Winchester Civil Air Patrol member recognized as exceptional instructor pilot
WINCHESTER, Va. (July 18, 2022) – Winchester resident and Civil Air Patrol (CAP) member, Lt. Col. Dean “Norm” Anderson, received the 2021 Order of Daedalians Exceptional Instructor Pilot of the Year and the Civil Air Patrol 2021 Lt. Col. Keith Riddle Aircrew Member of the Year awards last night at the Winchester Composite Squadron’s weekly unit meeting.
Lt. Col. Anderson was selected for these awards at both the Virginia Wing (state) and Mid-Atlantic Region (seven states) level. In 2021 alone, Lt. Col. Anderson flew 130 sorties as a Civil Air Patrol Instructor pilot. During these sorties, he skillfully supported three cadets through earning their private pilot certificate. In the words of one new cadet private pilot, “Lt. Col. Anderson has been my flight instructor for over a year now and instructed me through my FAA check ride and beyond. It was evident from my first flight with Col. Anderson that he isn’t just passionate about flying. He is passionate about teaching and seeing his students succeed.”
His passion for introducing Civil Air Patrol cadets to the wonders of aviation is clearly evident in the five student solos, including two at the Mid-Atlantic Region National Flight Academy, which his patient mentoring and instructional expertise enabled. At his peak in 2021, Lt. Col. Anderson had eight concurrent Civil Air Patrol cadet students. He continues to mentor cadets even after they complete their training/license through releasing their flights and encouraging monthly proficiency flying. For cadets pursuing their aviation education, he meets them where they stand, providing individual attention to each, helping plan their steps. He connects cadets with financial resources and under his tutelage, one student earned a Wings Scholarship for 2022, with several others with pending applications.
Lt. Col. Anderson’s contribution to Civil Air Patrol aviation extends beyond the cadet program. He is a Civil Air Patrol mission pilot, mission observer, check pilot, check pilot examiner, mission check pilot, and mission check pilot examiner. He completed “return to flight” onboarding for two senior members, directly contributing to Virginia Wing and Mid-Atlantic Region mission readiness.
Colonel Liz Sydow, the Virginia Wing commander, commented, “Lt. Col. Anderson is a talented and dedicated pilot and mentor. This award is well deserved and brings great credit to himself, his community, state, and nation.”
