Moments of Enchantment; Hobbs, New Mexico - Confederate Air Force

The Giant B-25 bomber makes a sweeping roll to the left in preparation for a seat of the pants landing. It's escorted by a P-51 fighter flying in the jumbo bomber's shadow. Plains propellers cut a noisy B-line for Hobbes airfield in southeastern New Mexico, more in a moment. The Confederate Air Force has been cutting up the skies above Hobbes, New Mexico, for more than a quarter of a century, though this isn't a modern day version of the Civil War. The New Mexico Wing of the Confederate Air Force, organized in 1969, operates in conjunction with the headquarters unit in Harlan, Gene, Texas. Plains in both states are dedicated to the proposition that it's important to acquire, restore, and fly military aircraft built between 1939 and 1945. Pilots in the Confederate Air Force take off several times a month in aircraft that help

the United States win World War II. In planes like the B-25 Mitchell bomber, SNJ Navy trainer, and P-51 Mustang fighter. The museum at the group headquarters in Texas contains almost every U.S. plane from World War II, as well as a number of foreign models, like the Japanese Val-Dive bomber and the German ME-108, the staff plane of Nazi-air chief, Herman Gehring. Why the name Confederate? Well as they explain it, Confederate Air Force members were rebelling against the government's policy of disposing of vintage aircraft treasures. They say it's culturally wise to preserve our nation's artifacts, that the birds of World War II are just too important to forget. To see and learn more about these aircraft, plan to visit the Confederate Air Force Museum in Hobbes, located in Southeastern New Mexico. Moments of Enchantment brought to you by the new Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs. For Moments of Enchantment, I'm David Griffin.