Orlando, Fla. – Cadets from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) 259th Central Florida Composite Squadron participated in a special presentation on August 14, celebrating the delivery of a flight simulator pod that Cybernet Systems Corporation recently loaned to the SER-FL-259 Squadron facility.

US Rep. Daniel Webster (FL-08) and Cybernet CEO Heidi Jacobus, attended the event and spoke to the cadets, each taking the opportunity to encourage the young men and women to study hard, listen well and always continue learning.

Cybernet Systems Corporation, one of America’s leading businesses in research and development with offices in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Orlando, Fla., loaned the flight simulator pod, which was originally built by Cybernet as an F-16 EAAGLES simulator prototype.

With some recent additions, the simulator now allows cadets to simulate fixed-wing aircraft (the primary airframe for CAP), as well as other airframes like jet fighters, to keep the cadet experience new and exciting, and also provide valuable time in the pod for honing and perfecting skills needed for aviation.

“Cybernet is honored to help the SER-FL-259 Central Florida Composite Squadron in their job of Aerospace Education through the use of Cybernet’s simulator pod,” said Jacobus. “It’s important that young men and women are taking paths in the fields where we most need their future abilities – science and mathematics – and this is one small way that Cybernet can encourage that passion.”

“When many of our cadets join the Civil Air Patrol, they are under age to actually fly our planes,” said Jason M. Baran, Capt., Squadron Commander. “We take them on orientation rides, but that’s the extent of their experience behind the stick. With the simulator pod for our use, the cadets can have the physical experience of flying no matter what age they are and they are really excited.”

“I think our job of teaching and inspiring our young people to want to learn about Aerospace just took a giant leap toward the sky,” added Baran.

CAP is an official civilian Auxiliary of the United States Air Force and a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership, and performs three congressionally assigned missions: emergency services, like search and rescue; disaster relief operations and aerospace education for both youth and senior programs. The cadet programs for teenage youth also provides leadership and career training, along with the aerospace education.