Frequently Asked Questions in Operations

FAQ - Surface Operations	FAQ - Communications
	FAQ - Air Operations
FAQ - Aviation Fuel

Q: What exactly is the Auxiliary?

A: Created by Congress in 1939, the U.S.Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian, non-military component of the U.S. Coast Guard. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Active Duty and Reserve members of Team Coast Guard, over 30,000 men and women Auxiliarists volunteer to advance boating safety and to provide direct operational and administrative support to Coast Guard missions and units. The Auxiliary can assist the Coast Guard in the performance of any function, duty, role, mission or operation authorized by law. Auxiliarists teach boating safety,  stand communication watches, perform harbor and pollution patrols, and assist in recruitment, among many other things. The Coast Guard Auxiliary, including Auxiliary aviation, is an integral part of the Coast Guard team.

Air Operations

Q: Why Join US Coast Guard Auxiliary Aviation?

A: AUXAIR offers several very worthwhile ways to be part of a valuable team. One can serve as Observer, Air Crew, Copilot, First Pilot or Aircraft Commander and participate in a number of mission areas including: Logistics, Aids to Navigation, Marine Safety and Pollution, Ice Reconnaisance,  Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security, and Search and Rescue.

Q: So how do I get started in Auxiliary Aviation?

A: First one joins the Coast Guard Auxiliary and becomes a "Basically Qualified" (BQ) member. This involves getting some education about the Auxiliary, its structure and organization. As the Auxiliary  predominantly deals with boating safety, some background knowledge about boating is a necessity. New Auxiliarists therefore take an Auxiliary boating safety course, another qualified course or self-study, and then pass an examination.   Once  Basically Qualified, they may undertake study in any of several Auxiliary programs including Auxiliary aviation (AUXAIR). Members involved in AUXAIR must earn their qualifications through advanced training. This training is designed to develop observers and pilots for Auxiliary service. 

Q: I’m just a private pilot. Can I be an Auxiliary pilot?

A: Of Course!! Persons who hold FAA Pilot Certificates may participate in AUXAIR either as Auxiliary  pilots (depending on certificates and experience) or as Observers. The Auxiliary does not offer flight training; rather, it builds on what certificated pilots already have learned.  Pilot applicants learn about search and rescue (SAR) techniques and patterns, Coast Guard communications, and Coast Guard flight safety rules and procedures. Pilot candidates must successfully pass a written open book test and take water survival training, as well as pass a SAR procedures check ride.  Pilots with 200 hours or more logged as Pilot in Command (PIC) may be eligible for Auxiliary aviator designation as Copilot. Pilots with 500 or more hours as PIC may become First Pilots, and aviators with at least 1000 hours PIC and an Instrument Rating may be designated as Aircraft Commanders.  .  Pilots with fewer than 200 hours PIC may become Observers or qualify as Air Crew.  Auxiliary flight crews  have an important job to do and are held to high standards of training and safety.

Q: I’m not a pilot. Can I help Auxiliary Aviation?

A: Non-Pilots may participate in AUXAIR as Observers or Air Crew. Observers are generally assigned to handle the communications between the aircraft and Coast Guard units, keep records in the air, and  be the active searchers on SAR and other missions.  Observers receive aviation orientation and training in observation techniques, communications, search techniques and patterns, and safety and survival skills. Observer candidates must successfully pass a written open book test and take water survival training.  Experienced Observers and pilots with less than 200 hours PIC may be eligible to earn the Air Crew rating. The training for this rating rounds out the Observer's knowledge with more instruction on aviation and aircraft operations, Crew Resource Management,  aviation communications and navigation procedures. The water survival training required of all Auxiliary aviators and Observers includes a 75 yard swim (with PFD on), training in life raft usage and emergency aircraft egress.

Q: Can I use my plane in Auxiliary Aviation?

A: Pilots may offer their airplanes for use as Coast Guard Auxiliary operational facilities. Planes are inspected to verify that they meet requirements and that all paperwork is in order. A marine radio must be available for use in the plane and an external antenna must be  installed.  All aircraft used in AUXAIR operations must be approved facilities. The Coast Guard does not make any assurances that aircraft will be accepted as operational facilities nor does it suggest that all qualified Auxiliary members will be accepted into the aviation program as pilots.  Fiscal, operational and geographical needs of the U.S. Coast Guard are the controlling factors in the AUXAIR program.  Auxiliarists using their own aircraft on ordered missions may be reimbursed for fuel and maintenance expenses. They are also covered by Federal insurance and liability protection while in the performance of their official Auxiliary duties. Qualified Auxiliary pilots, while assigned to duty, are considered to be Coast Guard pilots, and Auxiliary aircraft, while assigned to authorized duty, are deemed to be Coast Guard aircraft. 

