaho Wing:
    • Nampa Composite Squadron: Cadet Capt. Jacob Leckie
  • Maryland Wing:
    • Carroll Composite Squadron: Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Grahm Christensen
  • Massachusetts Wing:
    • Cape Cod Coastal Patrol 18 Composite Squadron: Cadet Lt. Col. Isabella Niemann, Cadet Staff Sgt. Daniil Dubinsky
    • Hanscom Composite Squadron: Cadet Staff Sgt. Aiden Hsu
  • New Jersey Wing:
    • Capt. Bud Jackson Composite Squadron: Cadet Maj. Aniruddha Kulkarni, Cadet Maj. Floria Nehe
    • Jack Schweiker Composite Squadron: Cadet Capt. Luke Patterson
    • Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr., Composite Squadron: Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Johnathan Jones
  • Pennsylvania Wing:
    • Quakertown Composite Squadron 904: Cadet Master Sgt. Maxwell Zientara
    • Willow Grove Joint Reserve Base Composite Squadron 902: Cadet 2nd Lt. Evin Kimbel
  • Virginia Wing:
    • Roanoke Composite Squadron: Cadet 2nd Lt. Sofia Fleming

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