The Highland Lakes Squadron - CAF

09/07/2026

Looking for New Members!

The Highland Lakes Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force in Burnet, Texas is welcoming new members who want to help preserve and share America’s WWII aviation history. Whether you enjoy turning wrenches, greeting visitors, learning about vintage aircraft, or just being part of a great group of people, there’s a place for you here.
No aviation experience needed — just curiosity, teamwork, and a willingness to jump in.
Join the mission. Join the camaraderie. Help history take flight.
The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

2402 S Water St, Burnet, TX 78611
(512) 756-2226

09/07/2026

Folks, did you know an early remote control model of a helicopter led to the manufacture of the Bell H-13/Model 47 helicopter?-Just like the neat Bell H-13/Model 47 helicopter on display in the hangar of the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas-A man named Arthur Young spent years working and testing this remote control helicopter until he got the stability and balances just right. Then, in 1941, Young packed his models and his bags and went to Buffalo, New York to meet with Bell Aircraft. By 1945, the Bell H-13/Model 47 helicopter had taken its first flight thanks to Young's research. Come on over to the Highland lakes Squadron of the CAF and see their Bell H-13/Model 47 helicopter. Sit in the cockpit and see what it was like to fly in one. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

09/05/2026

Folks, that PT-19 trainer-just like the beautifully restored PT-19 in the hangar of the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas-is an adorable airplane, you just can't help loving it. But it sure had it's issues in WWII. Not only was heat and humidity the PT-19s worst enemies (other than students learning to fly), but the crazy termites were a result of the rotting of the wood from the heat and humidity. Yep, those termites were quite a problem. Once the glue failed and the plywood opened up on the airplane because of the heat and humidity, termites treated the wings like a buffet. Mechanics didn’t bother writing “termite damage” in the logs; they just replaced the ribs and moved on. At the time, they didn't have the pest control stuff they have today so if the termites ate some wood on n airplane, they had to replace the wood. Now I gotta check the house for termites. Come on over to the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF and see their PT-19 and catch a ride in it. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

09/04/2026

Folks, that poor old L-17 Navion-just like the Navion in the hangar of the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas-had to do some amazing jobs. In the 1950s, a Texas veterinarian- Dr. William L. “Dub” Anderson-bought a Navion specifically to service massive, remote ranches. He routinely landed on completely unpaved, makeshift dirt trails. During one emergency call to treat an injured calf, he touched down on a bumpy ranch road. As he taxied toward the corral, a massive, highly aggressive Brahman bull took offense to the roaring aluminum bird. The bull charged the Navion head-on. The veterinarian had to aggressively gun the throttle, pivoting the plane on one wheel to dodge the charging animal. He ended up playing a high-stakes game of chicken, using the blast of the plane's propeller wash to finally scare the bull away so he could safely shut down the engine and step out with his medical bag. You can't keep a good Navion down. The good doctor eventually wore his Navion out and switched to a Bonanza. Come on over to the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF and see their Navion and grab a ride in it. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

09/03/2026

The folks "down under" were quite fond of the T-6 Texan aircraft-like the SNJ in the hangar of the highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas-During WWII, CAC Aircraft of Australia turned the T-6 into what they called the CAC Wirraway fighter. After the war, when no more combat airplanes were needed, CAC Aircraft took these old variants of the T-6 Texan and turned them into crop dusting airplanes. They called their new product the CAC Ceres. It wasn't pretty, but it sure did the job and are still in use in Australia to this day. Come on by the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF and see their SNJ and maybe grab a ride in it. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

09/03/2026

🔥 ROSS FIRE UPDATE 🔥
The Ross Fire has now burned 90,048 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties and is 31% contained.
As crews continue working to contain the fire, farmers and ranchers face a long road to recovery. Burned pastures, damaged fencing, and lost supplies have created an urgent need for hay, animal feed, winter seeding, and fencing materials.

Your donation to Operation Airdrop will help provide the resources these families need to care for their livestock, rebuild their ranches, and begin recovery.

Please donate today at OperationAirdrop.org to help us deliver hope on wings to our North Texas neighbors.

If you’re unable to give, you can still help by liking, commenting on, and sharing this post.

09/02/2026

That good old C-47 Dakota 'NZ3501'-just like the pretty C-47 "Texas Zephyr" on display in the hangar of the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas-was a tough old bird. On Wednesday, 21 March 1945, Dakota 'NZ3501' collided in mid-air with Ventura 'NZ4518'.
Four crew members of the Ventura were able to bale out and survived, but the pilot, Flight Lieutenant William Farnsworth was killed.
Despite missing about 14 feet of the left wing, Flight Lieutenant D.L. Bade was able to land his C-47. They sure don't build them like that anymore. Come on over the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF and see the C-47 "Texas Zephyr". The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

09/01/2026

During a little‑known mid‑century military research program, engineers actually modified an H‑13 Sioux-just like the H-13 helicopter on display in the hangar of the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF in Burnet, Texas- to test whether a pilot could influence the aircraft with their thoughts. The pilot wore a strange skullcap lined with electrodes that captured primitive brainwave signals. Those signals fed into an onboard analog computer, which translated neural “intent” into tiny mechanical nudges on the rotor controls. The result wasn’t true mind‑control — but observers reported eerie moments when the helicopter seemed to react a split‑second before the pilot moved his hands. Other times, the system misread neural noise and produced small, unintended cyclic inputs, forcing the pilot to fight the very machine listening to him. The project was quietly shelved, but for a brief moment in aviation history, an H‑13 became the first helicopter to fly with a pilot whose mind was part of the control system. History is full of strange experiments — and the H‑13 has seen more than most.
Come visit the Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF to learn more about the aircraft that shaped aviation’s past. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the CAF, one mile and 80 years from town.

08/31/2026

Farmers and Ranchers don't get a check from their insurance company for burned fence line or scorched hay fields.

Most fire policies cover structures — not the 40 miles of fence, the winter hay supply, or the feed a family needs to keep 200 head of cattle alive through fall. The Ross Fire has already burned 85,000+ acres of working ranchland in Palo Pinto and Jack counties. The land isn't just scenery — it's how these families make a living, and right now it's gone.

$50 buys a roll of barbed wire. $250 feeds a herd for a week. Your gift goes directly to the Operation Airdrop mission to provide fencing, feed, and hay these families need to survive the next six months. Donate today!

08/31/2026