Great Texas Airshow Article
Civil Air Patrol at the Great Texas Airshow
By 1st Lt Rodrigo Lopez
From April 5th to the 7th, Joint Base San Antonio - Randolph Air Force Base hosted the Great Texas Airshow, an annual event where tens of thousands of people come to watch an impressive display of America’s military aviation history. The Airshow also features many displays from America’s other military branches, and other organizations. The Squadrons of the San Antonio Area came together to man a booth at the Great Texas Airshow to increase public awareness of Civil Air Patrol and recruit new members to CAP.
The first day of the airshow was for the media and the local military community. At the start of this day we spent that time setting up and seeing how we wanted to utilize the space we were given. We had an aircraft, flight simulator, knot activity, and uniform displays to attract people as well as brochures to hand out for more information. By noon the weather had improved enough for aircraft to fly and for the show to start. Around this time the number of people that came increased, but it was nothing compared to the very next day.
The second day of the airshow was the first day that it was open to the general public. Unlike the previous day, the weather was much better but still not optimal for flying. The setup phase at the start of the day led to a different final setup than the previous day to better use our space so there wasn’t as much crowding. At around an hour before noon the number of people that stopped by the booth grew significantly, and everyone who volunteered was talking to someone about CAP. At around 3 PM the number of visitors dropped, and the need for the volunteers to stay at the booth was reduced enough for some of our cadet volunteers to explore what the airshow had to offer.
The third day was the second day that it was open to the general public. Like the last two days, the weather was not great and only allowed low flying due to a low cloud ceiling. Around 10:00 AM, people started trickling by our booth, though attendance was down for the day . On this day Cadet First Sergeant Gianna Brin of the Lackland Cadet Squadron did an outstanding job of explaining CAP to the many people that came by. At around 12:00 PM the cadets were given a tour of a C5M by Lt Col BB King. The cadets were shown the cockpit and the living quarters on board that the rest of the public were not allowed to see.
The Great Texas Airshow is a great way for the Civil Air Patrol to increase public awareness for our organization, to recruit new members, and to gain more support from the community. It is also a great way for our members to develop their recruiting skills and for our local squadrons to work together and bond. Cadets and senior members enjoyed sharing the joys of CAP with visitors and exploring the airshow. Overall, it was an excellent opportunity for the San Antonio squadrons to showcase all that CAP has to offer.
