CAF Airbase Arizona Flying Museum

Conveniently located about 25 miles east of Phoenix, the Airbase Arizona museum has been in operation since 1978 and has been the top rated museum in the East Valley for several years. The 250,000 sq. ft. airbase complex is also a flying operation with different warbirds often in flight every week, and other warbirds in regular maintenance or restoration in the maintenance hangar -- all open to visitors!

The museum exhibit hangar anchors the complex with 30,000 sq ft of exhibits featuring 100 years of U.S. military aviation. From World War One through the Gulf War era, personal stories and rare artifacts create a walk through time and critical periods in U.S. history. September 17th will also be the grand opening of our newest exhibit, 'The Foggiani' about 500 young Americans who trained in aviation with Italy 1917-18, 85 of which flew bomber missions for them to help end the First World War. Additional exhibits and experiences include a basic helicopter hover simulator, life-size photo of B-17 Flying Fortress production line, MQ-5 drone of the type used in Kosovo and Iraq, Norden bombsight and replica of mission briefing room from England. September begins our local flying season and there will be some opportunities to see ground movement of aircraft in summer maintenance and possible test flights. Our mission: Educate! Inspire! Honor!

Exhibits

100 years of US military aviation is on display in up close aircraft exhibits and compelling displays about the men, women and machines who mastered the skies.

From the Great War featuring Nieuport 28 and Fokker DR7 aircraft -- to the training of British and Chinese flyers in the U.S. A retrieved bulkhead section of the famous battleship USS Arizona. Aircraft exhibits include TBM Avenger, FM2 Wildcat, A-26 Invader, Grumman Guardian, MiG-15, MiG-21, F-4, H-19, UH-1 Huey (Cobra helicopter tentative), MQ-5 drone, C-47 Skytrain, B-25 Mitchell.

The riveting stories of Flying Tigers, Doolittle Raid, Battle of Midway, and B-24 gunner shoot-down of Zero at Truk are also told and supported by scale aircraft flown by the bravest of the brave.
The bombers B-17 will still be on tour in the U.S. (check our web site for details).

Visitors are invited to walk through our active maintenance hangar where our dedicated volunteers work hard to keep our precious aircraft flying.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.