Welcome to FLWG.us. This site serves to educate you about the Civil Air Patrol and the Florida Wing. It is not an official website of the Civil Air Patrol and any of the information found here should not be considered authoritative.

What is the Civil Air Patrol?

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official U.S. Air Force auxiliary. An all-volunteer organization, the Civil Air Patrol is a registered non-profit in the United States.

Currently, CAP boasts more than 50,000 members across the country. Almost half of the members are cadets – young men and women aged 12-21.

Part of the Air Force’s Total Force, the Civil Air Patrol is a civilian organization meaning it does not bear arms. Instead, the organization bolsters the effectiveness of the U.S. Air Force through a variety of missions including conducting about 90% of inland search and rescue missions tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. CAP is credited, on average, with saving about 70 lives every year.

CAP operates the largest fleet of single-engine prop aircraft in the world with more than 500 currently operational. These planes are used for search & rescue operations, assistance with homeland security missions, disaster assistance and aerospace education.

Additionally, CAP owns and operates gliders, hot air balloons and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). These assets are use for aerospace education, search and rescue and other missions.