Hey, teenagers: Care to trade your X-Box controller for the yoke of a Cessna 182?

Thanks to the Mustang Cadet Squadron, teens can take flight before they can qualify for a driver's license.

Based in Englewood, the squadron is part of the Civil Air Patrol, established by Congress in 1946 in order to promote aviation education nationwide and to provide emergency search and rescue operations. The modern patrol also aids in homeland security operations and exercises.

The Mustang Cadet squadron is made up of 27,000 cadets with 52 wings and 1,700 units nationwide

The CAP performs 95 percent of the nations inland search and rescue operations, saving, on average, 100 lives a year, transports time sensitive medical supplies and performs counter narcotic missions and border patrols. The CAP uses hyper-spectral imaging technology to identify fields of narcotics and take pictures of illegal border crossings.

The CAP was recently involved in the search for missing pilot Steve Fossett in Nevada.

Capt. Jonathan R. Ellison, 47, is the head of the Englewood based Mustang Cadet Squadron. Ellison has been involved with the Squadron since 2001 and was a cadet in San Antonio, Texas in the 1970s.

When asked why he got involved Ellison said, "I wanted to give back some of the lessons I learned. A lot of kids today don't have any recollection of World War II, Korea or Vietnam."

To become a cadet you must be between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. You can remain a cadet until you turn 21 years old.

To get started, you must attend three meetings, including an orientation meeting, with one or both of your parents or a legal guardian. Every cadet under the age of 18 is allowed five powered flights lasting about an hour in a Cessna 172 or 182 and five flights in a glider.

The squadron also provides flight training scholarships and international exchange program. Annual dues total $72, which includes a T-shirt.

"Some recruits are attracted by the military aspect, some just want to fly, " Ellison said. "It's satisfying watching a youngster come in from the street, develop into a leader and get into a good college like West Point and the Air Force Academy. It makes me proud that our team of adults is helping them achieve what they want to achieve."

The CAP recently held an aerospace education day at Platte Valley Airpark on Sept. 29. Cadets competed in a drill competition, performed color guard duties and set up a model rocket display.

Colorado Wing public affairs officer 1st Lt. Steve Hamilton said the education day was a great way to educate the public on the role of the CAP and a great way to expose kids to the benefits of joining the Mustang Cadet Squadron.

"A lot of kids sign up who may need a little discipline or focus." Hamilton said. "The squadron provides a structured environment ... and it looks really good on a resume for a service academy, particularly for the Air Force Academy."

Hamilton also said the CAP has educational outreach programs to help provide schools with teaching materials on aeronautics free of charge.

For more information on the Mustang Cadet Squadron, click here. For more information on the Civil Air Patrol, click here.