Squadron Meetings When: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday, 2:30-3:30 PM Where: Lebanon Municipal Airport (Right off of I-40 near Home Depot) Commander Maj Diane Edmondson Public Affairs Officer Maj Diane Edmondson Aerospace Education Officer Lt. Col. Sam Senemounnarath Health Services Officer Lt. Col. Abraham Pabon Communications Officer Lt. Col. Charles Watson Disaster Preparedness Officer SM Jason Flatt Emergency Services Officer 2LT Leonard Rawlings Search and Rescue Officer Capt. Dennis LaFreniere Finance Officer Capt. Robert Frase IT Officer/Web Security Administrator Capt. Dennis LaFreniere Logistics Officer Capt John Toy Maintenance Officer Lt. Col. John Wallace Recruiting and Retention Officer Capt. Patricia Watson Operations Officer Lt. Col. Charles Watson Personnel/Administrative Officer 2LT Leonard Rawlings Safety Officer Maj Bruce Brunkow Professional Development Officer Capt. Robert Frase
| TN-246 MEMBERS IN THE NEWS:  In June of 2012, 2nd Lt. Brian Gourley had to make an emergency landing during a cadet orientation flight when the aircraft he was piloting experienced electrical failure.
"This was a serious situation," explained Gourley.
" Pilots have to make some big decisions when experiencing an electrical
failure and are critical to the safe conclusion of the flight." In flight complications occur infrequently, but when they do, it is the pilot’s duty to revert to previous training in how to handle the situation at hand. Gourley reverted back to his training, knowing he had to remain calm and think quickly. Since the engine-driven alternator failed, their plane was operating solely on battery power, which serves as an emergency source of power.
"I immediately tried to reset the alternator by
turning it off, then on again. In order
to conserve battery power, I shut off one of the radios and other non-essential
equipment in the plane." This was the first orientation flight for each of the two cadets who were flying with Gourley that day. They were scheduled as the first of six groups.
"I was worried and nervous for them," said Gourley. "They were unable to talk on their headsets, and were able to see 'failure' on the transponder. I knew they had to be scared." He looked at them and gave them the “OK” hand gesture and put them at ease.
This was Gourley's first in flight emergency while giving CAP cadets orientation flights. Due to his proficiency flying in the surrounding area, Gourley was able to navigate back to Murfreesboro using landmarks along the way.
Once the Murfreesboro airport was in sight, he knew that if the engine failed, he would be able to glide safely down to the runway. Without the ability to hear or be heard, Gourley flew at a higher altitude to determine if it was safe to land, then they began their descent.
"I was able to get the main wheels on the runway and kept the plane in a nose-up attitude, in order to bleed off the extra airspeed," explained Gourley. "All student pilots are required to know how to perform forward slips before conducting their first solo flight. Pilots are taught this in the event of an engine failure and have to land on the first attempt and don’t have the chance to go around if the aircraft is too high or too fast."
Outside of his volunteering with Civil Air Patrol, Gourley is a commercial pilot for Nashville based, Dialysis Clinics Inc., transporting blood and organs throughout the Eastern United States. |
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