Warbird Information Exchange

Once more into the fray...

First off, the move to Midland in 1990-91 made considerable economic sense for the organization. Others have mentioned that San Antonio (NO access to the airport: a small problem) or Memphis (cost-prohibitive)would have been a better place, but the problems at those locations, in the opinion of the General Staff and Lloyd Nolan, were too difficult to resolve. So, a sweet deal was made for the Midland location. INCREASING TOURISM was never the goal of moving Headquarters and the Museum (they are different entities by the way). The CAF Museum is NOT and NEVER WAS supposed to be the airplanes in the fleet. The airplanes, scattered around the country and appearing at shows all over, were thought to be "the CAF" to Joe Public. Headquarters could be located any where, it was thought, given the way the CAF had morphed into a franchise operation. And, one of the major criticisms of the organization in the early years was that the airplanes never left Texas. So that was one of the reasons for the establishment of Wings and Squadrons in 70 plus locations.

Secondly, about the city...The citizens of Midland have been incredibly supportive of the organization, with DOLLARS. The state of Texas has been incredibly supportive of the museum. We are not ugly step-children as was the case in Harlingen. Three airlines serve the place, it is the center of domestic oil production, the per capitia education level and income level are higher here than any other place in Texas, and, since location, location, location has been thrown up over and over again, since when is Oshkosh Wisconsin the center of the known universe? Or Harlingen for that matter?

Second, B-29 driver did express perfectly the dysfunctional nature of the organization....it is too "Confederate" to function in the world of the 21st century. The majority of the assets are scattered far and wide, fuel prices increasingly make it difficult for them to "rotate" back to the museum in ghastly Midland, there is minimal centralized control, and sometimes people with more money than flying skills fly the airplanes. All of those things can be corrected, but it will take a sea change in thinking about the direction of the organization before than happens. His idea about rotating the pilots to the planes makes considerable sense and that is effectively what happens with the B-29 and B-24. The General Staff has hired a guy with the expectation that he will begin to do what B-29 driver attempted to do with the B-29/B-24 Squadron. My fervent hope is that he is successful.

Third, the Collins Foundation, Cavanaugh, Lone Star, etc, etc, do not rely on membership for the majority of their funding. Most of the ills of the CAF can be cured with money. As costs spiral rapidly out of sight, the CAF needs to be thinking as a business rather than a flying club (and, with the exception of Southwest Airlines, who EVER makes money in aviation?)....B29 driver will take some hits, but he has been in the trenches and he knows the problems of the recalcitrant colonels. If y'all would get up off of Midland I'd be a lot less grouchy!

Old Shep

Well Ol Shep, since the majority of the CAF's assets ARE scattered about the country, location, location, location would actually seem valid in some ways, would it not? ... But where would be ideal for a central location? ... The EAA in Oshkosh has membership scattered about ... not too many assets scattered about, so location is less valid with the EAA.

No matter, I agree Midland is not the best site, but .... you're stuck with it for now. I truly hope the CAF survives. But I have to agree that over the past few years, CAF aircraft have suffered from a lack of .... should I say it? .... pilot prowess .... I hope I'm way off on that remark ....

One thing that has always bugged me about the CAF is how they call everyone "Colonels." For some reason it seems a little disrespectful of the veterans who actually earned the ranks.

The basis of the "rank" of Colonel hearkens back to the beginning of the CAF. They wanted everyone to be "equal" and so jokingly started calling each other "Colonel" because it was higher than "Captain" (typically name for the PIC of a multi-crew civilian aircraft) and lower than "General" (which sounded to haughty) and it stuck. Remember, the CAF was founded as a group of guys having fun and preserving history, not people who considered their rank to be anything more than a title and something to joke about between members. The only proof needed as to how irreverent things were (and in many places still are) is look at the old AVG-style leather jackets and flight suits and read the "Blood Chit" on the back. Then look at the old shield and our original motto - "Semper Mint Julip".

No one I know within the CAF considers the title of "Colonel" to be anything more than a title denoting membership and have the utmost respect for those who are serving and have served, which includes many active members of the organization.

Auctioneers are called Colonels too!

_________________
It's what you learn after you think you know it all, that counts.

So was Elvis' manager!

-Pat

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Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

B29 Wrote:



I agree with your comments with the following execption. The "pilots that can afford the cost of membership" is a little misleading I disagree with the premise as stated. The extremely small amount that a flying sponsorship costs is within reach of everyone, due to the fact that the 5 or 10K can be paid over a multi-year period. Also, simply paying the fee, doesn't mean you can fly the aircraft, you have to take several seperate check rides with different check pilots to qualify. Frankly, I think it is a good thing to require the pilots to "have some skin" in the game. I wish the requirement was 5 or 10K initial and 1-2k per year ongoing. BTW, before you ask, I am a "flying sponsor" of a fighter and have paid up to do so.

As an owner of my own collection of warbirds, the hardest part of staying active in the CAF is resisting the urge just to go fly my own stuff, when I know exactly what it takes to keep a collection flying and make EVERY show you booked in a season and then see the unit make decisions that you know will result in poor PR and more missed shows.

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."

