11 September 2007
Conroe, TX - How do you find a downed aircraft while you are doing ES training? Short of crashing a real airplane, the 7/6 Air Calvary, based in Conroe TX, came up with a unique idea.

They designed a life size target plane fabricated out of sail cloth. Maj Ted Tessitore, 7/6 Air Cav squadron commander and Maj Ray Hischke designed the simulator based upon the scaled dimensions of a Cessna 172. Fabricated by Dave Lindsay of Cameron Sails in Seabrook, TX, the simulator has stitched seams and grommets. Maj Tessitore explained to me that simulators can be made to nearly any size and shape to meet whatever the training needs are. He carried this thought further saying one could build inflatable targets much as they did during WWII prior to D-Day.

Find the right location, add an ELT beacon simulator and you have a great training aid that is realistic, flexible and easy to set up. I recently finished training as a scanner and used this target. We were told to look for a white airplane on the ground. We picked up a weak ELT signal at the top of our grid pattern and moving just above the grid, suddenly the ELT came in loud and clear. One more pass and there it was!! In a clearing near a house. Not easily seen from the west we circled around and began making passes north and south, directing a ground crew to the site.

The 172ATS, as it is now called, was made near the end of last year. It has been deployed twice with excellent results. It can easily be seen from the air or the ground. “I wasn’t aware of any other simulators until we had this one made. Then, I learned of a target made out of billboard material.” he said. “Our 172ATS is light weight, easy to carry and pack up. It weighs no more than an average camping tent. The closer to reality the training aid the better. With the simplicity of the design the youngest cadets can master it.

The 172ATS is made of sail cloth material with grommets to permit the sections to be easily strung up in trees or scattered and staked on the ground to emulate a broken up or bent aircraft. It can be painted to provide unique makings then easily cleaned at the end of the training exercise.
Adequate precaution should be used when setting out any practice target. In the past, actual missions have been generated from simulated distress signals that were intended to be used strictly for exercise. Notify the local Flight Service Station as to the location, timeframe, and nature of your targets--whether they are electronic, visual, or otherwise. Most importantly, ensure that you remove, dismantle and store your targets when your exercise has terminated.

Doing research for this article I found a few simple ideas for your unit to make simulated targets from simple household items. You can visit the USCAP online Emergency Services page written by Lt Col Scott E Lanis for more information:

http://www.cap-es.net/pageuse.htm

Maj Tessitore and I found the 172ATS simulator to be easy to see, easy to transport and easy to lay out on the ground. We know these training aids are necessary for CAP ES personnel to get a realistic experience in locating a downed aircraft.

Article and photos submitted by Ted Tessitore, Maj, CAP and Denise Thompson, Capt, CAP