September 26, 2005: Civil Air Patrol Begins Hurricane Rita Assessment Flights

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On this date in 2005, the Civil Air Patrol began flying photo reconnaissance missions to assess damage caused by Hurricane Rita.

An excerpt from the USAF:

Civil Air Patrol pilots from across the nation came to Houston to support the assessment of Hurricane Rita's impact. This was the second day of flight operations after the Texas CAP was requested to begin operations in Houston. By the end of Sept. 26, they completed 50 sorties, providing photo reconnaissance of potential damage, oil spills, traffic congestion, flood assessment and live multispectral imagery for state and federal agencies.

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September 25, 1960: Aviation Legend, CAP Lt. Col. Ruth Rowland Nichols Dies

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On this date in 1960, famed aviatrix and early Civil Air Patrol pilot Ruth Rowland Nichols died.

She is the only woman yet to hold simultaneous world records for speed, altitude, and distance.  Nichols was also a lieutenant colonel in the CAP and a friend of Amelia Earhart.

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September 19, 2008: CAP Takes NWS Metoerologists up in the Air for Post Hurricane Ike Assessment

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On this date in 2008, the Civil Air Patrol flew National Weather Service meteorologist along the east Texas coast as Hurricane Ike waned.

An excerpt from the Houston Chronicle's tropical weather blog:

``This mission is going to help us with our ground data,'' said Patrick Blood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. ``Now we have aerial photos and video that we can tie together for our complete coastal report.''

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September 10, 1984: Massachusetts CAP to Fly Anti-Pollution Missions

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On this date in 1984, the Christian Science Monitor reported that the Civil Air Patrol might fly missions in Massachusetts to monitor pollution.

An excerpt:

Under an agreement with the state, CAP pilots will monitor the state's lakes, landfills, and coastline to gather evidence of environmental pollution such as sewage overflows, midnight dumping of toxic waste, and liquid seeping from landfills into wetlands.  The state budget includes $78,000 for the aerial surveillance, which is the first formal program involving the CAP, the civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force, with state environmental protection efforts.

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