Civil Air Patrol to demonstrate new flight simulator at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base on Dec. 11.

HANCOCK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SYRACUSE (12/10/2017) (readMedia)-- Members of the media are invited to attend a Dec. 11 demonstration of a new flight simulator that has been installed at the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Education Center here and which will enable the Civil Air Patrol's New York Wing to enhance Cadet flight training and enable current Civil Air Patrol Pilots to enhance their skills.

WHO: Col. Tom Carello, the Commander of the New York Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo

WHAT: A demonstration of the recently installed FMX Redbird Flight Simulator.

WHEN: 1:15 p.m.. Monday December 11, 2017

WHERE : Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, 6001 E Molloy Rd, Syracuse

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will have the opportunity to try the FMX Redbird Flight simulator for themselves and discuss the importance of this system with Col. Tom Carello and NYS Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo

For access to the base, reporters must contact the Master Sgt. Lillique Ford at the 174th Attack Wing Public Affairs Office.

Contact information: (315) 233-2651 or Lillique.a.ford.mil@mail.mil

Additional information

All media representatives must provide PA representative with the names and driver's license number 3 days prior for approval and media coverage. All media representatives must be at the Thompson Road gate at 1:15 p.m. A Public Affairs representative will escort personnel to the event 30 minutes prior to official ceremony and ribbon cutting. Late arrivals will not be permitted to enter the property.

BACKGROUND:

The flight simulator was purchased with funds from a grant approved in the 2017-2018 NYS budget. Budget funding for Civil Air Patrol was a priority for Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (123rd Assembly District), Co-Chair, NYS Legislative Aviation Caucus and Major in CAP Legislative Squadron.

"New York State is lucky to have Civil Air Patrol units actively involved in their communities," said Assemblywoman Lupardo. "along with the education and training it provides Cadets and members, CAP is regularly involved with emergency and disaster response missions. I am very happy that funding was included in this years budget to help CAP continue doing this valuable work."

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force's Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent 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 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol's 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.cap.news for more information.