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The Tampa Bay Wing is proud to have developed partnerships with Trig Avionics, Lakeland Linder Airport, Sun-N-Fun Aerospace Expo, SheltAir Aviation, and Double M Aviation. Our partners' support helped the Tampa Bay Wing receive its first airplane, a Fairchild PT-19, which we flew from Dallas to Lakeland in May, 2024 and placed in our hangar at Sun-N-Fun.

CAF Tampa Bay Wing's Facebook page


PT-19 Status: UP

The Tampa Bay Fairchild PT-19 is being flown by Sebastian DaSo with Larry DaSo in the rear cockpit south of Lakeland Linder Airport. Sebastian Flew the PT-19 from Fresno, California, to Dallas. He returned two weeks later and, with the help of Ken Hewes, flew the PT-19 from Dallas to Lakeland. Sebastian flew our PT-19 from coast to coast, a true cross-country trip. Thank you, Sebastian, for your commitment to the Tampa Bay Wing.

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The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is the world’s largest flying museum, with more than 175 aircraft across 83 wings and 13,000 members. The fleet contains American aircraft and select foreign aircraft from military conflicts since World War II. The CAF’s mission is to Educate people on the role of aviation and its history, Inspire youth to pursue careers in aviation, and Honor all those who built, maintained, and flew these historic aircraft. Additionally, the CAF has restoration facilities across the nation that restore a variety of aircraft, including liaison planes like the North American NAvion, training aircraft such as the North American T-6 and fighters such as the P-51 Mustang, and major bombers of WWII such as FIFI, one of two flying B-29 in the world. The CAF headquarters in Dallas, Texas at Dallas Executive Airport, KRBD, is home to the CAF museum. Each year, CAF aircraft tour the country as a live museum, displaying the aircraft and providing rides so that people can experience these historical aircraft up close. Many of the CAF local chapters have historically significant airplanes assigned to the Wing, and they become the caretakers of the aircraft. The Wing then becomes responsible for the cost and maintenance of that aircraft and increases their opportunity to engage with the community to facilitate the CAF’s mission to Educate, Inspire, and Honor.



One of the newest CAF Wing or Squadron is the Tampa Bay Wing. The Wing was started in the summer of 2022, applied for a charter in December of 2022, and received a charter in January 2023. What began as a few aviation enthusiasts has grown into over 50 members and is still growing. In February 2024, the Tampa Bay Wing filed for and received approval for our first airplane, a Fairchild PT-19. In May 2024 the PT-19 was flown from California to Florida by Wing members. The Tampa Bay Wing will use our aircraft to continue the CAF mission of Educate, Inspire, and Honor.


The members of the Tampa Bay Wing have already demonstrated a strong commitment to our mission. Their enthusiasm to locate and restore aircraft has paved the way for educational programs in aircraft maintenance and restoration. These programs, designed to inspire and educate the next generation of pilots and maintenance personnel, are a testament to the Wing's dedication to the CAF mission. In collaboration with our local Veterans associations, we also plan to Honor our Veterans with local flights and flybys, further strengthening our ties with the community.


The CAF-Tampa Bay Wing meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Eickhoff Conference room upstairs at the Florida Air Museum. After each meeting, we venture to a local restaurant to continue discussing our aviation passion.


The Tampa Bay Wing is proud to have developed partnerships with Trig Avionics, Lakeland International Airport, Sun-n-Fun Aerospace Expo, Sheltair Aviation, and Double M Aviation. With this support, we know our growth will continue, and we will develop a strong CAF Wing based at Lakeland International Airport.