I know that in my wing at least, we don't take that too heart or anything. I always took it as just what they called a member.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

I realize how it came about and I realize that there is no intended arrogance associated with it but it has just been something that has always bugged me. Then again the Confederate Air Force name always bugged me too along with some of those silly looking flight suits with the Yosemite Sam on the back and a Confederate flag on the shoulder. My reservations of it really have nothing to do with PC being that I despise PC. It just seemed a little silly to me more than anything. I have a lot of the respect for the organization, we have dealt with them many times over the years in our events and they are usually some of the most down to earth, least demanding, and eager to help out.

I think that's the point. It is supposed to be silly. Our founders, Lloyd Nolen especially, didn't take a whole lot seriously. They were, again, a bunch of guys who wanted to have fun and not be seen as a bunch of stuck-up pricks. I think over the years it's helped keep most of the guys in the organization stay down-to-earth.

Bill, no wonder you can't find us in the phone book to get one of the new fangled jets out to Midland ! It's Collings not Collins !

And by the way, we would love to add a little flash to your Viet Nam endeavor !

Rick:

And I pride myself on spelling and grammar!!! Oh, well....Collings it is and I am sorry.

Vietnam segment will be back in 08...maybe we can work some kind of a deal??

Bill

[



I stand corrected. I really should have said sometimes or ocassionally introduces the possibility .........

I will add, however, that the existing system of checks and balances still does not always guarantee that financial considerations or political correctness will not be part of the equation when considering who gets to fly or keep flying some of the aircraft. The undeniable truth is that the lack of minimum required skills, judgement and/or airspeed will always give way to the laws of physics and aerodynamics just before the loud noise that preceeds the termination of the flight.

B29Driver wrote:



Agreed, and one further thing, the system is still subject to some favoritism and politics, but from what I have heard of the past, far better than it used to be.

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."

With all of the discussion on the CAF's future, this might be of interest:

CAF NAMES BROWN PRESIDENT / CEO
MIDLAND, TEXAS (Oct. 2, 2007) – Stephan C. Brown has been named president and chief executive officer of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). A former Army aviator and private pilot with more than 1,800 hours logged in military and civilian aircraft, Brown will assume his new post on Oct. 17, 2007.
“The CAF’s Board of Directors looks forward to working with Steve Brown in furthering the mission of the Commemorative Air Force” said CAF Chief of Staff Gordon Stevenson. “We believe he will continue our tradition of capable leadership that began with our founder, Lloyd Nolen, in 1957.”
Brown brings almost 25 years of marketing and management experience to the CAF, including four years in senior management with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, Wis.
“I am very honored to have been chosen to lead CAF into the next phase of this organization’s proud history,” Brown said. “The CAF is uniquely qualified and enthusiastically committed to fulfilling its mission of preserving the military aviation history of this country through flying aircraft.”
After graduating from Penn State University in 1983, Brown served as an Army commissioned officer and helicopter pilot, earning the rank of captain. Upon his discharge from the Army in 1988, Brown began a career in consumer products, retail sales and marketing. He began at Humminbird Fishfinders in Eufaula, Ala., and quickly rose through the ranks from territory sales manager to vice president of sales, marketing and product development.
In 1997, he left Humminbird to become vice president of the Consumer Products Division for Valley Recreation Products, Inc., in Saginaw, Mich. When the opportunity came along a short time later to work at EAA – and reconnect with his passion for aviation – he quickly accepted the position of executive vice president and chief marketing officer and remained with the organization for nearly five years.
“Steve Brown was recruited by EAA in 1998 to bring the organization into the future regarding marketing,” said David R. Pasahow of Blue Line Advisors, an executive search and management advisory firm specializing in general and business aviation, who is also a member of EAA’s Board of Directors. “Under Steve’s leadership, a web presence was developed, a branding effort was implemented and what is today known as AirVenture was solidified.”
In 2002, Brown launched his own business: RSVP Wisconsin, a direct mail marketing publication. He continued to direct this operation while serving in his present position as president and chief operating officer of Chi-Mar Construction, LLC, in Destin, Fla.
“Our primary goal going forward is to spread the word and the mission of the CAF to a much larger audience,” Brown stated. “Tom Brokaw accurately described World War II veterans as the ‘Greatest Generation.’ We need to honor them – and all our aviation veterans – by involving the next generation.”
Brown and his wife, Terri, are the parents of three children: Heather, age 21; Lauren, 17, and Austin, 14. He succeeds Bob Rice, who has accepted the position of executive director of the American Red Cross of Southwest Texas after serving the CAF for 16 years. During that time, the CAF grew to more than 9,000 members with units in 28 states and four foreign countries, operating more than 175 airplanes in what has become the world’s largest collection of classic military aircraft. The organization has also expanded its mission, programs and facilities, gaining international recognition in the aviation community.
The American Airpower Heritage Museum has added several galleries including the Aviation Nose Art Gallery, a conservation lab, a research library and the Dynamics of Flight Discovery Center. In 1997, the museum received accreditation by the American Association of Museums and in 2007 achieved another milestone by becoming a Smithsonian affiliate. The Robert E. Reiss Memorial Holy Family Chapel was dedicated during FINA-CAF AIRSHO 2007. The World War II Ground Transportation Vehicles Museum is set for completion this year.
The Commemorative Air Force is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the men and women who have served, or who are serving, America by maintaining a flying museum of classic military aircraft.
For more information on CAF, access the organization’s Web site at www.commemorativeairforce.org or call Kay Crites, CAF director of public relations at (432) 567-3007.