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Event Calendar
Photo by Drew Naylor

Thursday, January 22 at 11:00am | Free Lecture: Founding of Civil Air Patrol and the Hunt for German U-Boats Along America's Coast
Join us in the CAM library with presenter, Captain Jared Del Orfano, as he outlines the history of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) during World War II. CAP, founded under the Office of Civilian Defense just 6 days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, played a key role in the US home front effort and is the only WWII-era Civil Defense component still in existence today. The presentation will cover the key factors that contributed toward the formation of CAP and the organization's many duties during the war. Special attention will be paid toward CAP's coastal defense mission, where civilian pilots flew their personal aircraft in armed patrol missions miles off the coast of the US in search of German submarines. The presentation will conclude with a short discussion on CAP's post-war legacy and its designation as the official Auxiliary of the US Air Force. A display of original and reproduction uniforms and equipment will accompany the presentation.

Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at 5:30pm | 14th Annual Gala - Click Here for Tickets!
Join us on Saturday, May 2nd for the Champaign Aviation Museum's 14th Annual Gala! Doors open at 5:30pm and activities of the evening include complimentary drinks and light appetizers, Musical Guest Ellis Jae Williams, fly-by (weather permitting), a delicious dinner and dessert, silent auction throughout the evening, and Keynote Speaker Captain Ronald McGee, F-4 Phantom pilot with the "Night Owl" 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron during the Vietnam War, and son of Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen, Brigadier General Charles McGee.
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