OPERATIONAL MISSION FLIGHT GUIDE

Download the Flight Guide! (.pdf, 6 MB)

The Operational Mission Flight Guide, commonly called the "Inflight Guide," is the culmination of the better part of a decade's work by many parties.   A highlight of the revisions are listed on page ii (the inside cover) of the guide.  Previously released major editions include November 2002 and July 2005.  A June 2006 version may also be in circulation.  The current online edition is July 2007.

You are welcome to print out your own copies of the guide subject to the license, terms and restrictions listed below and in accordance with this site.  Its really not that bad, though!  We are working on publishing pre-printed copies of the Inflight Guide, but generally the quickest and easiest was is to print them yourselves.  See below for how to do this.

• This is a fairly large file! Download time with a 56k modem may be well over half an hour.
   
• THIS A 'FINAL' VERSION OF THE GUIDE!   That does not mean future improvements will be made. It is, however, somewhat permanent. Collaboration with additional members of the National Emergency Services Academy Mission Aircrew School is still underway.   Your input is always appreciated and welcome for future versions.  Revisions tend to come out during NESA.  The guide has a list of changes so you can pen-and-ink any differences if necessary.
   
• Especially if you have a slower computer and/or connection (dialup modem), you may wish to RIGHT CLICK on the link above and use the SAVE AS feature to place the document where you can access it once it downloads.
   
• This guide may be given the widest dissemination possible, but may not be altered.   It is considered an MAS publication.   You are allowed to insert a local procedures supplement at the end of the guide if necessary.
   
• The guide is hefty in length--nearly 150 pages.   If you're sure you don't need a page, consider omitting it.   A wise person once said, however, "better to have and not need than to need and not have."
   
• It might be a good idea to print out a copy to keep in your airplane, your squadron's airplane, your ground team gear, your Incident Commander kit, and your flight bag.  You get the idea.
   
• Many Ground Teams have found the information in this guide useful as well--especially the air to ground coordination (communications) section.
   
• Check the DOWNLOADS portion of this website for additional materials that you may find useful.   In particular, if you like the IFG you may also like the C-172R checklist.   Use similar printing techniques on yellow card stock for the best results.
   
• Be careful if you use an inkjet printer to make your guide.   This ink is water soluble and will be completely ruined if it gets wet.
   
• The CAP ES Resources™ Website originally intended to sell these inflight guides for donations as a squadron fundraiser.   This right is exclusively reserved by the publisher of the CAP ES Resources™ Website.   All other license terms apply as listed on this site; all rights reserved.
   
• This guide is not instructional nor regulatory in nature.   Aircrews must be familiar enough with the various items within this guide to use it for reference inflight
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• Deference must be given to higher headquarters Where contradicting regulatory guidance exists.   For example, if the 14 CFR (the "Federal Aviation Regulations") or CAP 60-1 affect operations as listed in this guide, ensure compliance with those requirements
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• Continued improvement on the inflight guide includes adding information and eliminating items that are time-sensitive to change.  Official Use Only materials (such as frequencies) have been removed from the guide so it may be downloadable to the public.  We suggest that you write this information by hand in your guide. This allows the guide in its electronic format to be freely distributed, but also puts the needed information at your fingertips.
   
• There are two basic methods of constructing your own copy of the inflight guide.  Below is the "arts and crafts" section.
  
   

  CARD STOCK METHOD There are several methods of printing your inflight guide.  One method that has been particularly effective is printing the file in a "two up" format.  That is, instead of trying to print one copy of the guide, you print two pages per sheet.  1,1 on the front, 2,2 on the reverse, and so on and so forth.  You then cut the sheets in half -- this will yield TWO copies of the guide.  Next, punch holes in the sheets for binding.  Some individuals have preferred to punch holes on top instead of on the side.  Others still have preferred a spiral or comb binding.  If you have a print house print out the guide for you, they can do this for a few dollars per book.  Experience has shown that printing the guide on card stock should cost about $5 - $10 apiece. If you use this method, your inflight guide will look like the picture below. Card stock lasts much longer than normal paper and doesn't require any sort of lamination or protection (except for the cover) You will want to laminate the cover or make a plastic cover for your inflight guide.  See the instructions for the plastic cover in the sheet protector method section. Many types of lamination work; you may wish to try clear contact paper because it will not have a harsh glare that many other lamination products have. You may wish to laminate all of the standard forms pages in this document.   That way you can write on the page with a wet-erase (overhead projector type) marker and be able to erase it cleanly at the end of a mission.   It is suggested that you also laminate the facing page or else the marker may rub off on the unprotected page.   You may also wish to insert tabs on the dividing section pages to help you locate important items more quickly.   Optional: use multiple colors of card stock to help find items quickly.   As a standard, preflight and communications should be in blue.   Mission pages, the majority of the guide, are orange.   The Emergency Section (III) should be on red cardstock.   Forms are white (this allows easy use on the copy machine).   Aircraft checklist pages should be yellow. Optional: construct a plastic cover by using a heavy plastic folder or a three-ring binder.  Simply cut two pieces of plastic to size and use a hole punch to match the holes in the sheet protectors. Add three loose rings to hold the guide together. Many members have found that a spiral binding is what they prefer.  It makes it harder to add and remove pages, but it makes the guide more book-like.  Most bind it this way on the side, but some like it spiral bound on the top.  If you choose to bind it on the top, you will need to flip the reverses of those pages. A local copy or printing store can do all of this for you.  If you print several, you may start to save money due to economies of scale.  Ask around at your squadron to see who might chip in with you.

