The Arizona Commemorative Air Force

Out of the tragedy that was World War Two came many impressive feats of design and engineering. The aircraft that were produced during this time became legends in their own right, a sentiment that came home with the returning GIs at the war's conclusion. In 1951, five Texans pooled their resources and bought a surplus P-40  Warhawk. Over the next decade, they noticed historic combat planes were becoming harder to find, so they set out on a serious search to save the aircraft that remained. During their search, they began performing at air shows, where they discovered the public was just as interested in these warbirds as they were.

The Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona started with a “sentimental journey.” In 1977, a small group of dedicated folks broke ground at Falcon Field and in 1978, the Arizona Wing became the 10th unit of the Commemorative Air Force, an organization dedicated to the preservation of these iconic aircraft.  Within a few short weeks, Phoenix resident Mike Clarke donated a rare Boeing B-17G to the unit. Over the next five years, the colonels of the AZCAF wandered through countless junkyards and crash sites looking for parts to restore the plane to new condition, christening it “Sentimental Journey”.This project sparked the idea to build a more permanent facility that could be used to preserve and showcase unique warbirds like “Sentimental Journey.”

The Greater Binghamton Airshow has the honor of hosting two planes from the AZCAF collection, the iconic North American B-25 Mitchell and the revered Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Learn more.