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The origin of the Commemorative Air
Force dates back to 1951, with the purchase of a surplus
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk by Lloyd Nolen, a former World War II
Army Air Corps flight instructor. In 1957, Nolen and four
friends purchased a P-51 Mustang, each sharing in the $2,500
cost of the aircraft. With the purchase of the Mustang,
known as Red Nose, the group was unofficially
founded.
The organization was originally known
as the "Confederate Air Force." Following a membership vote
in 2001 and made effective on January 1, 2002, the
organization is now known as the Commemorative Air Force.
In 1958, the group made their second
purchase ~ two Grumman F8F Bearcats for $805 each. Along
with the P-51, this gave the pilots the two most advanced
piston-engine fighters to see service with the U.S. Army Air
Forces and the U.S. Navy.
In 1960, the CAF began seriously to
search for other World War II aircraft, but it became
quickly apparent that few remained in flying condition. The
CAF Colonels were shocked to find that the aircraft which
played such a major role in winning World War II were being
rapidly and systematically destroyed. No one, not even the
Air Force or Navy were attempting to preserve even one of
each type of these historic aircraft for display for future
generations.
On September 6, 1961, the CAF was
chartered as a nonprofit Texas corporation in order to
restore and preserve World War II-era combat aircraft. By
the end of the year, there were nine aircraft in the CAF
fleet.
In 1965, the first museum building
consisting of 26,000 square feet was completed at old Rebel
Field, Mercedes, Texas. The CAF created a new Rebel Field at
Harlingen, Texas, when they moved there in 1968, occupying
three large buildings. The CAF fleet continued to grow and
included medium and heavy bombers such as the B-29, B-25,
B-17 and B-24.
Today, the Commemorative Air Force is
comprised of over 11,000 members, several hundred of whom
serve as pilots and flight or maintenance crew members
committed to preserving World War II American aviation
heritage. The CAF is responsible for operating a fleet of
more than 140 airplanes known as the Ghost Squadron. The
year 1991 marked the beginning of a new era for the CAF with
the opening of the new Midland, Texas, headquarters and
museum facilities.
The CAF is an all-volunteer
organization, made up of members from all walks of life.
Membership is open to all men and women, age 18 or older.
You need not be a veteran nor a pilot to join the CAF.
Privately funded and totally self-supporting, the nonprofit,
tax-exempt group is dedicated to preserving the military
aviation heritage of World War II. |
