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COLLIER COUNTY WILDERNESS WATERWAY

COASTAL PATROL PROCEDURES

REV-2

09 JULY

2015

SPIN

1. Background. These procedures cover the conduct of the Wilderness Waterway Coastal Patrol (WWCP) of the Marco Island (FL-376) and Naples (FL-023) Senior Squadrons, conducted under

the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP)

and Collier County. The WWCP is generally scheduled 2 or 3 times a week, Thursday through

Sunday. WWCP participant assignments are on the MICAP website calendar at fl376.flwg.us

2. Reporting times. The Crew will report for duty at least 45 minutes prior to the planned aircraft

departure. Departure should be planned no earlier than 3 hours prior to sunset, but may be flown

earlier to accommodate crew schedules or weather considerations. Time of sunset is published in

local newspapers and available online at http://www.calendar-updates.com/sun.asp by ZIP

CODE. Marco Island ZIP CODE is 34145.

3. Crew required for WWCP. The minimum crew for a WWCP will consist of a Mission Pilot (MP),

and a Mission Observer (MO). An addition of a Mission Scanner (MS) and/or Aerial Photographer

(AP) would be beneficial to the mission. The Mission Base ground crew will consist of a Mission

Radio Operator (MRO), WMIRS Coordinator (WC), and an Incident Commander (IC). The MP

will contact the Flight and Mission Base crewmembers, prior to the flight, to verify their availability

and coordinate the scheduled mission time. This call should be made NO LATER THAN the

preceding day of the mission.

4. Preflight Preparation:

A. The MP will obtain weather information. Sources are Flight Service, DUATS or AWOS at

WX 120.075 (239) 394-8187. Unofficial but helpful WX reports leading up to the day of the

flight can be found on TV at the Weather Channel, or on the Internet at www. Intellicast.com. If

the pilot determines that weather conditions are unsuitable, the flight will be canceled and

crewmembers will be notified.

B. The pilot will obtain a flight release from an authorized FRO:

Willard Garman (941-448-3401) or George Schafer (850-712-7487). This Flight Release must

be BOTH an electronic release through WMIRS and a verbal release by phone. If these FROs

are not available you must contact the WWCP Mission IC, Lt Col Lee Henderson (239-398-

6481) for instructions. You CANNOT launch without a flight release! You need to try to

contact both FROs before calling Lt Col, Henderson.

C. The pilot, with assistance of the crewmembers, will preflight the aircraft. Any minor

discrepancies will be noted in the A/C logbook and reported in WMIRS. If A/C is found to be

not airworthy, the flight will be canceled. Notify the following individuals prior to Grounding

the Aircraft: The Aircraft Maintenance Officer (AMO), the Squadron Operations Officer

and/or the Squadron Commander.

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D. The pilot will brief all crewmembers on the flight, on the emergency procedures and egress, aircraft ditching procedures and on any operational factors that could affect the

flight. Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) will be worn by air crews on these sorties.

5. Mission Base.

A. The WMIRS Coordinator (WC) will open WMIRS for the monthly Collier County MOU

Mission Number and open the specific Sortie for the present date. The WC shall check in

participants and aircraft, and assign duties. This should be done no later than the morning of

the scheduled patrol. In the case WMIRS is not working on the computer a manual form

(ICS211) will be used to log in participants. This will then be unloaded into the sortie files at

the end of the mission.

B. The Mission Radio Operator (MRO) will open the Radio Station at least 15 minutes

prior to departure, insure the Status Board and Communications Log are up and ready for use on

the computer for the subject Mission Number, Sortie and date. In the case WMIRS is not

working on the computer, a manual Log (ICS110) will be used. This will then be unloaded into

the sortie files at the end of the mission.

C. Radios available to the Mission Radio Operator include the CAP Radio (On Air 1), the

Marine Radio (on Channel 16) and the VHF FM 123.1. Channel 123.1 will be the back-up

channel for communication with Mission Base. The Mission Base phone is – 239-389-1272.

