The Commemorative Air Force is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational organization. The CAF was founded to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States, and selected aircraft of other nations, for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans.
More than just a collection of airworthy warplanes from the past, the CAF's fleet of historic aircraft, known as the CAF Ghost Squadron, recreate, remind and reinforce the lessons learned from the defining moments in American military aviation history.
The Central Texas (CenTex) Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is located at the San Marcos Municipal Airport, in the only remaining 1943 vintage wooden hangar on the field. Visitors are invited to tour the Military Artifacts Exhibit and the display dedicated to the Doolittle Raiders. The Stokes Memorial Library contains the personal aircraft memorabilia collection of the founder of the CenTex Wing, Col. John J. Stokes, Sr.
The CenTex Wing hangar houses two CAF aircraft for which the Wing has maintenance and restoration responsibility: a very-rare flying P-39 Bell Airacobra, and the U-3A "Administrator". We have a tenant unit, The Yellow Rose Squadron of the CAF, which is responsible for maintaining and operating the B-25 "Yellow Rose". The CAF replica "Kate" #310 is always in the hangar, when not flying air shows with the "Tora, Tora, Tora!" group. Two other CAF aircraft are housed part-time with us, replica "Kate" #356, and the Bell P-63 King Cobra. The P-63 is currently undergoing major maintenance at Ezell Aviation. Other aircraft in the hangar are privately owned by CAF members, and used to support the missions of the CAF. Among these are 3 AT-6 Texan types, a Japanese Zero replica, built for the movie Tora, Tora, Tora, 3 Chinese-built CJ-6A trainers, the Beech T-34A Mentor, and outside on the ramp is a Lockheed T-33 "Shooting Star" jet trainer.
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