Desert Eagle Flight Academy Hosts 20 Cadets

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  Twenty Civil Air Patrol cadets from nine states completed a 10-day flight training programNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  The 10-day flight training program was at Ephrata Airport's Desert Eagle Flight Academy“Cadet Lt. Col. Sophia Taylor. “When you drive, you just turn on the engine. But with the airplane, there is this huge checklist just to make sure that you really don't miss anything, and we always follow that checklist in everything that we do. If you're following all components of the checklist and you're abiding by all regulations, then it's really safe.”Taylor, 17, is the cadet commander for this year’s Desert Eagle Flight Academy, an intensive 10 day training course at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher at the Ephrata Airport.”
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  The 10-day flight training program was completed on August 3, 2026No usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  Six cadets completed their first solo flights by Thursday morning“Of those, six had made their first solo flight by Thursday morning, and two more were expected to on Friday.”
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  Two more cadets were scheduled to complete their first solo flights on Friday“Of those, six had made their first solo flight by Thursday morning, and two more were expected to on Friday.”
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  Columbia Basin Composite Squadron Director of Cadet Programs Lt. Col. Kathy Maxwell provided the information“Lt. Col. Kathy Maxwell, the Columbia Basin Composite Squadron’s director of cadet programs.”
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  The Desert Eagle Flight Academy is one of only a dozen in the country“There are only a dozen academies like Desert Eagle in the country, Maxwell said, which is why Desert Eagle attracts cadets from all over.”
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  The academy offers intensive flight training“Desert Eagle Flight Academy, an intensive 10 day training course at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher at the Ephrata Airport.”
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  The academy has morning sessions to avoid afternoon wind turbulence“Most of the cadets’ flying is done in the mornings, said Col. David Lehman, because the air currents become stronger as the day heats up, and the wind tends to pick up in the afternoon.”
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  Cadets used a new Redbird flight simulator for practice“Camp Boucher recently acquired a new state-of-the-art Redbird simulator, said Dave Widrig, an instructor who came up from Oregon for the purpose. The simulator has an additional display on each side of the operator, to give a closer approximation of what the pilot would be seeing in an actual cockpit.”
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  Instructor Dave Widrig noted the simulator's realistic cockpit displays“The simulator has an additional display on each side of the operator, to give a closer approximation of what the pilot would be seeing in an actual cockpit. The monitors displayed the view of Ephrata and the Beezley Hills that would be visible from the tarmac outside.”
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  The program attracts cadets nationwide“There are only a dozen academies like Desert Eagle in the country, Maxwell said, which is why Desert Eagle attracts cadets from all over.”
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  The program's extended duration is a reason for its nationwide appealNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  The program's superior facilities are a reason for its nationwide appealNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  Iowa cadet Marc Gourley noted the program's appeal“Cadet Marc Gourley came from Ames, Iowa to Ephrata because most of the Civil Air Patrol academies take place in June, he said, and his 16th birthday came too late for him to qualify for those.”