The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field, will be opening to the public in October at the El Reno Regional Airport just west of Oklahoma City.

The museum will have approximately two dozen historic aircraft on display from the pioneering years of aviation in the 1920s & 30s.

Oklahoma entrepreneur, Tony Caldwell, started flying quite late in life. His dad had been a pilot and owned a couple of aircraft. Tony had dabbled with the idea in the 1980s but didn’t have the time & money for lessons. In 2009 he and his 14-yr-old son tried a ‘discovery flight’ and he was hooked! Within a year he began buying vintage aircraft, particularly Waco biplanes and began to build his Dream Wacos Collection.

The Waco Aircraft Company had a reputation for building rugged and reliable biplanes, of the kind that opened up aviation services in the United States. They started out producing open-cockpit machines but by the 1930s they were manufacturing sophisticated closed-cabin models. Of course the brand name later became synonymous with military gliders during WW2, after which (1947) the company closed down.

Over time Caldwell’s collection has expanded beyond Wacos to include a range of vintage aircraft, each with a unique history tied to aviation’s evolution. And as the collection has expanded so has his commitment to sharing his passion for preserving these planes with aviation enthusiasts and the public. Opening a museum was the obvious way to do that.

The El Reno airport started life in 1943 as ‘Mustang Field’ when it was established as a training base for pilots during World War II. The museum is in one of the original hangers, and the intention is to style it in its 1940s style.

The idea is to make the museum a living museum where antique aircraft from different owners and collections gather temporarily or permanently. Caldwell’s partner, Waldo Wight will also contribute aircraft to the museum collection, and as an aircraft restorer, will be running a restoration workshop in the museum.

The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field Grand Opening is on October 4th.