Ecco le principali :

Commemorative Air Force

Forse la più celebre delle organizzazioni americane, che diede inizio alla conservazione dei Warbirds già nel 1957, con l’acquisto di un P 51 Mustang, presto seguito da due F 8 Bearcat. Veniva chiamata all’inizio Confederate Air Force e basata prima a Merced, poi ad Harlingen e raccolse un notevole numero di velivoli e volontari addetti alla loro manutenzione, fino a raggiungere l’attuale impressionante cifra di quasi 12.000 membri. Dopo aver aperto sedi periferiche in Arizona, California, Florida ed in molti altri stati americani, l’organizzazione venne poi rinominata Commemorative Air Force per abbandonare l’idea di organizzazione legata solo al Sud. Basata successivamente a Midland ed ora a Dallas, la CAF ha una raccolta impressionante, fa volare l’unico B 29, un B 24, due B 17, sei B 25, quattro P 51 Mustang, un P 39 Airacobra, due P 63 Kingcobra, un P 40 Warhawk, un P 47 Thunderbolt, vale a dire tutto il meglio dei velivoli americani del secondo conflitto mondiale. Non mancano i trasporti, con non meno di sette Beech C 45 e cinque C 47 Dakota.

Lonestar Flight Museum

Attualmente basato a Galveston, ma in procinto di trasferirsi ad Ellington, dopo aver sofferto un disastroso allagamento causato dall’uragano Ike, che ha comportato la distruzione di vari velivoli, il Lone Star è uno splendido Museo che raccoglie molti velivoli unici, in impeccabile stato di conservazione, come un Convair TB 58 Hustler , un Douglas A 20G Havoc ed un Beech AT 11. La collezione comprende anche alcuni velivoli volanti, che partecipano ad esibizioni prevalentemente nello stato del Texas, tra cui lo splendido B 17 Thunderbird, che ricorda il primo bombardiere che completò la carriera bellica senza riportare nessun ferito a bordo. Anche presenti nella sezione volante sono un P 47 Thunderbolt ed un bombardiere B 25. Di estremo interesse anche la replica volante del Me 262 della Collings Foundation, che resta generalmente basata a Galveston.

Texas Legends Flying Museum

E’ basato ad Ellington e accanto ad una bella collezione di aerei esposti al pubblico, raccoglie alcuni esemplari volanti di alto interesse, tra cui uno dei due Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero in condizioni di volo, il P 51 chiamato Dakota Kid 2, il P 40 Aleutian Tiger , un aerosilurante TBM Avenger ed il B 26 Betty’s Dream, che vola a ricordo dei veterani di guerra disabili.

Vietnam War Flight Museum
A differenza delle altre associazioni, impegnate nella conservazione dei velivoli della 2^ Guerra Mondiale, la collezione basata ad Houston, raccoglie velivoli del periodo vietnamita e della guerra fredda. Velivoli della raccolta, attiva in vari eventi aeronautici, sono un Douglas A 1D Skyraider, un Beech T 34 Mentor, un Douglas A 26C Invader, un Folland Gnat ed un Mig 21. Pure presenti in stato di volo due elicotteri Bell, un Cobra ed uno UH 1 Huey.

Lewis Collection

E’ una raccolta privata di un petroliere texano, non aperta al pubblico, basata a San Antonio; raccoglie alcuni rari e splendidi velivoli che vengono esibiti quasi esclusivamente ad Ellington una volta all’anno. Sono presenti tre F 8 Bearcat, un Grumman F 7 Tigercat, un P 38 Lightning I, un P 40 Tomahawk, uno Spitfire, un F 86 Sabre ed un B 25 Mitchell. Una raccolta impressionante in quanto proprietà di una persona singola e non di una associazione, quasi impensabile altrove.

Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Si tratta del grande Museo Aeronautico di Addison, che accanto a non meno di 80 velivoli esposti, fa volare alcuni splendidi Warbird, tra cui un F 86 Sabre, alcuni P 51 Mustang, Spitfire, FM 2 Wildcat, Mig15 e Douglas AD 1 Skyraider. Quando non vola con la Commemorative Air Force, è presente ad Addison il B 29 Fifi, in quanto il Cavanaugh Museum ha donato quattro motori necessari a mantenere in stato di volo il bombardiere, ottenendo in cambio l’esibizione permanente presso il proprio museo.

Warrior & Warbirds
Is an association based in Monroe, having the scope to join America veterans of the last wars, while keeping airborne some important aircrafts. At the moment they have a Curtiss C 46 and a FW 149 and started working on the restoration of an A 4 Skyhawk. Their precious transport aircraft, one of the very few serviceable in the world, is rarely displayed at important air shows, often dropping parachutists.

