Cadet Willis Morales completes instrument training
Middle River, MD. – Cadet CMSgt Willis Morales earned his single engine instrument – airplane rating in a Piper Cherokee, PA-28-180.
Morales started flying when he was 14. He completed his private pilot rating on November 8, 2019. To earn his private pilot rating, he flew over 60 hours, with and without a flight instructor. He learned all phases of flight, navigation, emergency procedures and basic instrument knowledge. To complete a private pilot rating, pilots must pass a written, oral and flight test administered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
After completing his private pilot rating, he continued his training, and passed his instrument rating checkride on October 23, 2020. Instrument training teaches pilots how to navigate without visual reference to the ground using various types of electronic equipment. VOR [Very high frequency omni-directional range] transmitters were the most common until GPS functionality became more accessible. Using a combination of both, instrument rated pilots can successfully navigate between airports, like the way a commercial airliner would fly.
Morales joined the Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron in February 2017. He an active member of cadet staff, part of a CyberPatriot team and is working towards becoming a cadet officer. He is currently a Senior at Towson High School. After graduating, Morales plans to attend the Greenville Technical College in South Carolina and purse an Associate’s Degree and Certification as an Aircraft & Power Plant Mechanic (A&P) and later a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Business Management.
Morales is the first active cadet to earn his instrument rating in squadron history.
Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron meets every Thursday from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Martin State Airport. For information on the squadron, including meeting address and contact information, visit www.glmcscap.org. Follow the squadron on Facebook at www.facebook.com/glmcscap and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/glmcscap.
Nearly 1,500 CAP members serve in Maryland. Last year wing members flew 13 search and rescue missions. The wing was credited with four finds. Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland. Members flew 2,245 hours in all mission categories. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For more information, contact the Maryland Wing at www.mdcap.org or follow the wing on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarylandWingCivilAirPatrol.
Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a valued member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft and 1,550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). It performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM/aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit http://www.CAP.News or http://www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.
###
Lt. Col Christopher Roche
Public Affairs Officer
Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron
