ME035

January 2012

Rarely have I felt the need to have a negative tone to my article for the Squadron newsletter, however this time I do. We
need to remember that we are guests of the 101st Air Refueling Wing and need to show appreciation and respect for the
facilities that they allow us to use. Please take a few minutes at the end of each meeting to make sure that the
squadron is left neat and that all trash has been removed.
Also, we are all old enough to know how to properly use the
bathroom facilities--please make sure that you are doing so.
It is a privilege for us to be here; lets not jeopardize it!!
As most of you know by now the Bangor Squadron will be
hosting the SLS 28-29 January and the CLC 25-26 February.
If you are in need of these courses, now would be the time to
take them while they are offered right here at our squadron.
If interested in attending either of these courses please submit a CAPF 17 to me as soon as possible.
The Bangor Squadron will also be hosting the Maine Wing
Conference this year on 24 March at the Four Points Sheraton. This will be a one day event with something planned for
everyone to enjoy. Seniors and cadets please go to the
Maine Wing Website and register early. There may be scholarships available for those in need so please dont let money
be the reason that you dont attend.
We need your help!! The squadron newsletter is a great way
for us to document all the wonderful things that we do at the
squadron as well as a way to educate ourselves and possibly
the general public about Civil Air Patrol. Please take some
ownership of this newsletter and help Maj. Hall by providing
articles, pictures, and links to information that maybe helpful
to her. This newsletter is about all of us and therefore we
should all contribute to it.
Congratulations to all who have promoted this past quarter.
Your commitment and dedication is inspiring. Keep up the
great work!!!
Maj. Cathie Spaulding
Commander, ME035
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Bangor/Brewer

There have been adjustments to the

cadet staff. C/ Bortell and C/ Croft are
leaving soon and hard working cadets
have already filled their positions, so
effective on the first meeting of February the changes will take place:
First Sergeant: Cadet Oplinus
Alpha Flight Commander: Cadet Sovis
Alpha Flight Sergeant: Cadet Stevenson
ES and PAO: Cadet Littlejohn
The squadron is also working on forming a competition color guard. Any cadet who shows leadership, knowledge
of CAP, military bearing, and a talent in
drill may be asked to train for the color
guard. There will be different color
guards for local parades and the competitions.
Thank you,
- C/SMSgt. Poland
Cadet Commander

MAJOR CATHIE SPAULDING

Major Cathie Spaulding has been a member of CAP,
ME035, since May of 2004. She started as PAO of this
squadron but did not like it very much. At that time,
she also worked under (then) Maj. Murray in Wing Public Affairs,
and slowly grew to like the position more as time passed. She then
became the squadron Finance Officer, and from there moved to her
current position as Squadron Commander in September of 2009.
Her specialty tracks (areas of focus on which Senior Members focus
as part of promotions) are Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education,
Finance, Character Development, and Public Affairs.
Major Spaulding holds several Wing positions in addition to her
squadron duties. These include: Director of Finance, Assistant Inspector General, and Assistant CISM Director. In the future, she
plans to remain as squadron commander and Wing Director of Finance, and would love to be Wing Director of Cadet Programs. After her term of squadron commander ends, she would like to be
squadron Professional Development Officer.
The Major has had two of her children join CAP: Anthony Griffin,
who is now in the Army Reserve, and Cassandra Bortell, who is
currently Squadron First Sergeant and will become a Senior Member in March. She has also transported other cadets who live near
her, and loves to watch the positive changes in all of them engendered by CAP. When asked for a quote, Maj. Spaulding said, "It is
an honor to serve as squadron commander."
~~Lt Alex Hall~~
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December 3, 2011
Wreaths Across America kicked off their
annual pilgrimage to Arlington National
Cemetery by first paying respect to the
brave men and women of Canada who
gave their lives when fighting in various
wars alongside Americans. For the third
consecutive year, on the Ferry Point
Bridge, which is divided by the border
between Calais and St Stephen, New
Brunswick, a WAA wreath was presented to the Canadian Siler Star mothersthe counterpart to the American
Gold Star Mothersto honor their sons
and daughters, and as a reminder that
their children will never be forgotten.
Seven members of ME35 travelled to
Calais to take part in this very special
and very moving event. Thank you Capt.
Cathie Spaulding; Capt Rick Gammon;
Lt Mark Spaulding; Lt Adam Nessler; Cadet Chris Slininger; Cadet Cassandra
Bortell; Cadet Everett Stevenson.
~~Major Susan Hall~~
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Wreaths Across America

On December 10, 2011, members of ME035 gathered at Coles Land and Air Museum
to pay tribute to Americas true heroes, the American Soldier. In a noon-time ceremony
celebrated simultaneously at Arlington Cemetery and across the Nation, wreaths for
each branch of the Serviceand MIA/POW--were placed on the Vietnam Memorial at
Coles.
In spite of the frigid temperatures, overcast skies, and the gusting winds sent straight
from the Arctic, many members of Bangor/Brewer Composite Squadron participated in
and supported the important ceremony. In Arlington, Cadet Dow and Cadet Kienow
were representing BBCS, having traveled with the Maine Contingent a few days prior.
Presiding: Major Cathie Spaulding.
Color Guard: Cadet Poland; Cadet Tracy; Cadet Baker.
Wreaths: Captain Slininger; Lt Gammon; Lt Hall; Cadet Slininger; Cadet Bortell; Cadet
Sovis; Cadet Stevenson.
Also attending: Lt M. Spaulding; Maj S. Hall; Cadet Littlejohn.
~~Major Susan Hall~~

Christmas Party/Awards Ceremony

On December 14, 2011, ME035 held their
annual Squadron Christmas party and
Awards Ceremony. This is a time for members to be recognized for their contribution
to the squadron; for parents to meet-andmingle with the officers who have taken
their children under their wings; and a time
for all to indulge in some of the most excellent food brought in by various members
and parents.
Thanks to ALL in the incredible ME035
squadron who make this such an incredible
place in which to volunteer. Your efforts do
not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Because of the team effort, ME035 is growing
at a rapid pace, and is on-track to continue
great things.
Congratulations to the following:
Cadet Alan KienowOutstanding 1st Year
Cadet
Cadet Timothy SovisOutstanding Customs
& Courtesies
Cadet Bryan PolandCadet of the Year
Lt Jonathan ClappOutstanding Officer of
the Year
~~Major Susan Hall~~

OCTOBER, 2011

Major Weirsma, a CFI

(Certified Flight Instructor)
and a member of ME035,
conducted another enlightening Ground School class for
the cadets. The focus of October's class was Weight &
Balance, which is essential to
the safety of the flying of any
aircraft. After a brief PowerPoint explaining the basics of
"W&B", the cadets broke up
into five groups of four for an
exercise in figuring out how
to balance a hypothetical
load. The scenario as based
on a real W&B sheet from a
Cessna 172, the goal to determine whether or not the airplane was safe to fly or not.
This was done by performing
some calculations to find the
"moment" and "arm", and
from there the center of gravity, which was looked up on a
graph to see if the plane
would be balanced and therefore safe to fly.
~~Lt Alex Hall~~

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEACONS

The flipside to finds is tracking down signaling
beacons, of which there are three basic types:
*ELTs, emergency locater transmitters, are required by the Federal Aviation Administration for
use in most aircraft.
*EPIRBs, emergency position indication radio beacons, are used on watercraft.
*PLBs, personal locator beacons, are designed for
individual use, giving some peace of mind to outdoors enthusiasts, especially those traveling in remote areas.
Civil Air Patrol must assume any transmitting beacon indicates an emergency, making imperative to
locate the device and determine if anyone is hurt.
Many times, though, beacons provide a lighter
side to finds.
The National Capital Wing once traced a distress
signal to the Smithsonian Institutions National Air
and Space Museum on the National Mall. Arriving
in the middle of the night and having to explain
themselves to numerous guards and police, the
CAP team members found an activated ELT inside
a Navy helicopter on display at the museum that
week.
One of the strangest EPIRB finds came in a landlocked backyard in Texas. It turned out a woman
had purchased a pair of the beacons at a flea market, thinking theyd provide just the right nautical
touch for her pool party. She tried to get their
lights to flash but instead succeeded in activating
heir signals---until a CAP team showed up to deactivate them.
CAPs Maine Wing was called to assist after an Air
Force law enforcement duty officer, convinced a
PLB signal must be coming from kayakers on Harraseeket River, failed to locate the source. The
CAP team quickly narrowed the search to L.L.
Beans flagship store in Freeport, where the beacon was found blinking in a cabinet in the camping
department.
~~Reprinted from The Volunteer, Winter 2012~~
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SAFETY PLEDGE
I pledge to do my part to foster a safe environment during all CAP activities, to be a responsible steward of
CAP resources, and to fully prepare myself for the challenging missions that serve America.

COLD FACTS: WING CONTAMINATION

During the last 10 years, there have been over 30 accidents on takeoff as a
result of wing contamination by snow, frost, and ice. A few simple steps
during preflight could have easily prevented these accidents.
Frost and snow often accumulate on wings, elevators, and other surfaces when
an aircraft is parked outside on the ramp. The disrupted airflow over the wings
can substantially alter flight characteristics. Increased stall speeds, longer takeoff
rolls, or an inability to fly at all may be the result. Even a passing snow shower
can foul surfaces enough to make flight inadvisable. When frost or snow is present on the airframe, the pilot has two choices: go home or spend some extra
time during preflight completely removing frost and snow from the aircraft.
While no Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) specifically prohibit a light general
aviation (GA) aircraft from attempting a takeoff while covered in snow or frost,
doing so may fall under careless and reckless operation (FAR 91.13).
Clean it up! The best and easiest way to prevent contamination is to park the
aircraft in a hangar. In the highly regulated airline world the rule is simple: An aircraft can depart only when its clean no snow, frost, or ice on any part of the
aircraft. GA pilots should use the same winter operations principle. If the aircraft
is snow-covered, consider using soft bristle brooms or small snowbrushes. While
effective, they can scratch paint, so use care. Clean towels or shop rags will also
remove snow without scratching the paint. The bad news is that underneath the
snow there may be a layer of ice that also needs to be removed. Removing frost
and ice is trickier than
loose snow, but just as critical. The best tool is a heated hangar and an hour to
spare. When melting the frost and ice make sure water does not penetrate control surface hinges where it might refreeze and cause problems.
~The Safety Beacon, November 2011
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How to stay hydrated during the winter.

Staying hydrated in the winter months should still be a concern.
Dehydration can occur just as often in the winter as in the summer, especially because it is overlooked when the temperatures are low. Dehydration can lead to loss of coordination, tiredness, dizziness, muscle
fatigue, headaches and even stroke. Dehydration can often leave
you more susceptible to a cold or flu, which are more prevalent in
the winter months. Take these steps to keep hydrated:
Drink water before, during and after exercise. You may not feel as hot
when exercising in the cold weather, but your body still needs the water.
Drinking water is not as easily done in winter because you may not sweat
as much when its cool and you may not feel thirsty.
Pay attention to the signs of dehydration. Keep water with you at all
times. Drink water before the signs of thirst appear. Remember dehydration can occur no matter what the weather.
Drink water throughout the day, especially at every meal. When
you feel you need a coffee or other processed drink, try to drink
water instead. Any drinks with caffeine or sugar can cause your
body to become more dehydrated. If you do have a coffee or hot
chocolate, pair it up with a glass of water. Drinking tepid water makes it
easier for your body to absorb the water.
Monitor your urine; it should be light to clear. When taking vitamin supplements your urine will darken, but this should go away in a few hours.
Keep water with you when exercising. When you are snow skiing, snow
shoeing or any other exercise outdoors keep a water bottle or camel pack
with you. Keep it from freezing by packing it under a layer of clothing or
insulate it.
*This advice should not be taken over that of a physician. Always see a
physician before started an exercise program.
~~Lt Jonathan Clapp
Assistant Safety Officer~~
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Mars-bound NASA rover adjusts course to red planet

