Commemorative Air Force
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Commemorative Air Force firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Commemorative Air Force
- Legal name
- Commemorative Air Force
- Website
- https://commemorativeairforce.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Commemorative Air Force industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aviation Heritage Preservation
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Commemorative Air Force is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Commemorative Air Force business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Colonel membership at $225/year and Preservation Colonel membership at $325/year. Monthly payment plans available at $21/month and $28/month respectively. All membership payments are considered donations and are non-refundable.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 74-1484491), CAF relies on charitable donations. Programs include the Heritage Club, Victory Plaza Brick Campaign, and general fundraising initiatives.
- Aircraft Rides and Flight Experiences: Living History Flight Experiences are offered on many CAF aircraft, providing revenue while educating the public about historic military aviation.
- 12 Planes of Christmas Campaign: Annual fundraising campaign featuring 12 aircraft undergoing or needing restoration work. Donors support specific aircraft preservation projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | CAF Colonel Membership - Standard membership with access to member benefits, events, and participation in CAF activities |
| Subscription | Annual | CAF Preservation Colonel Membership - Enhanced membership for supporters of aircraft preservation |
| Subscription | Annual | Cadet Membership - For youth ages 13-17 to participate in CAF activities |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Commemorative Air Force product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Commemorative Air Force operates the world's largest flying museum, maintaining a collection of over 180 historic military aircraft in flying condition. The organization preserves and restores warbirds, offers Living History Flight Experiences (paid rides on vintage aircraft), runs aviation education programs including the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC), and engages the public through airshows, flyovers, and the Warbird Tube video/podcast series.
Product overview
The Commemorative Air Force is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating the world's largest collection of flying historic military aircraft — over 180 warbirds. Its core offering is the flying museum itself, supplemented by paid Living History Flight Experiences (aircraft rides), the CAF Warbird Tube weekly video/podcast program, and the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC) for STEM-based aviation education. The organization also operates membership programs (Colonel and Cadet tiers), the CAF Red Tail Squadron education initiative focused on Tuskegee Airmen history, The Dispatch member magazine, an annual 12 Planes of Christmas fundraising campaign, a network of events and airshows (including the TORA! TORA! TORA! demonstration and Flying Legends of Victory Tour), and an online gift shop. No software platform or SaaS product is offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Tail Squadron: A volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating audiences about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen
- Victory Circle
- Heritage Club
- Warbird Tube
- 12 Planes of Christmas
- Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC)
- TORA! TORA! TORA!
- Flying Legends of Victory Tour
- AirPower History Tour
Products and services
- World's Largest Flying Museum The Commemorative Air Force maintains and operates a collection of over 180 historic military aircraft, making it the world's largest flying museum. Aircraft are exhibited at airshows, events, and through rides programs to educate the public about military aviation history.
- Living History Flight Experience (Aircraft Rides)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 180 historic military aircraft preserved and maintained in flying condition
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Commemorative Air Force
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Commemorative Air Force technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Commemorative Air Force partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NASAcoreThe Southern Heritage Air Foundation (related CAF-affiliated organization) has partnered with NASA as a NASA ASTRO CAMP Community Partner to launch an Online Kid Zone offering aviation, space history, and STEM activities for children nationwide. The partnership also includes in-person NASA ASTRO CAMP sessions themed 'Galactic Explorers: The Next Generation' for children ages 8-11, with a Traveling NASA ASTRO CAMP Experiment Station debuting at CAF Aviation Discovery Day events.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Commemorative Air Force competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association): Hosts EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the largest warbird gathering in the U.S., and operates Warbirds of America, the central warbird-owner community. CAF partners with EAA on Warbirds in Review and shares the same enthusiast, restoration, and event ecosystem.
- Yanks Air Museum: Chino, California-based warbird museum with a large collection of restored American military aircraft, several maintained in flying condition, and offering paid rides. Closely comparable to CAF in collection type, flight experience monetization, and volunteer-driven restoration model.
- Collings Foundation: Operates the Wings of Freedom Tour and a fleet of airworthy WWII aircraft (B-17, B-24, B-25, P-51) offering paid passenger flight experiences. Most direct commercial peer to CAF's Living History Flight Experience program and airshow tour business model.
- National Naval Aviation Museum: Located at NAS Pensacola, it preserves naval aviation history with a large collection of historic military aircraft and offers flight simulation and educational programs. Directly comparable to CAF in mission and audience (military aviation heritage and education).
- Military Aviation Museum: Virginia Beach-based warbird museum with one of the largest collections of flying WWII aircraft, including rare German and British types. Comparable in collection depth, flying-condition preservation, and living-history flight experience offerings.
- Mid-Atlantic Air Museum: Pennsylvania-based volunteer-driven warbird museum that restores aircraft to flying condition and hosts the annual World War II Weekend event. Comparable to CAF in volunteer-led restoration model, event-driven revenue, and WWII aviation focus.
- Flying Heritage Collection: Founded by the late Paul Allen, this Paine Field-based collection maintains multiple airworthy WWII combat aircraft and offers a comparable mission of preserving historically significant military aircraft in flying condition with public access.
- Palm Springs Air Museum: Non-profit flying museum preserving WWII, Korea, and Vietnam-era aircraft with multiple airworthy warbirds, paid flight experiences, and educational programming. Directly comparable in mission, revenue model (memberships + rides + donations), and event-driven operations.
- National Museum of the United States Air Force: Located at Wright-Patterson AFB, it is the world's largest military aviation museum and CAF's closest public-sector counterpart. Both preserve and exhibit U.S. military aircraft with an educational mission, though NMUSAF is government-operated and display-focused rather than focused on flying aircraft.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: The largest aviation museum in the world, with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Comparable in mission and audience but operates at much larger scale, focuses on display rather than flying aircraft, and is federally chartered rather than member-supported.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Commemorative Air Force social profiles
Digital presenceCommemorative Air Force compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Commemorative Air Force financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Commemorative Air Force leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Commemorative Air Force subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Commemorative Air Force funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Commemorative Air Force M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Commemorative Air Force
What does Commemorative Air Force do?
The Commemorative Air Force operates the world's largest flying museum, maintaining a collection of over 180 historic military aircraft in flying condition. The organization preserves and restores warbirds, offers Living History Flight Experiences (paid rides on vintage aircraft), runs aviation education programs including the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC), and engages the public through airshows, flyovers, and the Warbird Tube video/podcast series.
Is Commemorative Air Force a public or private company?
Commemorative Air Force is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Commemorative Air Force founded?
Commemorative Air Force was founded in 1957. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Commemorative Air Force based?
Commemorative Air Force is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Commemorative Air Force make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions, aircraft Rides and Flight Experiences and 12 Planes of Christmas Campaign.
Who are Commemorative Air Force's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), Yanks Air Museum, Collings Foundation, National Naval Aviation Museum, Military Aviation Museum, Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Flying Heritage Collection, Palm Springs Air Museum and National Museum of the United States Air Force. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Commemorative Air Force have an API?
No public API is recorded for Commemorative Air Force.
What industry is Commemorative Air Force in?
Commemorative Air Force's product category is Aviation Heritage Preservation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAF, Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film). Its NAICS code is 712110.