The Fayette

County Chamber of Commerce arrived at the Dixie Wing Commemorative Air

Force World War II Flying Museum Tuesday afternoon for a ribbon cutting

welcoming them into the Chamber. The museum is located at Falcon Field

in Peachtree City and is an educational resource for local citizens and

students.

The Dixie Wing

is a local chapter of the Commemorative Air Force, which is a nonprofit,

all volunteer organization that preserves WWII combat aircraft and teaches

about the history of that era. There are over 10,000 members in 75 charters

across the country and there are several chapters overseas as well. The

Commemorative Air Force has 147 aircraft in their hangars. The group is

made up of pilots, mechanics, students, veterans and other volunteers

whose mission is to restore war planes from WWII and keep them in flying

condition.

Among the aircraft

present at the Dixie Wing museum are the SBD Dauntless, the C-45 Expeditor,

the PT-26 Cornell, the P-63 King Cobra and the LT-6 Mosquito/Texan. The

museum is expecting to get a North American P-51 Mustang, the premier

fighter of WWII, in June. The Dixie Wing is made up of 225 members from

all over the state of Georgia. They participate in 30 air shows a year,

including the annual Great Georgia Air Show. They meet on the third Saturday

of each month at 4 p.m. and their meetings are open to the public.

The museum's

main function is its educational programs. Colonel Bill Baldwin is the

educational program coordinator and he or one of the educational program

volunteers, many of whom are WWII survivors, take classes or groups on

a tour of the facility and give a 45-60 minute presentation on a variety

of topics. There is a list of prepared topics that the group can speak

on including "The Battle of Midway," "Royal Air Force in

World War II," "Children in World War II Germany," "The

Berlin Airlift" and "Pearl Harbor" among many others. In

fact, one of the members of the Dixie Wing is a Pearl Harbor survivor.

The Dixe Wing

will host a WWII era swing dance on Saturday, May 10 from 6 p.m. until

whenever. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door and proceeds

will benefit the Dixie Wing Commemorative Air Force Museum. There will

be a light buffet provided by Malone's, free swing dance lessons, WWII

USO style decor, antique cars, WWII era aircraft, raffles and an auction.

Music will be provided by Peachtree Jazz Edition and Robert Morgan, Captain

of the Memphis Belle will be one of the guest speakers. Phone Colonel

Bill Brady at 770-487-6558 or Colonel Jake Tryon at 770-304-9956 for more

information.

To get to the

Dixe Wing Commemorative Air Force Museum, take TDK Boulevard to the four

way stop sign at Dividend Drive. Take a left and then a right on to Falcon

Drive. The museum is at the end of the first road on the left past the

weather bureau.

Visit www.dixiewing.org

for more information.