Q: Do Aviators require TCT training to maintain their qualifications? Is the CRM class they are required to take equivalent to TCT? In other words, do pilots and observers have to take TCT and the one hour refresher? If they are both a Surface Operator and an Aviator, do they have to take both TCT and CRM, or will one substitute for the other?
A: TCT is a requirement for Surface Operators, not for Aviators. CRM is a requirement for Aviators, not for Surface Operators. TCT and CRM are not interchangeable. Individuals who have both Aviation and Surface qualifications must fulfill the requirements for each qualification, thus must meet the requirements for both TCT and CRM.

Note: The requirements for TCT for Surface Operators are found within the Auxiliary Boat Crew Training Manual M16794.51A (series), Chapter 5, Currency Maintenance.

The requirements for CRM for Aviators are found in the Auxiliary Operations Policy Manual M16798.3E (series), Annex 2, Air Crew Qualification and Training, Section C, Certification and Currency Maintenance.

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Q: Can a Beech Bonanza with a throw-over yoke be accepted as a facility? Is it considered to have dual or single flight controls? Is there any restriction on its use as a facility?
A: When in doubt, take a look in "the book." In this case, the Operations Policy Manual (OPM) is the correct "book."
According to the OPM, there is no blanket requirement for dual flight controls in order for an aircraft to be accepted as a facility. However, there are a couple of situations which do require dual controls.

• The first restriction is in Annex 1, Section I, 2. b. - "Dual flight controls, but not flight instruments, are required for night or IMC flight."
• The second restriction is found in Annex 1, Section J, 2, which outlines facility requirements for performing Air Intercept Exercise Support Missions. Dual controls are required for all of those missions.

The intent of the dual control requirement is to insure that the safety pilot is able to intervene quickly when necessary, should the first pilot lose situational awareness in these demanding flight conditions. Thus, an aircraft with single controls may be a facility, but it is restricted from being used in IMC or at night. Also, it may not be used for AI Exercise Support Missions.

Q: Is the Bonanza with a throw-over yoke dual or single control?
A: If you count the number of flight controls, there's only one set, isn't there? That single set of controls may be used in either the right or left seat, but not in both at the same time. That doesn't lend itself to having the second pilot assist in an immediate crisis. Thus, it would appear that the Bonanza with throw-over yoke is a single flight control aircraft. It may be used as a facility, but it may not be used at night, nor in IMC and not for AI Exercise Support Missions.

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Aviation Fuel

Q: How are AV fuel costs reimbursed?
A: Expenses for aviation fuel used on missions are reimbursed according to COMMANDANT NOTICE 16798 AUXILIARY AVIATION FACILITY REIMBURSEMENT, dated March 6, 2006 (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg3/cg3pcx/missions/AUXAIRRateReimbursement.pdf. It states that "…operators of Auxiliary aircraft issued patrol orders will be reimbursed for their expenses based on actual fuel costs and standard maintenance rates." A table detailing the maintenance rates is included as part of the instruction.

Q: Why was the fuel reimbursement system changed from the fixed rate tables used in the past?
A: To ensure that every AUXAIR facility owner is fully reimbursed for every cent that they spend on aircraft fuel while flying Coast Guard Auxiliary missions and not one cent less.

Q: Why not just raise the fixed rate reimbursement schedule?
A: Because any fixed rate schedule would be incorrect as soon as it was published. Fuel rates rise quickly, and fuel prices vary widely through the country. If the fixed rates are based on average prices, by definition, some prices will be higher, and some lower. It is inherently impossible for any fixed rate plan, based on averages, to be accurate for everyone. Someone will end up being reimbursed for less than they actually spent, and some people will get more than they actually spent. While those who get more will probably not complain, their overage should be used to reimburse those who had a shortfall. Accurate reimbursement for all is the goal.

