Connecticut Wing UDF Team Locates Emergency Beacon at Bradley International Airport

WINDSOR, Conn. - Jan. 24, 2015 - PRLog -- Civil Air Patrol’s Connecticut Wing executed an emergency signal search resulting in a find at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Connecticut Wing Emergency Services received notification from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) on January 15, 2015 of an active emergency signal emanating from the proximity of Bradley International Airport. A Civil Air Patrol Urban Direction Finding Team (UDF), consisting of First Lieutenant Matt Winot, Major David Stansfield and First Lieutenant Doug Gebhardt, was launched at 5 p.m. EST from Connecticut Wing’s 103rd Composite Squadron based out of Granby, Connecticut, with the task of locating and silencing the beacon.

The team proceeded to Bradley International Airport and worked to fix the most likely location of the signal based on GPS data received from AFRCC. According to Lieutenant Colonel Michael Heath, Connecticut Wing Emergency Services Officer, “the UDF team located the building where the signal was emanating within 45 minutes of arriving on site. Once the building was opened, it was discovered that the signal came from a personal response beacon, attached to a military parachute.” The beacon, registered to the 157th Refueling Wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard, was silenced and the UDF team returned to base.

The find highlights the readiness of Civil Air Patrol’s Connecticut Wing to quickly and effectively respond to emergency situations in the state. The beacon was sounding for 24 hours but couldn’t be located before Civil Air Patrol was notified. “The beacon was found and silenced in less than two hours from the time AFRCC notified Connecticut Wing, evidence of the wing’s preparedness,” said Heath.

To learn more about Civil Air Patrol’s Connecticut Wing visit http://www.facebook.com/CTWGCAP or http://www.ctwg.cap.gov/.

         ###

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 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 80 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or http://www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.