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Aerospace Education


Aerospace Education (AE)

Civil Air Patrol's aerospace education mission focuses on expanding knowledge of aerospace sciences to our community. We do this through several programs both internally and externally. The primary goal of these programs is to encourage young adults to seek aerospace based careers especially as pilots. Aerospace includes a range of topics from atmospheric flight to space travel, we also include other STEM topics to round out the knowledge that cadets learn. This can include adjacent aviation topics, such as chart/map reading, navigation, weather, and history. 

Internal AE

Our internal aerospace education program focuses on the cadet members of our organization. These cadets participate in monthly aerospace activities, fly in CAP aircraft, and have opportunities to go to CAP national activities to earn powered and glider solo wings, scholarships, and in some cases, their full pilots license. Costs for these programs range but most are free. 

○ Promotion requirements

A requirement for most cadet promotions is an open book aerospace test with each milestone test including a closed-book test covering all topics previously covered. Cadets take these tests in whichever order they wish and these supplement the information we cover in the squadron and at aerospace weekends. 

○ Orientation flights

One internal aerospace activity cadets participate in is orientation flights. Cadets are eligible for 5 powered, 5 glider, and 5 balloon flights in which the cadet operates the aircraft. Availability of glider and balloon flights are dependent on your local unit's senior members and equipment. These are 1 hour flights and cadets typically get to ride back seat on these flights as many times as they would like. Gallatin Composite Squadron has a Cessna 182 located at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport for our Emergency Services mission and flying CAP cadets. 

  • For more information on Orientation Flights click below

○ National Activities

CAP Cadets have a unique opportunity to participate in national activities, many of which focus around aviation related activities and lessons. These activities include powered and glider flight academies, marshaling aircraft at the Oshkosh Airshow, aircraft maintenance academy, ground school and many others. These national activities are usually a week long activity and usually costs several hundred dollars but there are scholarship available for CAP cadets to reduce or eliminate that cost.

  • For more information on National Activities visit the below link 

○ STEM Kits (Science Technology Engineering and Math)

Cadets participate in regular STEM based kits which provide interactive projects and activities. These kits are intended to excite cadets into STEM fields and extend the aerospace lessons into hands on practical knowledge.

  • More information about the available stem kits can be found on our national website:

○ Getting your pilots license

CAP cadets have a unique opportunity to earn their full private pilots license through CAP. The cost for this can be significantly lower than market cost, some may earn limited opportunities to get these for free.

  • For additional information information click the below button

External AE

CAP's aerospace mission also extends into our community where we hope to work with teachers, parents, and community leaders to encourage the general public to take an interest and general knowledge about aerospace sciences. CAP's teacher program, Aerospace Education Members (AEM), provide teachers with free resources that they can use in their classrooms including availability to our STEM kits above. If you are a teacher and want access to these resources check out our national website: https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/aerospace-education/join-as-an-aem. If you know a teacher who should take advantage of this opportunity, please send them to there as well.

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