Q: The fixed rates always worked out pretty well for me. How big a problem was it, really? Weren't some guys just complaining over a couple of bucks?
A: Well, yes, they were. Sometimes the problem was just a couple of bucks; a couple of bucks per gallon that is, multiplied by many gallons. When the current fixed rates were set in May of 2005, the reimbursement was based on a national average AV gas price of $3.06 per gallon. It's currently $3.85 per gallon (April 2006), and rising. Prices vary widely across the country, with a high of $6.76 per gallon. Now consider the case of an Auxiliarist flying on a mission to a large airport in the New England area. He may have to pay over $6 per gallon, but under the fixed reimbursement plan, would only be
reimbursed at the $3 per gallon rate. If he puts 50 gallons into his plane, his reimbursement will be $150 dollars short. Do you want to be that guy? If you were, would you want to fly another mission like that? This is exactly the kind of problem that this new plan will correct.

Q: Then why not just raise the fixed rates more often?
A: Changing the fixed rates involves rewriting an official Commandant Notice. In the Coast Guard, that is a big deal. There are several steps of review and approval, and this is not done lightly or quickly. In the several months it may take for a revised rate schedule to work its way through the approval process, the rates may change enough to require the whole process to begin again.

Q: Why not have fixed rates, indexed to the specific region that we fly in?
A: Indexing the fuel prices to "the specific region we fly in", as suggested, would be unworkable. There are 16 Auxiliary regions, with wide variations in fuel prices within many of those regions. Should the CG have 16 (or more) different fuel reimbursement schedules? What about flights which cross regional boundaries? What happens when fuel prices rise at a rapid pace in some regions, but not in others? Do some get updates, and others not? Who keeps track of all of this, and does all that updating? Such a plan would create many problems and errors in reimbursement. The CG requires one plan for reimbursement nationwide.

Q: With fixed rate reimbursement, pilots knew that they had to buy the most inexpensive fuel they could, and that they had to operate their aircraft at the most economical power settings possible, in order to try to come out even. Now, they will just be able to operate however they want, and buy fuel wherever they want. Won't this lead to abuses, such as people inflating their fuel expenses?
A: No reimbursement plan, fixed rate or not, is a substitute for good program management and oversight. Pilots will still be expected to operate prudently. However, many pilots have little choice as to where they must buy fuel, or the rate at which they burn it. Different aircraft burn fuel at different rates depending on many circumstances. Some operations require higher power settings than at other times. This plan will accommodate all of that. And yes, this plan trusts that pilots will report expenses honestly. The old fixed rate schedule relied on pilots to report their hours honestly, too, didn't it? After all, there were no "Hobbs meter police" who came out to verify that the number entered on the orders was the actual number of hours flown. Auxiliarists are always expected to be honest.

Q: Won't all of this additional paperwork clog up the system and cause delays in reimbursement?
A: That's unlikely, as this is the system that the CG Financial Center prefers. This is what they are used to dealing with for most other reimbursements, such as hotel and travel expenses, and this is how the surface folks are reimbursed. When you complete your orders in POMS, you will enter the dollar amount you are claiming as fuel reimbursement. You will print out and sign your orders, as usual. When you send them in to your Air Station for reimbursement, you will attach receipts showing an expense equal to (or greater than) the amount being claimed. When the signed orders with receipts arrive at the Air Stations, they will be cross checked with the information already entered in POMS, and the claim will be verified. Your verified claim is electronically sent via POMS to FINCEN for reimbursement. Auxiliarists are strongly encouraged to keep a photo copy of the receipts (and the orders).

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Q: I flew a mission today, and, because of the weight I plan to carry on my next mission, I didn't refuel after this mission. I don't always fill up my tanks before or after a mission, because I often must trade fuel for payload, and I don't always know what my next flight will be. I may not refuel for a few days after my CG mission. How do I submit receipts for this situation? How do I complete my orders if I don’t refuel my plane after my mission? I have to enter the quantity of fuel used, and the cost. How can I figure that if I don’t refuel after my mission? Do I have to wait until I refuel to complete my orders? That may be several days? I can't afford to wait that long! Help!
A: OK, let's see if we can help clear this up. The fuel reimbursement policy states that you need to submit "documentation" regarding your fuel usage and costs. That means that you need to have a receipt (or receipts) to show the cost of the fuel that you used, for which you claim reimbursement.
You have to buy gas before you can burn it. Presumably, each time you buy gas you'll get a receipt for it. Save the receipt and use it for your claim.
Don't worry about buying gas after your mission. Gas purchased after the mission wasn't burned on the mission, so it's irrelevant. But if you do buy gas after your mission, hang onto the receipt. That's the gas you'll be burning next time you fly, so you're likely to need that receipt for your next mission.

