Civil Air Patrol cadets and senior members participated in the 2025 Aviation Weather Mission (April - July 2025) tracking airplanes and collecting atmospheric observations, including clouds and contrails using the GLOBE Observer app. On 14 August at 7 pm ET (23:00 UTC), cadets from all eight regions (Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Great Lakes, North Central, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific regions) in the United States will share their experiences and stories of being part of this unique experience. 

The 2025 Aviation Weather Mission was a collaboration between the Civil Air Patrol and the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC). The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization and the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, dedicated to emergency services, cadet development, and aerospace education. With missions ranging from search and rescue to youth leadership programs, CAP serves communities across the country while providing unique opportunities for both adults and cadets to learn, lead, and serve. The mission consisted of four 4-hour observation periods from April to July 2025 where CAP members collected ground-based atmospheric observations including airport conditions, information about commercial aircraft (registration number and altitude). In addition, cadets and senior members used the GLOBE Observer app’s clouds tool to report cloud cover and contrail types. Each mission date produced different observations and experiences to participating squadrons around the country, as weather conditions varied from state to state and month to month. Preliminary data is being processed by the NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. 

Register here.