Civil Air Patrol members fly on C-17 cargo plane
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (Aug 16, 2025) – Nearly one hundred Civil Air Patrol members flew on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft courtesy of the 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard on Wednesday. The members were from Martinsburg, Winchester, and Knight (Herndon, VA) Composite Squadrons.
All members processed through metal detectors and then proceeded to a passenger waiting area similar to normal airline processing procedures. Various members of the 167th Airlift Wing shared about their careers and why they joined the Air National Guard while the groups were waiting to board the C-17.
The orientation flights departed from the base and flew around Berkeley Springs and Winchester, looped around Harpers Ferry and Charles Town, and then made a tactical arrival with an assault landing in Martinsburg. Members were able to visit the cockpit during the flight.
The activity was a great experience for all that flew. Many flew on a C-17 for the first time and/or experienced flight on a military aircraft and will be treasuring this as a life-long memory.
Additional photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vawgcap/albums/72177720328347227
About Virginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing is home to 21 squadrons spread throughout the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,250 members, 12 light aircraft, 6 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), and 28 multi-mission vehicles. These assets are available to federal, state, and local governments, as well as to emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to perform search and rescue, homeland security, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and counter-drug missions. For more information on Virginia Wing, visit the wing’s website at https://vawg.cap.gov.
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
Visit CAP.news or GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
For More Information:
Lt Col Jacob Bixler, pa @ vawg.cap.gov
