G1000 Class

Recently a G1000 ground school was conducted at Lake in the Hills Airport. The event sponsored by Group 22 was also an FAA WINGS event. 19 pilots received advanced credit during the 6 hour course.  Along with Civil Air Patrol Pilots, there were a few non CAP pilots in the class. It was a great opportunity to learn and recruit as well.  Gliem provide an instrument refresher course as a door prize.  A drawing was held at the end of the day and congratulations goes out to Major Ken Stone of the Palwaukee Composite Squadron.  Thanks goes out to Major David Gillingham for conducting the course and to Blue Skied Aviation at Lake in the Hills airport for providing the classroom space.

Group 22 Shines at Wing Evaluated Excercise

Group 22 Staff members were a key part of the Illinois Wing Civil Air Patrol Air Force Evaluated Mission.  Both Air Branch and Ground Branch were run by Group 22 and both sections received an excellent rating by Air Force Evaluators. Preliminary results revealed the Wing scored an Overall Successful rating.
Thank you for all the members of group 22 Units who participated and helped the Wing show off for the Air Force.  When the Official results are published we will have a good idea of where we can make improvements in our operations.

One new innovation was a direct result of Group 22 success in utilizing Google Docs during SUI inspections.  Wing Staff went to school on this and developed an electronic status board for the mission. While this had a direct impact on Air and Ground branch grades, there is definitely some room for improvement.
We hope to have a more comprehensive training plan in place for the upcoming year. Brush up on those quals and work on your proficiency and areas that need improvement.

Group 22 Delivers an Aircraft To Florida

When the call went out for pilots to deliver two aircraft to South East Region, Group 22 staff stepped. Group 22 Commander Major Brian Pokuta and Major Joe Long, along with Captain Rod Rakic were selected for the mission. In two days of flying the three pilots flew from Illinois Wing Headquarters to Columbus Indiana to pick up two GA8 aircraft.  The GA8 were on loan to NESA and were to be returned to Falcon Field Georgia and Marco Island Florida.  The three aircraft were flow first to Georgia were the first aircraft was dropped off. En route the three kept in communication using the CAP Radio.  This allowed all three aircraft to share the G1000 NEXRAD information to avoid hazardous weather. The next leg to Florida used the same technique, and it was a good thing. Storms over Tampa forced the two remaining aircraft to divert to Ocala Florida where the pilots remained overnight.  The next day started off with smoke in the cockpit of the 182 G1000. Major Pokuta returned to Ocala while Captain Rakic and Major Long circled overhead and landed behind Pokuta.  The three loaded up and pushed on to Marco Island dodging rain showers over Naples, FL.  In two day the three flew over a thousand miles and successfully delivered the GA8s.  The electrical problem will be fixed soon and the 182 will be back in Illinois shortly.  Congrats to all on a job well done.

Group 22 Commander Passes Form 91 Check Ride

After many years of training, Major Brian Pokuta, Illinois Wing Group 22 Commander, finally passed his initial Form 91 check ride.  This makes the Group 22 Commander a qualified Mission Pilot.  It wasn't long before these skills were called into service. During the Group 14 Sarex held on July 16, 2011, one of the pilots came up sick. With Maj Pokuta on his way to De Kalb, the call was made and Maj Pokuta diverted to Wing Headquarters at Du Page airport to fly one of the three mission aircraft being used that day.

Major Pokuta in the GA8

A Job well done!  One of the things that makes this achievement more notable is the fact that Major Pokuta has been one of the heavy lifters within the Illinois of Civil Air Patrol.  Serving as the Lake County Composite Squadron and now as the Group 22 Commander, Major Pokuta has been busy focusing on the duties associated with commanding a squadron and now the group.  Completing the mission pilot rating while doing the rest is quite notable.  With others in the pipeline, training for form 5 and form 91 check rides within Group 22, this is a great example of how a busy schedule doesn't have to hold you back.

Air Crew Training

A Goup 22 air crew took of on a sunny Sunday morning for some flight training. Major Brian Pokuta, Group 22 Commander put together a crew of 5 for the days training. Taking advantage of the increased crew capacity of the Gippsiland GA8, Major Pokuta, Major Long, Capt Bob Gould, 1Lt Mike Grenz and 2 Lt Paul Svechota took of to practice airborne search techniques. 1lt Svechota spotted the target, a military Cobra Helicopter on static display, on the first pass. The scanners worked on pilotage skills, and locating targets and location on aviation charts and CAP Grids. The key to being a proficient air crew is to practice as much as possible. A self funded training sortie is often times the best bet to get inot the air.

Change of Command for Group 22

On April 17, 2011 Illinois Group 22 received a new commander. After 4 years of distinguished service, Major Bob Williams was relieved and Major Brian Pokuta was sworn in as the commander. The brief ceremony was presided over by the Illinois Wing Commander Col Gordy Larson and was only part of a larger graduation ceremony marking the end of the Spring Encampment at Great Lakes naval training Center.

While Major Williams will remain on Group 22 staff, he will be focusing on Emergency Services. Major Pokuta will be visiting Units in the Group and continuing the work and progress of Major Williams.

Congratulations to Major Williams on a job well done, and congratulations to Major Pokuta on a new challenge.

LITH IL 282 Selected as 2010 Great Lakes Region Squadron of Distinction

Congratulations to Catain Kilanski and the members of Lake In The Hills Composite Squadron on their being selected as the 2010 Great Lakes Region Squadron Of Distinction. LITH runs a strong program with emphasis on progression, O-Rides, and encampment participation which weighs heavily in the objective criteria for the award. Its members are very active in all phases of the CAP mission, and their faces are familiar at most major wing activities including ES training, encampments, and King of the Rock. This is the second time IL282 has been selected for this type of award, having previously received Squadron of Merit under former CC, Lt Col Rhonda Anderson. Thank you again to LITH's staff for their dedication to excellence. Maj. Williams