  SHEET PROTECTOR METHOD This method has a higher initial cost, but it will be much easier to replace pages that are damaged or have changed. Print out pages on regular bond paper using the "two pages per sheet" option. If your computer software or printer is not capable of printing 2 pages per sheet, print out normally (1 page per sheet) and take it to a good copy shop and explain what you want.   You might also want to put the fild on a CD or  on a thumb drive as most copy shops do better from an electronic copy anyway. Fold each sheet in half and place in the appropriate sheet protector. You can print two copies of the guide (in the method described in the card stock method) instead of folding. You will want C-Line's 8½ by 5½ sheet protectors, product number 62058.  You can reach C-Line at www.c-lineproducts.com or by calling 1-888-860-9120.  At time of publishing, the cost for a box of 50 sheet protectors was $15.20 (plus shipping).  You will require approximately 75 sheet protectors (a box and a half) to complete your inflight guide. Construct a plastic cover by using a heavy plastic folder or a three-ring binder.  Simply cut two pieces of plastic to size and use a hole punch to match the holes in the sheet protectors.  If desired, you can mark the cover with a permanent marker and decals. Add three loose rings to hold the guide together.   Alternative method: some individuals prefer to use the Air Force style "flight crew check lists" to complete their guide.  Very few USAF aircrews still use this style binder any more because you can't put "normal" sized paper in the sleeves, even when folded in half.  This necessitates cutting each sheet of paper before you put it in a sleeve.  Furthermore, ink tends to transfer on to the sleeves and leave a permanent impression.  This only allows you to use each sleeve once. This type of checklist binder can be purchased for a$9.60 from the CAP Vanguard store.  The product ID is 1209.  The checklist only includes 25 pages, and you will need about 75 pages--so you'll need three.  They can be found on other websites for about $13, with additional pages $0.50 apiece.  You may also be able to find the checklist binders at AAFES Military Clothing stores.  This is an authorized item to be purchased by CAP members.  Each binder of 35 costs about $12. You can see that it would be about the same price to buy 100 of the c-line sheet protectors, and you will likely be much more happy with the results.

• In order to make the printing instructions listed below easier, highlight and copy the text of the print task you wish to accomplish.   Then paste it into the "print pages:" line in your print setup.   Adobe Acrobat, however, does not allow robust page selection such as suggested below.   MS Word does, however (the above documents are not readable in Word, though).   The page printing orders listed below have already been accomplished for you in the odd/even files listed above, and are listed here for your reference only.

• The order for printing the guide on a duplexing printer was this (method abandoned):  1,3,4,2,5,7,8,6,9,11,12,10,13,15,16,14,17,19,20,18,21,23,24,22,25,27,28,26,29,31,32,30,33,35,36,34,37,39,40,
  38,41,43,44,42,45,47,48,46,49,51,52,50,53,55,56,54,57,59,60,58,61,63,64,62,65,67,68,66,69,71,72,70,73,75,
  76,74,77,79,80,78,81,83,84,82,85,87,88,86,89,91,92,90,93,95,96,94,97,99,100,98,101,103,104,102,105,107,
  108,106,109,111,112,110,113,115,116,114,117,119,120,118
   
• The following are all of the odd-numbered pages, like those above: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33,35,37,39,41,43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,
  75,77,79,81,83,85,87,89,91,93,95,97,99,101,103,105,107,109,111,113,115,117,119,121,123,125,127,129,131,
  133,135,137,139,141,143,145,147
   
• For even numbered pages, arrange the documents so you are printing right-side-up on the back, and print in the following strange order (even pages above): 4,2,8,6,12,10,16,14,20,18,24,22,28,26,32,30,36,34,40,38,44,42,48,46,52,50,56,54,60,58,64,62,68,66,72,70,
  76,74,80,78,84,82,88,86,92,90,96,94,100,98,104,102,108,106,112,110,116,114,120,118,124,122,128,126,
  132,130,136,134,140,138,144,142,148,146