Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF

The Highland Lakes Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force sits on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, one small component of a much larger effort to keep twentieth-century military aviation from disappearing into scrapyards and archives. As a local unit of the CAF—an organization founded in Texas in the early 1960s to save World War II–era combat aircraft from destruction—it participates in a tradition of keeping warbirds airworthy rather than purely static. For enthusiasts, the appeal lies less in spectacle than in proximity to the complex machinery and restoration work that underpinned Allied airpower. The squadron’s setting near Burnet places it within reach of other regional historic sites such as Fort Croghan, allowing a study of how air and ground forces evolved across very different periods of American military history. Attention here often focuses on authenticity of parts, maintenance practices, and adherence to original configurations, making the site valuable for anyone interested in the engineering realities and preservation challenges involved in operating aging military aircraft within a modern regulatory and safety framework.