From a CAP Glider Orientation Flight to an Aspiring USAFA Pilot: How Civil Air Patrol Helped a Cadet Take Flight
For many Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets, an orientation flight is an exciting opportunity to experience aviation firsthand. For C/Lt. Col. Jacob Benner, one glider orientation flight changed the direction of his life. That first experience in a CAP glider sparked a passion for aviation that has grown into a remarkable journey of flight training, leadership, specialized aviation experiences, and service. What began as an opportunity to take a flight became a determination to learn more about aviation and ultimately to pursue flying as a career.
Civil Air Patrol provides young people with opportunities that can transform an interest into a lifelong pursuit. Through orientation flights, aerospace education, STEM activities, flight academies, specialized activities, leadership experiences and access to experienced pilots and mentors, CAP gives cadets the chance to explore aviation in ways that many would otherwise never experience. Jacob took full advantage of those opportunities. Following his first glider orientation flight, he began pursuing aviation with determination, seeking out training, studying, flying and learning from the pilots and mentors around him.
One of the most significant opportunities came when Jacob was selected to attend the Mid-Atlantic Region Col. Roland Butler Powered Flight Academy in Camden, South Carolina. The flight academy provided formal flight instruction and gave Jacob the opportunity to develop the fundamental skills required of a pilot, including aircraft handling, takeoffs and landings, emergency procedures, stalls, ground-reference maneuvers, navigation and aeronautical decision-making. For Jacob, the academy was more than simply a summer activity. It became an important step toward his goal of becoming a pilot. He continued his flight training after returning home and ultimately earned his FAA Private Pilot Certificate while still a CAP cadet.
Since earning his private pilot certificate, Jacob has continued to build his aviation experience through extensive cross-country flying. He has flown to 63 of Virginia's 65 public-use airports, developing increasingly sophisticated skills in flight planning, navigation, weather evaluation, aeronautical decision-making and risk management. His flying experience has also reinforced the importance of preparation and disciplined decision-making—qualities that extend well beyond aviation.
Jacob's aviation journey recently came full circle. The same type of aircraft that first sparked his passion for aviation became the subject of his latest FAA accomplishment. On August 29, 2026, Jacob passed his FAA Private Pilot—Glider practical test with a Designated Pilot Examiner, adding another FAA pilot certificate to his credentials. The following day, he continued building his aviation qualifications within Civil Air Patrol by successfully completing his CAPF 5 abbreviated flight evaluation in a high-performance airplane, adding another qualification to his aviation credentials. Jacob first became a CAP VFR-rated pilot in March 2026, and his latest CAPF 5 evaluation adds to that accomplishment and further expands his qualifications and experience as a CAP aviator.
Jacob's CAP aviation experiences have also extended far beyond the local squadron and civilian flying. He was selected to participate in Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Familiarization (SUPT), giving him firsthand exposure to the demanding world of Air Force pilot training. The experience introduced him to aspects of the Air Force pilot-training environment, including academics, flight-line operations, mission briefings, interaction with Air Force pilots and instructors, simulated flight training and military aviation operations. Jacob distinguished himself during the activity and graduated as an Honor Graduate. The experience reinforced for him the importance of discipline, preparation, teamwork, technical knowledge and continuous improvement, while providing another connection between his passion for aviation and his goal of serving as an Air Force officer and pilot.
Jacob's CAP experience, however, has never been solely about flying. As a C/Lt. Col., he has taken on significant leadership responsibilities within Virginia Wing, including serving as Cadet Commander of his local composite squadron and Chairman of the Virginia Wing Cadet Advisory Council. In those roles, he has led approximately 70 cadets while working with squadron and wing leadership. His aviation accomplishments have developed alongside his leadership responsibilities, demonstrating how CAP allows cadets to pursue technical interests while simultaneously developing the ability to lead, mentor and serve others.
That combination is one of the greatest strengths of the CAP cadet experience. CAP gives cadets opportunities to lead, but it also gives them opportunities to follow, learn, teach, compete, serve, and pursue areas of personal interest. A cadet can discover an interest through an orientation flight, develop that interest through aerospace education and STEM activities, pursue specialized training through a flight academy, gain exposure to military aviation through programs such as SUPT, and then bring those experiences back to the squadron to help develop other cadets. Jacob's journey demonstrates how these opportunities can build upon one another.
Jacob's interest in aviation has also led him into aerospace research. Through an independently arranged mentorship with the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command Analysis Squadron, he is working with a technical director on reinforcement-learning applications for autonomous aircraft. The experience allowed him to explore the intersection of aviation, engineering, artificial intelligence and military applications of emerging technology. For Jacob, aviation has become much more than a hobby. It is a field of study, a technical discipline, a leadership challenge and a potential career in service to his country.
Jacob now hopes to continue that journey at the United States Air Force Academy, where he aspires to study aerospace engineering and ultimately pursue a career as an Air Force pilot. His path toward that goal illustrates the extraordinary opportunities available to young people through Civil Air Patrol. CAP provided Jacob with the chance to take his first flight, access to pilots and mentors, the opportunity to attend a regional flight academy, exposure to Air Force pilot training, opportunities to develop leadership skills, and a pathway to continue advancing his aviation qualifications.
Jacob's story is ultimately not just a story about earning pilot certificates. It is a story about opportunity and what a motivated cadet can accomplish when given the chance to explore, learn and challenge himself. A single CAP glider orientation flight became a passion. That passion became flight training. The training became an FAA Private Pilot Certificate. His journey continued through powered-flight experience, a CAP VFR rating, a regional flight academy, Air Force pilot-training familiarization and aerospace research. SUPT became an opportunity to learn from Air Force aviators, and Jacob graduated as an Honor Graduate. The journey eventually brought him back to the glider where it all began, culminating in his FAA Private Pilot—Glider Certificate.
Along the way, CAP provided much more than opportunities to fly. It provided opportunities to lead, to serve, to learn from others and to discover what might be possible. As Jacob prepares to pursue an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, he carries with him not only the experience of a young pilot, but the leadership, discipline, technical curiosity and commitment to service that have been developed through his years as a Civil Air Patrol cadet.
Civil Air Patrol didn't simply give Jacob an opportunity to fly. It gave him the opportunity to discover what he could become.
His journey is a powerful example of what CAP can offer a motivated young person—and a reminder that sometimes, all it takes to change the course of a life is one opportunity to get off the ground.
About Virginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing is home to 21 squadrons spread throughout the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,500 members, 13 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.
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For More Information:
Lt Col William Benner at PA@vawg.cap.gov
