The Dixie Wing is the

Atlanta branch of the American Airpower Heritage

Foundation (AAHF). The Foundation is more commonly known

as the Confederate Air Force (CAF), although the name

does not accurately portray the scope or purpose of the

group.

Strangely enough, the name

"Confederate Air Force" was adopted from the

side of an airplane. A group of avid vintage airplane

buffs got together some years ago to develop a World War

II Flying Museum. One night an unknown prankster painted

the words "Confederate Air Force" on the side

of a plane and the group decided to band together under

the name.

The purpose of the Dixie

Wing, and its parent group, is to "honor the

greatest call to arms in history," per their

literature. Members of the Wing maintain and fly older

planes built between 1939 and 1945. They operate as a

"flying museum," participating in numerous air

shows.

Jim Friday, a retired

Eastern Airline pilot and active Wing member, says,

"I had always wanted to fly old airplanes and that's

what I do now. I think almost every pilot wants to."

The Dixie Wing owns, among

others, one of the only two Dauntless SBD-5 Dive Bombers

left. As the other Dauntless is currently out of service,

they own the only one in flying condition.

The Douglas Dauntless, the

"pride of the Dixie Wing," was acquired in

1990. According to Friday, "The SBD Dive Bomber

literally turned the tide of the war in the Pacific at

the Battle of Midway."

The Dauntless shot down the

first Japanese Zero fighter of the war over the skies of

Pearl Harbor and was the only U.S. combat aircraft to

fight from the beginning of the war to the end. The SBD-5

was featured in "Midway," "The Winds of

War" and its sequel, "War and

Remembrance."

The Wing also has a PT-26

Primary Trainer, acquired in 1988, and a C-45 Expediter.

The Expediter was introduced by Beechcraft in 1937. The

Wing's C-45 is painted in British RAF Expediter markings

"complete with D-Day invasion stripes."

The PT-26 was built by the

Fairchild Aircraft Company in the late 1930's. The Dixie

Wing's restoration process took close to three years.

Restoring World War II airplanes can be a long and

difficult process. As parts are no longer manufactured,

they are hard to locate and obtain. Oftentimes needed

parts must be hand-made.

The Dixie Wing, approved in

1987, is the 83rd unit of the AAHF. Currently there are

over 100 members it is based at the Peachtree City -

Falcon Field in Peachtree City. The AAHF is a non-profit

organization. Its stated mission is to "never let

this country forget the massive sacrifice and the

technological miracles that were produced in so little

time by the United States during WWII."

All money raised through

their various air shows and other efforts are used to

maintain, restore and operate the Wing's aircraft.

For those who have an

interest in joining or supporting the Dixie Wing, call

Col. Tom Barnes at 770-951-0070 or write to Dixie Wing

CAF, 842 Farley Mill, Marietta, GA 30067. 8�

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