What is the Florida Civil Air Patrol Group 5 Glider Program all about?

The Glider Program of SW Florida supports the Wing Cadet Program and CAP National programs in many ways including:

-Glider orientation flights for Cadets. Every CAP cadet is authorized 5 Glider Orientation flights.

-Cadet flight training.

-Senior development in the glider program.

-Instructors teach at National Flight Academies for gliders.

Each year, about 20 percent of the graduates of Wing and National Glider Encampments receive appointments to the Air Force Academy.

FLWG operates a fleet of training gliders. We have a Blanik L-23 glider assigned to Group 5 to support these activities. This glider is an ideal aircraft for orientation flights and flight training. The Blanik L-23 is used at the US Air Force Academy for flight training based upon its excellent flight characteristics.

There are two methods for signing up for Cadet O-rides:

1) Look on the schedule for an "Open O-flight day" and sign up for it if it is not full;

2) Contact the Glider Flight Schedule Officer to schedule a personalized O-flight day.

The glider program also offers flight opportunities for tow plane pilots, orientation pilots and instructors.

Senior members, non-pilots, parents, and mentors can assist with ground operations.

This glider is based at Immokalee Airport Immokalee Airport located 30 miles east of Naples and is within an hours drive of many south Florida Squadrons.

Our instructors are FAA Certified Flight Instructors who instruct to CAP, FAA and SSA – Soaring Society of America regulations and standards. We work as a team establishing goals and new training methods, continually improving our pilots.

If you'd like flights at an "Airport near you", please ask.  We might be able to make these arrangements.

We fly year round, except during peak tropical storm season (July-August-September).

We welcome donations for miscellaneous minor non-reimbursable items to maintain the glider.

All email addresses contain anti-spam (**at sign**) characters and must be edited.

For more information, contact:

Ted Brousseau, Major, CAP
Florida Group 5 Glider Project Officer