6. Initial Procedures and Radio Logs. After aircraft start-up, the observer and radio operator will

perform a radio check per the published radio procedures. The patrol flight cannot depart the

airport without a positive radio contact. The call sign for the CAP Aircraft is the individual

assigned CAP call sign CAP _ _ _. The call sign for the mission base radio station is MISSION

BASE. The Aircraft CAP radio should be set to Marine Channel 16 on the top and CAP AIR 1 on

the bottom (Guard). The Mission Base Radio Operator will record each radio transmission on the

Communications Log and the Mission Observer will record on the WWCP Mission Log: radio

transmission times, checkpoint times and counts for boats and active campsites. The log is provided

in Attachment (2) and on the Marco Island Senior Squadron web site on the home page on the right

(fl376.flwg.us). This log will be uploaded into the Sortie files at the completion of the mission.

7. WWCP Route and Checkpoints. The pilot will fly the published WWCP route, starting at WP1 at

the Collier Seminole State Park. The map of the WWCP checkpoints is provided in Attachment (1).

In case of circumstances, such as weather, the Mission Aircrew may fly the route at the crew’s

discretion around the 10,000 Islands down to Lostman’s River. The Observer will report wheels up

(at a safe altitude) per the Mission Log. After reaching cruise altitude, the Observer will make

contact with USCG, Fort Myers Station on USCG Channel 16 on the CAP Radio. This call is made

at the beginning and end of the patrol and also relayed to the MRO that it has be accomplished.

The WWCP cruise altitude is 1,000 feet at 100 knots airspeed.

8. Mission Base and Aircrew Responsibilities (Summary)

General

o Only fully-trained crews allowed—no training allowed o Limited FROs (Garman and Schaefer) Report any problems with reaching FROs

to the WWCP IC, Lt Col Lee Henderson(239-398-6481) - You CANNOT launch

without a flight release! Make sure you try to reach both FRO’s before calling Lt Col,

Henderson. o No shortcuts on paperwork (brief, ORM, debrief) – complete, detailed and accurate

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Mission Pilot (MP)

o Before the flight – contact and brief the WMIRS Coordinator and crew o Add sortie to WMIRS (fill out brief and ORM) o Verify that all crew members are qualified o Obtain flight release o Insure MO has Mission Log sheet o Record sortie on aircraft log sheet (AIF book) o Debrief in WMIRS o Inform WMIRS Coordinator when debrief has been completed in WMIRS

o Insure MO uploads mission log o Upload fuel receipt. The use of the Multi-service card is NOT authorized for these

patrols. Fuel is to be charge to the squadron account.

Mission Observer (MO)

o Responsible for maintaining Mission Log entries o Responsible for reporting on CAP radio (mission base and USCG) o Check in with Fort Myers USCG - done at beginning and end of patrol – identify

yourself as Civil Air Patrol Aircraft, CAP _ _ _ and inform MRO when accomplished o Reporting schedule – radio check (on ground@MKY, airborne@APF); report contact

with USCG; entering patrol at WP1, every 15 minutes, report requesting RTB, and

wheels down

o Report boat/watercraft and active campsite counts at each 15-minute checkpoint o At end of mission, tally total number of boat/watercraft count and active campsite

count o Scan and upload the Mission Log into Sortie Files in WMIRS (found on the Edit

page). Naming format needs to comply with instructions at the bottom of the

Mission Log sheet.

