06 November 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas - The 2009 Alliance Air Show, held on October 24-25, was a spectacular affair. On the ground, it featured dozens of military and civilian aircraft. In the sky, it featured performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, and myriad other planes and pilots. Civil Air Patrol cadets were given the opportunity to help make the air show a success.

The first day officially began at 0730 hours as the cadets gradually began to arrive. They reported first to the Alliance volunteer check-in and then to mission base. At mission base, which was a communications van provided by Nighthawk Composite Squadron, each cadet was assigned to one of five teams. Once all of the cadets had arrived, the day truly began. After a quick safety briefing, courtesy of the attending senior members, the teams were sent out to their stations.

Throughout the day, the teams rotated between five work stations: the flight deck, the bounce houses, the recruiting table, and two "water buffaloes" (trucks holding potable water). Cadets working on the flight deck managed the priority seating area. They checked to ensure that everyone who entered the area had a wristband that signified that he or she had paid for a seat there. They also enforced the air show no-smoking rule.

At the bounce houses, the attending team enforced the rules: no roughhousing, no turning flips, and no more than five people in one bounce house at a time. Working with children was a welcome respite for some of the cadets; C/Amn Bridges from Thunderbolt Composite Squadron stated, "This is a lot of fun! The little kids are so adorable."

  

Cadets who worked at the recruiting table were amply supplied with CAP brochures; however, their supply dwindled rapidly. Public interest in CAP was high, since many of the teenagers who attended the air show were interested in aviation. Several air show attendees stated that they would visit their local squadron in the near future.

Cadets working at the "water buffaloes" operated the spigots on the trucks to provide air show guests with water. The "water buffalo" located behind a PlayStation 3 truck was many cadets' favorite station. The PlayStation truck played music that could easily be heard at the water truck, which was quickly dubbed "the fun water buffalo."

All the cadets who worked at the air show were able to observe the main attraction: the Blue Angels' flight routine. C/AB Honeycutt, from Diamondback Composite Squadron, stated, "The Blue Angels were captivating and well worth being called the highlight of the air show." C/A1C Golden, from Nighthawk Composite Squadron, enthusiastically said, “The Blue Angels were awesome!” CAP cadets were able to do more than just watch the Blue Angels fly; after the performance ended, the cadets formed a human corridor for the Blue Angels pilots, who were returning to the terminal building.

Cadets from Nighthawk Composite Squadron, Johnson County Composite Squadron, South Fort Worth Composite Squadron, Marauder Composite Squadron, Rio del Fierro Composite Squadron, and Texoma Composite Squadron formed the teams that staffed the five stations the first day. Cadets from Phoenix Composite Squadron had a different task. They assisted in setting up for the American Airlines Sky Ball, which began after the air show closed on the night of the 24th. They set up tables and readied the facility for the seventh Sky Ball, all the proceeds of which benefit the families of local military personnel.

The second day of the air show began much like the first: with chilly, sleepy cadets signing in and being assigned to teams. The squadrons previously staffing the teams were joined by Thunderbolt Composite Squadron and Phoenix Composite Squadron, and the number of teams was expanded to six.

The first five teams rotated between the five stations at which they worked the first day; however, the sixth team was given a special assignment. They were to work at the media entry. They checked press passes and allowed photographers from newspapers and magazines to enter the special media area close to the runway. Since they were as close to the performing planes as the media photographers were, the cadets working at the media entry had an excellent view of the air show. C/2d Lt Martin and C/CMSgt Sten, from Phoenix Composite Squadron, stated, "It was an honor to work up front where the action was."

Shortly before the Blue Angels' flight, the command staff was alerted that a child had gone missing. When the cadets were given the child's description, C/Amn Board, from Nighthawk Composite Squadron, stated that he'd seen the boy. A team of four cadets went to search the area. Before long, two of the cadets located the missing child and took him back to mission base. From there, a senior member walked with the boy and the cadets to the terminal building, where the child was reunited with his tearful mother.

After the Blue Angels flew, the mass exodus began. At 1700 hours, faced with an area devoid of people, the cadets said goodbye to the Alliance Air Show—at least until next year.

Story and Photos submitted by C/1st Lt Emily Crouse.