The Salmon Treasure of Bristol Bay, Alaska

The chief of the Bristol Bay Police Department in King Salmon, Alaska, John Rhyshek’s responsibilities include supervising police officers and the 911 Dispatch Center. He started his over 15-year law enforcement career as an Alaska state trooper. In his free time, John Rhyshek enjoys hunting, camping, and fishing in the breathtaking Alaskan natural environs.

One of Alaska’s magnificent natural areas is the Bristol Bay watershed, located in the southwest. The location is home to many animal species, including over 190 birds, over 40 terrestrial mammals, and 29 fishes. The watershed sustains the production of all five Pacific salmon species present in North America: pink, Chinook, chum, coho, and sockeye.

Spawning and rearing in the Bristol Bay watershed, these wild salmons support eagles, bears, other wildlife, as well as human civilization. Hosting the world’s largest sockeye salmon run, the watershed produces around 46 percent of the planet’s wild sockeye harvest. Valued at over $1.5 billion, the Bristol Bay watershed fishery provides, annually, close to 20,000 jobs across the United States.

Becoming a Mission Pilot with the Civil Air Patrol

A long-time proponent of public safety in Alaska, John Rhyshek has held such positions as state trooper for the state of Alaska and police officer at the Houston Police Department. He now heads the Bristol Bay Police Department as chief and an officer. In addition to this, John Rhyshek is a mission pilot for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), an organization that supports communities around America with ground, aviation, and emergency response services.

Mission pilots are part of the CAP’s emergency services efforts. These pilots are highly trained in aviation and love working in situations involving disaster support and search and rescue. The requirements to become a mission pilot are some of the most demanding of all of the CAP’s positions. They include having at least 175 hours of time as a pilot-in-command when beginning preparatory and advanced training, along with completing the General Emergency Services quiz and being approved as a mission scanner.

The training requirements for Mission pilots consist of 28 different tasks. Some of these tasks are part of the familiarization and preparatory training requirements. They include such things as demonstrating air coordination, discussing security concerns, and discussing the duties and responsibilities of mission pilots. Meanwhile, advanced training tasks include operating aircraft audio panels and commanding a CAP flight.

Once the training is complete, prospective pilots should have 200 hours of pilot-in-command time. They can then complete the mission pilot flight check CAPF 91.