Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force ( CAF ) is an association in the USA that has set itself the goal of preserving for posterity at least one copy of every aircraft that flew during World War II.
Originally the group was called 'Confederate Air Force', but was renamed 'Commemorative Air Force' after a member vote in 2001.
The beginnings go back to 1951, when a group of aviation enthusiasts around flight instructor Lloyd Nolen bought a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk from excess stocks of the USAF . With the acquisition of the second aircraft in 1957, a North American P-51 Mustang , the vision of the preservation of all aircraft types from the Second World War developed.
Especially when it was in the 1960s it clear that neither the USAF nor the Navy had an interest in maintaining those aircraft, but tended to retirement and scrapping of the machine, the CAF was formed on September 6, 1961 as a nonprofit organization to to position oneself better for the pursued goal.
Today the museum and headquarters of the CAF are in Midland, Texas . More than 11,000 volunteer members look after the 140 aircraft of the CAF in regional wings, partly also outside the USA, including bombers such as the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and also formerly enemy aircraft such as the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero or the German Ju 52 and also a Bf 109 .
