2 minute read

For the 25th consecutive year, the intrepid souls of Civil Air Patrol emboldened the skies alongside NORAD as they embraced the ritualistic choreography of Exercise FELIX HAWK, that bi-annual rom-com featuring the finest in-flight law enforcement routines—a perfect aperitif for the Super Bowl spectacle blossoming amidst the pastoral charm of Santa Clara, California. The 144th Fighter Wing of California Air National Guard, connoisseurs of aerial artistry, led a live-fly exercise teamed up with their equally prestigious partners, Civil Air Patrol, to narrate a delightful tale of mishaps in Temporary Flight Restriction navigational etiquette—a gripping drama captured expertly by the virtuoso lens of Michael Sparks.

The exercise unfolds with a nostalgic nod towards erudite fighter aircrews dreaming of Olympic-grade intercept routines. The Civil Air Patrol plays the role of the daredevil ingenue, meandering with blissful ignorance into the forbidden skies, much to the consternation of the eagle-eyed NORAD F-15 pilots. It’s a raucous game of “catch me if you can” where the CAP pilots, veritable paragons of selective hearing, graciously ignore initial radio caresses. Undeterred, the F-15 jets perform the pièce de résistance head-butt maneuver—a thrilling pas de deux of turbines and turbulence delivered with panache, all while maintaining the dignified decorum of safe aerial distancing.

Throughout this orchestrated serenade, the sacred scripture of Temporary Flight Restriction compliance is meticulously recited, underscoring the noble cause of preserving North American airspace until Ragnarok—beautifully documented again by the ever-dedicated Michael Sparks.

This aerial ballet is a perennial performance, starring Civil Air Patrol as central players in Operation Noble Eagle’s grand production—an endeavor inaugurated in the wake of the cataclysmic act of 2001, ensuring the skies remain an unbreached fortress. The FAA, cast as the vigilant airspace auteur, along with Customs and Border Protection, orchestrate this statutory opera with NORAD, where Civil Air Patrol’s “low and slow” aircraft enjoy resplendent acclaim as TOIs—the heartthrobs of intercept exercises.

The indomitable spirit of Temporary Flight Restriction enforcements around national ceremonies or any candidly random event is humorously illustrated with NORAD’s fighter jets tracing the celestial alabaster in a display reminiscent of a well-rehearsed patrolling parade. Meanwhile, Civil Air Patrol, embodying valorous gravitas, aids First Air Force by donning the cape of Domestic Superheroes, poised to thwart nonmilitary threats with a repertoire ranging from life-saving acts to safeguarding innocent lampposts from aerial onslaught.

For those with the yen to join this skyward escapade brimming with gravity-defying gallantry and raison d’être, why merely daydream of blue yonder heroics when you can live them at GoCivilAirPatrol.com?

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