The squadron is commanded by Maj. M. R. (Jim) Kaletta, a very proactive supporter of the Civil Air Patrol. Jim came to us from Buffalo, New York, where he was a cadet in 1949 and became extremely interested in all aspects of aviation. After receiving his Bachelor's degree and Masters work in Business Administration he became one of the youngest pilots working for United Airlines. Jim continued as a corporate pilot for BP Oil and owned and operated several different types of aircraft, including single and multi-engine land and sea aircraft, rotor craft and helicopters. In fact, Jim is an auxiliary pilot for the Charlotte County Sheriffs Department.
During Jim's professional career, Jim became the president and CEO of Scott Aviation, at multi-million dollar corporation supplying air parts to the aviation industry. Jim has over 10,000 logged hours in all types of aircraft. While Jim is a very strong supporter of the aviation industry and flying in general, he has spent a lot of time learning and working as a ground team member, flight line supervisor, mission radio operator, mission staff assistant and other non aviation related specialties of the Civil Air Patrol. Jim is a very strong supporter of the cadet program, in fact he has a senior rating in cadet programs.
Some of Jim's accomplishments include: President of the Aviation Distributor and Manufacturers Association, President of the Air Force Association and President of the Buffalo Aero Club. Jim is currently a F.A.A. Aviation Safety Council member and has a United States Coast Guard 100 ton vessel operators license.
Jim is an excellent advocate of the Civil Air Patrol and helps to embrace the three primary objectives of the CAP: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services.