The Civil Air Patrol has signed a corporate partnership agreement with AirGator, a New York - based aviation company. AirGator specializes in navigation and situational awareness products for aviation, marine and public safety communities.

While terms of the agreement were undisclosed, AirGator will provide the Civil Air Patrol with financial and promotional support in 2005 and, in return, receive the right to use the CAP name and corporate supporter mark in the company’s advertising, marketing and promotional programs during the year. Financial support from AirGator will be used to fund CAP cadet programs in 2005. According to Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP national commander, AirGator’s financial commitment will be used in part to reduce costs of the July 2005 CAP National Cadet Competition in Washington, D.C. This competition is one of the nation's most prestigious youth events each year.

AirGator (www.airgator.com) produces and markets the NAVAir series of navigation and situational awareness products to the general aviation market. The product series includes NAVAir Moving Map and NAVAirWX with Real Time Broadcast Weather. The products run on a wide range of hardware including handheld computers, PDAs, tablet PCs and others. NAVAir was awarded the KitPlanes 2004 Readers Choice Award in the PDA-based moving map category.

“AirGator joins an impressive list of corporations who support not only the work of our adult volunteers, but also the activities of our cadets -- the Civil Air Patrol of the future," Wheless said. "For America to continue its technological dominance, today's business and government leaders must work together to prepare our young people for an even more complex society. We must focus not only on their technical and academic skills, but also the values and leadership required to use that technology wisely. We in CAP applaud companies like AirGator who are willing to invest in America’s future.”

“AirGator has come up with a great solution for pilots who want easy-to-use navigational equipment in the cockpit,” said Al Allenback, CAP executive director. "Anything that improves situational awareness for pilots is important, especially for an organization like CAP that places such a high priority on safety.”

“CAP members deserve the thanks of all of us in the aviation community for their commitment to homeland security and domestic aviation," said Amir Tirosh, president of AirGator." We are delighted to be part of the community supporting CAP in its goals. ”

Civil Air Patrol, the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with some 60,000 members nationwide. More than 24,000 young men and women, ages 12 to 21, are involved in CAP cadet programs. CAP cadet programs build strong citizens through leadership training, technical education, scholarships and career education.

CAP performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

FMI: www.airgator.com, www.cap.gov