Q: But if I don't buy gas after I fly, how do I know how much I used? How do I come up with a quantity to complete my orders?
A: To complete your orders after a mission, you need to know how long you flew, how much fuel you used, and how much that fuel cost. Obviously, how long you flew is easy. Simply get that from your Hobbs meter or recording tachometer.
All FAA certified aircraft have a Pilot Operating Handbook, (POH) that contains accurate, FAA certified data on fuel consumption for that aircraft. Use the POH fuel consumption data to determine the quantity of fuel used during your mission. Of course, if you have a fuel totalizer, you can get the fuel consumption figures from that.
Now, just use the cost per gallon from your fuel receipt(s) to figure out the cost of the fuel consumed on your mission. Attach receipts which document the cost for which you seek reimbursement. The receipts do not have to be dated the same day as your mission, they may be from the same day, or prior to the date of the mission. (Obviously, they may not be dated after the mission, because you could not have used fuel purchased after the mission on the mission.) The receipts do not have to be for the same quantity of fuel that you consumed on your mission. The receipts, or combination of receipts, must document expenditure equal to or greater than the amount that you are claiming for reimbursement.

Q: I buy fuel in bulk on a monthly basis. I don't get a receipt every time I add fuel. How do I handle this?
A: When you buy fuel in bulk, you still get some sort of a receipt or invoice which shows the price paid for the fuel. Simply attach a copy of that to your orders.
For example, if you buy 500 gallons at $3 per gallon, you'll get a receipt or invoice for $1500. Then, as you use the fuel, claim the amount that you use on each mission, and attach a copy of that bulk receipt. If you fly a mission and use 50 gallons, you'll claim $150 on your orders. You'll attach a copy of your receipt for $1500, but if your claim is for $150, you'll get reimbursed for $150.

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Surface Operations

Q. How do I get orders to train as a PWC operator if I am not yet certified as a PWO?  Same question if I am a PWO but in REYR?
A. You become a PWOIT (Personal Watercraft Operator In-Training).  See article in UpTop in Operations from August 2006, for details.

Q. Do I get reimbursed for the wear and tear on my boat in addition to fuel and oil while on patrol?
A. The SAMA (Standard Auxiliary Mainteanance Allowance) program provides assistance here.  See  http://cgauxsurfaceops.us/sama.htm for details.

Q. When do the revised manual and qualification guides become effective?
A. 1 January 2007

Q. What if a member is partially through one of the older qualification guides?
A. A. All tasks completed in an older guide may be transferred to the new guide by the mentor, FC, VFC, FSO-MT, or FSO-OP provided they were performed less than 2 years ago. The original date and mentor’s name must be used.

Q. What are the new annual currency maintenance tasks and what is the deadline?
A. The member must have 12 hours underway each year and attend a 1-hour TCT refresher provided by the National Operations Department. These tasks must be completed (and recorded in AUXDATA) by 31 Dec or the member will go into REYR.

Q. What will the 3 year QE check ride be phased in?
A. For members due a check ride under the old program in 2007 or 2008, their QE check ride is due by 31 Dec 07. If due in 2009, due in 2008 and if due in 2010 or 2011, the check ride is due by 31 Dec 2009.

Q. If a member missed tasks and/or hours in 2006, what do they need to do for 2007?
A. The missing hours (up to 8) are made up as a trainee. Missing tasks are not required.

Q. Do crew hours spent underway by a coxswain count toward coxswain time?
A. Yes, crew time now counts as coxswain time.

Q. Does Crew or Coxswain underway time count toward PWC Operator currency (or vice-versa)?
A. If a member is qualified on both, they need to do 12 hours underway on each platform.

Q. Do I have to take the TCT refresher and 5th year 8-Hour TCT in the same year?
A. No, the 8-hour course will suffice for taking the annual refresher in a given year.

Q. Does the annual TCT refresher replace the 5th year 8-hour TCT course?
A. No, the annual refresher does not replace the 5th year TCT course.

Q. Who has to take the Ops Policy Test for initial qualification?
A. Only Coxswain and PWC Operators have to take the open book test.

Q. Where can I take the Ops Policy Test and what is the passing score?
A. 90% is passing. The test is available on-line at: http://cgexams.info/testing/. OTOs have hard copies of the test. If the hard copy is used, it must be proctored.]

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Telecommunications

Q. What is the SHARES program all about?
A. In March of 2007, the Auxiliary National Executive Committee (NEXCOM) and the Office of the Chief Director of the Auxiliary (CG-3PCX) approved participation by CGAUX HF Stations in SHARES (SHAred RESources) which is a part of the National Communications System. For further information click on this link for the announcement memo