For the 80th anniversary of the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) in Camarillo is hosting a special Pearl Harbor Event on Saturday, December 4. The event begins at 11 a.m. and includes a timeline of the battle and presentations honoring heroic actions from the day. After the event, docents will answer questions about the exhibits and offer guided tours of their World War II Aviation Museum.
The CAF Southern California Wing is a volunteer organization dedicated to restoring historical military planes, sharing their stories with visitors and passing on their significance in our nation’s history. A Curtiss C-46F Commando, known for its missions flying over the Himalayas, sits on the tarmac.
Inside the nearby hangar sit several airplanes, including the Fairchild PT-19A Cornell, an antique training plane, and fighter planes like the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the F8F-2 Bearcat. The Bearcat is undergoing a complete rebuild viewable in the maintenance hanger. She will slowly be rebuilt to her original glory.
These CAF planes can be seen flying over Ventura County. Visitors can even schedule flights in one of the fully functional restored planes as part of their Warbird Ride Program.
In addition to flying aircraft, the SoCal Wing boasts a wide-ranging collection of World War II artifacts displayed in a hangar museum. The newly expanded wing with more than 55,000 square feet includes three hangar complexes to house their museum, flying aircraft, warbird restorations and gift shop. Volunteers give tours and share stories that bring history to life.
The CAF Southern California Wing is located at the Camarillo Airport at 455 Aviation Drive and is open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 12 noon to 4 p.m. They are closed Monday–Thursday and some holidays and intend to expand hours as able.
