Commemorative air force logo

Nonprofit organization for preserving aircraft

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force,^[1] is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S.

and Canada.

The CAF has about 13, members, more than 70 chapters, and more than aircraft,^[2] including the world's largest collection of airworthy warbirds.^[3]

History

The origin of the Commemorative Air Force is the organization called the "Confederate Air Corps" created by Oscar Harper in Montgomery, Alabama, in ^{[4][failed verification]} Led by the fictional character "Thaddeus P.

Throckmorton" and his recruiting officer "Jethro Culpepper", the CAC established several features that later became key characteristics of the CAF: folksy, tongue-in-cheek southern humor; a membership structure based on each member having the equa