Unmanned Operations and Training
- The NC Wing has had a sUAS program for over six years. Over time, the program grew in capability and personnel.
- The program started with several drones, both rotorcraft and fixed-wing; a few examples of those drones were a DJI Phantom 3 Pro, two Skydio 2's, and a Skydio X2D. Today the fleet has expanded with 10 Teal 2's added in May of 2023.
- The Teal 2's expand our ability to fly at night with their Hadron 640 X 512 thermal sensor.
- They were purchased by NC Emergency Management and provided to us so we can provide support to the citizen's of NC in cooperation with NC EM.
- The North Carolina Wing has been at the forefront of the Civil Air Patrol small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) program, which includes the CAP's first location and save in August of 2021.
- In July of 2023, we were credited with a Find for the first live mission in which the Teal 2 drone was flown.
The Unmanned Operations Team is comprised of:
- Capt Ralph Newcomb, Director of Unmanned Operations
- Lt Col Michael Krueger, Stan / Eval
- Maj Neil Brock, Maintenance
For more Unmanned Operations information, click here
The Training Team includes:
- Capt Ralph Newcomb, Emergency Services Training Officer for sUAS
- Lt Col Al Griffa
- Lt Col Michael Krueger
- Maj David Hartman
- Maj Douglas Moody
- Maj Neil Brock
For more Unmanned Training information, click here
Each Group in the North Carolina Wing has a Lead Instructor. The organization of this structure is under development, so not every Group has a Lead Instructor yet.
If you have a sUAS training need or questions, please get in touch with the Lead Instructor for your Group or Capt Ralph Newcomb
Lead sUAS Instructors
Group 1: Maj David Hartman
Group 2: Lt Col Alberto Griffa
Group 3:
Group 4: Capt Ralph Newcomb
Group 5:
Group 6: Lt Col Michael Krueger