Published January 11, 2012 | Associated Press

Firing on all engines, NASA's latest rover to Mars executed a course adjustment Wednesday that put it on track for a landing in August.
Deep space antennas monitored the one-ton rover nicknamed Curiosity as it fired its
thrusters in a choreographed three-hour maneuver.
"We've completed a big step toward our encounter with Mars," Brian Portock of the NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement.
The course correction is the most important task Curiosity will perform during its 352million-mile trip to the red planet, but it's not unprecedented. Previous robotic explorers
have had to adjust their paths several times en route to landing.
Meanwhile, Curiosity had racked up 80 million miles and was traveling at 10,200 mph
(1,614.55 kph)relative to the Earth.
The action began Tuesday when engineers uploaded commands to Curiosity's on-board
computers. Though it performed the move without human interference a day later, engineers were on standby in the off chance of a need to abort.
The team will spend the next week testing the spacecraft's communication system and
other components. A second smaller path adjustment was planned for March.
If Curiosity did not tweak its route, it would miss Mars altogether because it was initially
not aimed at the planet. Engineers did this by design to prevent the upper stage of the
rocket that launched the spacecraft from hitting Mars.
Now that Curiosity has separated and is on its way, the team has several chances to finetune its path before touchdown. During the interplanetary cruise, the rover is tucked in a
shell that will protect it during its plunge through the upper Martian atmosphere.
Curiosity, whose formal name is the Mars Science Laboratory, is aiming for a 96-mile-wide
crater near the Martian equator that boasts a towering mountain in the center. The sixwheel, nuclear-powered rover planned to drive to the lower flanks and examine the layered
deposits to determine whether the area once had conditions capable of supporting microbial life.
Armed with a toolkit including a laser to zap into bedrock and a jackhammer, Curiosity is
more sophisticated than previous Mars surface spacecraft. Despite its capabilities, it won't
be able to detect life. Instead, it will hunt for the chemical building blocks of life during its
two-year, $2.5 billion mission.
Since Curiosity is too heavy to use a cocoon of airbags or rely solely on its parachute to
safely reach the planet's surface, NASA will attempt a new type of landing using a so-called
sky crane system.
The parachute will detach and a rocket-powered platform will fire its engines, then lower
the rover to the ground on a tether similar to the way hovering heavy-lift helicopters lower
huge loads at the end of a cable.
Even before arrival, Curiosity has not been idle. Several weeks after launch, it turned on its
radiation detector to monitor high-energy particles streaming from the sun and exploding
stars. Once at Mars, it will measure radiation levels on the surface.
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NASAs Hubble Space Telescope Zooms in on Double Nucleus in Andromeda Galaxy

January 15, 2012 |
Written by Tod R. Lauer
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Tucson, AZ A new Hubble Space Telescope image centers on the 100-million-solarmass black hole at the hub of the neighboring spiral galaxy M31, or the Andromeda
galaxy, the only galaxy outside the Milky Way visible to the naked eye and the only
other giant galaxy in the local group.
This is the sharpest visible-light image ever made of the nucleus of an external galaxy.
The event horizon, the closest region around the black hole where light can still escape, is too small to be seen, but it lies near the middle of a compact cluster of blue
stars at the center of the image.
The compact cluster of blue stars is surrounded by the larger double nucleus of
M31, discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1992. The double nucleus is
actually an elliptical ring of old reddish stars in orbit around the black hole but more
distant than the blue stars. When the stars are at the farthest point in their orbit
they move slower, like cars on a crowded freeway. This gives the illusion of a second
nucleus.
The blue stars surrounding the black hole are no more than 200 million years old,
and therefore must have formed near the black hole in an abrupt burst of star formation. Massive blue stars are so short-lived that they would not have enough time
to migrate to the black hole if they were formed elsewhere.
Astronomers are trying to understand how apparently young stars were formed so
deep inside the black holes gravitational grip and how they survive in an extreme
environment.
The fact that young stars are also closely bound to the central black hole in our Milky
Way galaxy suggests this may be a common phenomenon in spiral galaxies.
Tod R. Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in
Tucson, AZ, assembled this image of the nuclear region by taking several blue and ultraviolet light exposures of the nucleus
with Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys high-resolution
channel, each time slightly moving the telescope to change
how the camera sampled the region. By combining these pictures, he was able to construct an ultra-sharp view of the galaxys core.
Lauer is presenting these Hubble observations this week at the
meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas.
The image of the Andromeda galaxy was taken on January 13th, 2001, with the
WIYN/KPNO 0.9-meter Mosaic I by T. Rector, University of Alaska in Anchorage.

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