Mission Radio Operator (MRO)

o Open WMIRS at Mission Base (Status Board and Communications Log) o Log aircraft reports including Boats/Watercrafts and active campsites counts (be brief but

precise)

o Log off WMIRS - Mission completed

WMIRS Coordinator (WC)

o Will be assigned to each WWCP Sortie

o Responsible for opening the mission in WMIRS (check in participants/aircraft and assign

duty positions. Lt Col Henderson is always assigned as the IC)

o Close mission in WMIRS (check-out participants and aircraft). Sign out of WMIRS o Debrief with PIC and view debrief in WMIRS (notify PIC if discrepancies are found) o Debrief should be reviewed within 24 hours of sortie o Check WMIRS mission files to be sure both Mission Log and fuel receipt were uploaded o Record sortie details on Collier County WWCP Expense Worksheet o At the end of each month send WWCP Expense Worksheet to MICAP Commander

9. Boats in Distress. The flight crew will observe all boats for any indication of trouble or anything

else during the mission that should be reported. Occupants of a disabled vessel would fly an orange distress flag, use signal flares, smoke signals, wave life jackets, etc. Any vessel obviously aground

should be investigated. Circle the vessel in distress and try to contact them on Marine Radio Channel

16. If they require assistance report a description of the vessel, location, number of occupants and the

nature of the distress to the Mission Base Radio Operator. The Radio Operator will call THE IC AND

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__________________________________

PROCEED AS INSTRUCTED for the Emergency Contact procedures in this publication (item #10).

10. Emergency Contacts. It is the responsibility of the Mission Radio Operator to initiate contact with

outside agencies, as directed by the IC. Generally The Coast Guard and Sea Tow can be contacted by

Marine Radio channel 16. If a distress call comes in by Marine Channel 16, monitor the radio traffic

and alert the Mission Radio Operator and the US Coast Guard, but do not interfere with transmissions

between the Coast Guard and the individuals requesting assistance. However, based on your aircraft

altitude, you may be the only radio in range of boats that are off the Coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The

most help you can render in this case is to act as a radio relay between the Coast Guard and the vessel

in distress. Increasing aircraft altitude, decreasing the airspeed (and fuel burn), and holding the current

position in an orbit are all options. A boat that is broken down and in radio or telephone

communications with Sea Tow or the Coast Guard does not constitute an emergency situation.

However, a vessel on fire or sinking would constitute an emergency, and your “Eyes on Target” and

communications of the situation could be essential until help arrives at the scene.

DO NOT FLY BEYOND GLIDING DISTANCE OF LAND! DO NOT PURSUE AS A RESCUE

MISSION, UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU ARE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF

LAND, AND YOUR OVERHEAD PRESENCE WILL ASSIST IN SAVING LIVES. MAKE

SURE THE MISSION RADIO OPERATOR INFORMS THE INCIDENT COMMANDER OF

THE SITUATION, AND THAT THE CAP NATIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER IS

INFORMED OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE OF A CAP AIRCRAFT.

11. Actions in event of an ELT Signal. The aircrew should monitor the emergency frequency of 121.5

on the VHF FM radio and 406.0 MHZ on the BECKER during the duration of the flight. Occasionally

turning off squelch may help in hearing an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). Should an ELT

signal be heard while on patrol, call Mission Base to report your position and direction of the signal

using the Becker ELT Direction Finder.

DO NOT PROSECUTE ELT SIGNALS WITHOUT A MISSION # ASSIGNMENT

FROM AFRCC, UNLESS IT IS AN OBVIOUS MAYDAY SITUATION WITH LIVES

IN IMMEDIATE DANGER!

12. Lost Communications with Mission Base. Keep the Mission Base radio station informed at all

times. In the event of lost communication for 30 minutes you shall abort the mission and return to

base (RTB). Contact Mission Base immediately after landing.

13. Return to Base and Closing Procedures. When the route is completed the MO should request RTB from Mission Base. It is possible you may receive further tasking at this point. Upon return to

base, the Mission Observer will complete the Mission Log and insure the Mission log is uploaded into

WMIRS Sortie Files. All post flight procedures and refueling procedures apply.

Reference:

CAP/Collier County Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Attachments:

1. WWCP Route Map with Waypoints 2. Mission Log

Capt Robert Corriveau,

Commander, Marco Island Senior Squadron, SER-FL-376

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Attachment 2