[sci.aeronautics] Confederate Air Force

jem3@pyuxf.cc.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) (05/31/91)

From: jem3@pyuxf.cc.bellcore.com (John E McKillop)


FLASH: The Confederate Air Force is moving from Harlingen, Texas to
Midland International Airport, Midland, Texas. Understand the move
is currently underway and the October (?) airshow will be held in
Midland. The new CAF Museuem offically opens on 7 Dec 91 I think.

rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin) (06/01/91)

From: rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin)


jem3@pyuxf.cc.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) writes:
>FLASH: The Confederate Air Force is moving from Harlingen, Texas to
>Midland International Airport, Midland, Texas. Understand the move
>is currently underway and the October (?) airshow will be held in
>Midland. The new CAF Museuem offically opens on 7 Dec 91 I think.

The facilities have been moving for a number of months now.  The Officers
Club in Harlingen has been closed, and all operations have been started
in Midland.  Most of the office material (and staff) are moved, and most
of the aircraft are moved, I believe.  Construction of the new interpretive
museum is either underway, or ground breaking is very soon.

The official _public_ Grand Opening is December 7th.  This is going to be
a blow-out affair that you could spend just oodles and oodles of money at
if you felt so inclined.  Of course, you could be there for reasonably
average costs as well.  

December 7th will feature the CAF "re-creation" of the attack on Pearl
Harbor.  There will be a number of special guests at the function as
well.  Besides a number of Hollywood names, President Bush is also
scheduled to be there.  At our January Staff Meeting, they did say that
we expect to see another guest who was until recently, Prime Minister 
of an ally we once rebelled against.  But that was far from confirmed
(That's why no names were mentioned... :-)

The new CAF structure and incorporation is exciting.  The museum, when
complete in five years, should be incredible.  Meanwhile, aircraft
acquisition and operation continues as before.

(BTW: New membership and sponsorship programs are being developed.  Some
of these projects look quite impressive...)

-- 
Robert J. Granvin \\\\\\\\                            rjg@sialis.com : INTERNET
Southern Minnesota Wing \\\              ...uunet!rosevax!sialis!rjg : UUCP
Confederate Air Force \\\\\\             rjg%sialis.com@uunet.uu.net : BITNET

john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III) (06/02/91)

From: john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III)


> From: jem3@pyuxf.cc.bellcore.com (John E McKillop)
> FLASH: The Confederate Air Force is moving from Harlingen, Texas to
> Midland International Airport, Midland, Texas. Understand the move
> is currently underway and the October (?) airshow will be held in
> Midland. The new CAF Museuem offically opens on 7 Dec 91 I think.

Not exactly a 'news flash', the move has been planned for quite some time.

The CAF wanted to expand, but the airport in Harlingen was too crowded.
The city of Harlingen chose to encourage commercial development over the
CAF, so the CAF decided to move.

The CAF was also having problems with the salt air on the coast causing the
airframes to corrode very rapidly.  Moving inland will help preserve the
aircraft.

The annual Ghost Squadron airshow last October was billed as the last major
airshow in the (Rio Grande) valley.

The move was originally scheduled to be made over the course of two years,
with no annual airshow.  The CAF would tour some of its planes to honor the
50th aniversary of WWII.  This is one of the reasons that the Tora! Tora! 
Tora! show is touring many airshows this summer.  Howard Purdue offered to
make his annual memorial day weekend airshow at Brekenridge the offical CAF
airshow, which the CAF accepted.  The CAF then figured out that it could move
more rapidly than they originally thought.  So now they are going to have a
Ghost Squadron show afterall on Oct 11-13 in Midland TX.

The big event on Dec 7 is the dedication of the CAF facilities.  Rumor
has it that President Bush will use the CAF event for a major speach
honoring the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and other rumors indicate
that other dignitaries will also attend.

If you have any interest in warbirds, you should try to visit the annual
CAF Ghost Squadron show at least once in your lifetime.  The show features
lots of flying, with 25 warbirds in the air at once during one point last
year.  You will see planes that you might not otherwise get to see, like
the B-29.  And the whole show atmosphere is more airplane oriented than
money oriented.  You can walk the flight line and watch near the planes
as they fire them up and taxi out.  The soda prices are reasonable, the
food is excellent yet inexpensive, and the people were very nice.

-- 
John A. Weeks III               (612) 942-6969             john@newave.mn.org
NeWave Communications, Ltd.                        ...uunet!tcnet!newave!john

albers@ka3ovk.uucp (Jon Albers) (06/04/91)

From: albers@ka3ovk.uucp (Jon Albers)


Does anyone have a list of what the CAF has now?  I think one was posted
a couple of years ago, but I haven't seen one lately.

-- 
Jon Albers, IRS, Information Systems Management, Support and Installation.
Office Symbols: ISM:S:S:SI   voice: (202/FTS)535-3729  Packet: KA3OVK@N4QQ
UUCP:(media|teemc|tcsc3b2|ki4pv)!ka3ovk!albers ARPA: JALBERS@SIMTEL20

rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin) (06/07/91)

From: rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin)


albers@ka3ovk.uucp (Jon Albers) writes:
>Does anyone have a list of what the CAF has now?  I think one was posted
>a couple of years ago, but I haven't seen one lately.

The CAF has on order of 150 aircraft, with that number changing 
routinely (generally upward :-).

The latest issue of the CAF Dispatch is an "informational issue" that
explains the CAF, and what aircraft they have.  This list also includes
the group to which it is assigned to.

Since I already have part of this information (an outdated partial
list) on-line, if there is an interest in a current list, I will 
update it with the current aircraft and assignment information and
provide it by email (or post if demand is high?)

	[Further discussion on CAF should probably go to
	 sci.aeronatics or rec.aviation, or via email.  --CDR]

-- 
Robert J. Granvin \\\\\\\\                            rjg@sialis.com : INTERNET
Southern Minnesota Wing \\\              ...uunet!rosevax!sialis!rjg : UUCP
Confederate Air Force \\\\\\             rjg%sialis.com@uunet.uu.net : BITNET