The formation of a new Civil Air Patrol squadron locally is the right move at the right time, given the increasingly large number of tourists populating area woodlands and waterways.

An orientation for the newly formed Marquette County Civil Air Patrol Squadron recently took place for youth and adults at the K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum.

At 25 people, the turnout, we’re pleased to report, was good.

“We had the Houghton Squadron Commander Jeff Burl come to show a plane to the kids and let them hop in and such,” Marquette Flying Club President Greg Durand noted for a Mining Journal story on the matter. “The freedom of flying is like nothing else. You can be having the worst day and get up there on a nice evening and be nothing but smiles afterward.”

The newly formed local squadron will be based at K.I. Sawyer. Although CAP has a lengthy history of holding education, cadet and emergency services programs across 1,400 communities in the U.S., CAP units are, perhaps, best known for the work they do in emergency situations, searching for people lost on the water or in the woods.

The Upper Peninsula in general, and the greater Marquette area in particular, is seeing larger numbers of outdoors recreation enthusiasts.

Having an active CAP unit at Sawyer must be seen as a good thing.

— The Mining Journal, Marquette