English translation

Wings Over Houston is the name of the large airshow held annually at Ellington Field, near Houston, Texas, famous for being the airport where the NASA aircraft are based, the T 38, B 57 and the DC 9 used for Zero-G training. The show includes a number of current military aircraft and at least one of the American aerobatic team, the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels, but is best known for the great participation of warbirds.
When you think about meetings of aircrafts that operated in the 2nd World War and after, it is common thinking to popular places such as Duxford or La Ferte Alais in Europe, or the airshow held in Chino, in California. But when you go to compare the amount of historical aircraft performed in flight condition, Texas has few comparisons, by virtue of the many collections of warbirds stationed in the great state of the American South. Given the consideration of the reduced number of flight hours that owners try to put on a warbird and distances in the United States, it becomes automatic that if you want to see some types of these aircrafts, sooner or later you have to go to Texas. Ellington offers one of the best organized airshow, with a great harvest of warbird always present, who perform in a traditional pattern that sees before flying trainers, then transport, bombers and fighter. Unavoidable is the reconstruction of the attack on Pearl Harbour, with a large amount of aircraft that had taken part in the movie 'Tora Tora Tora' representing Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo bombers in their attack on Hawaii. The typical show then moves to the post-war period, with the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts of aircraft engaged in over flights and mock hunts. After Vietnam, we are out of time when an aircraft is considered a warbird.
One reason for the large participation of warbirds Ellington is the number of associations from Texas, engaged in the restoration and maintenance of these aircraft. These include:

Commemorative Air Force
Perhaps the most famous of American organizations, that began the conservation of warbirds in 1957, with the purchase of a P-51 Mustang, soon followed by two F 8 Bearcat. Confederate Air Force was called at the beginning and the first based in Merced, Harlingen and then picked up a significant number of aircraft and volunteers involved in the maintenance, up to the current impressive figure of almost 12,000 members. After opening branch offices in Arizona, California, Florida and many other states, the organization was renamed Commemorative Air Force to abandon the idea of organizing only linked to the South. Based later in Midland and now in Dallas, the CAF has an impressive collection, is the only flying B 29, B 24, two B 17, six B 25, four P 61 Mustang, a P 39 Airacobra, two P 63 Kingcobra, a P 40 Warhawk , a P 47, that is to say all the best of the American aircraft of World War II. No shortage of transportation, with no less than seven Beech C 45 and five C 47 Dakota.

Lonestar Flight Museum
Currently based in Galveston, but in the process of moving to Ellington, after suffering a disastrous flooding caused by hurricane Ike, which resulted in the destruction of various aircrafts, the Lone Star is a wonderful museum that collects many unique aircraft, in impeccable condition , such as a Convair TB 58 Hustler, a Douglas A 20G Havoc and a Beech AT11. The collection also includes some flying aircraft, participating in airshows mainly in the state of Texas, including the stunning B 17 Thunderbird, reminiscent of the first bomber that completed his military career without suffering no injuries on board. Also present in the roster are a P 47 Thunderbolt and a B 25 bomber. Extremely interesting is also the flying replica of the jet Me 262 from Collings Foundation, that typically resides at Galveston.

Texas Legends Flying Museum
Is based at Ellington and next to a beautiful collection of aircrafts on public display, collects some specimens flying high interest, including one of the two Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero was in flight, the P 51 named Dakota Kid 2, the P 40 Aleutian Tiger, a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber and the B 26 Betty's Dream, which flies in memory of disabled war veterans.

Vietnam War Flight Museum
Unlike other organizations, engaged in the preservation of the aircraft of the 2nd World War, the collection based in Houston, it collects and Vietnamese aircraft during the period of the Cold War. Aircraft collection, active in various aviation events, are a Douglas A1D Skyraider, a Beech T 34 Mentor, a Douglas A 26C Invader, a Folland Gnat and a MiG 21. Also present was in flight two helicopters Bell, a Cobra and a UH 1 Huey.

Lewis Collection
It’s a private collection of a Texas oilman, not open to the public, based in San Antonio; It collects rare and beautiful aircraft that are performed almost exclusively to Ellington once a year. There are three F 8 Bearcat, a Grumman F 7 Tigercat, a P 38 Lightning, a P 40 Tomahawk, a Spitfire, a F 86 Sabre and a B 25 Mitchell. The Lewis Collection is impressive as property of a single person and not an association, almost unthinkable elsewhere.

Cavanaugh Flight Museum
It’s the great Aeronautical Museum of Addison, who next to no less than 80 aircraft on display, keeps in flight status some wonderful warbirds, including an F 86 Sabre, some P 51 Mustang, Spitfire, FM 2 Wildcat, Mig15 and Douglas AD 1 Skyraider. When not flying with the Commemorative Air Force, it is present at the Addison the unique B 29 Fifi, as the Cavanaugh Museum donated 4 engines needed to keep the bomber in flight status, in exchange for the permanent exhibition at the museum.

Warrior & Warbirds
Is an association based in Monroe, having the scope to join America veterans of the last wars, while keeping airborne some important aircrafts. At the moment they have a Curtiss C 46 and a FW 149 and started working on the restoration of an A 4 Skyhawk. Their precious transport aircraft, one of the very few serviceable in the world, is rarely displayed at important air shows, often dropping parachutists