Civil Air Patrol’s Oklahoma Wing is comprised of 18 units across the state. The newest flight is located at R.L. Jones Airport at the Tulsa Technology Center at 91st Street and Elm Place on the border with Jenks.

“We started looking into the possibility of a new flight at the Tulsa Technology Center location when we noticed increased interest in the area,” said 2nd Lt. Yolanda Daves, the deputy commander of seniors for the flight. “We began hosting open houses in June and July this year, for five weeks with a different theme each week.”

“The response was exciting,” added the flight’s Safety Officer, Staff Sergeant Dan Golden. “We had over 100 people attend each week. It really got us thinking.”

R.L Jones Airport has grown to become a hub of business and economic activity for the Tulsa region. It now includes three runways, over two hundred commercial and private hangars, and over 500 based aircraft. RVS is the fifth busiest general aviation airport in the country. Much of the airport’s activity comes directly from its seven flight schools.

“The open houses brought in 29 new cadets and six new adult members,” Daves continued. “This brought our flight up to 56 cadets and 17 adults.”

The flight held a training weekend, which they called Operation First Stripe. The new cadets were invited to attend as students while 15 of the senior cadets instructed the 20 various classes including drill and ceremonies, chain of command and uniform wear. The weekend training led to 20 of the 29 cadet basics receiving their promotion to cadet airman at the end of September. Additionally, 10 cadets received their promotions to senior ranks, including one cadet officer.

“My favorite thing about OFS was learning drill, I really love the drill.” Cadet Airman Chloe Shannon said.

Shannon completed her promotion requirements and earned the rank of Cadet Airman in September with 19 of her peers from her flight.

“In such a short time, Riverside feels like home. I like everything about it.” Shannon continued when asked about her overall experience in the Civil Air Patrol.

For more information on the opportunities offered by Civil Air Patrol, visit goCivilAirPatrol.com.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions, saving an average of more than 80 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. In addition, CAP members serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.