re 37

Personally, I much prefer Confederate. Commemorative is not bad. What I dislike intensely and I note that you deliberately duck this point, is the element of spiteful compulsion so typical of the attitude and behaviour of the left wing nonentities who infest our society – on both side of the pond.

Make a point – certainly! Debate your point by all means. Convince by argument. Do not bulldoze your opinion just because you have the means to do so. By any interpretation, the CAF were blackmailed into acquiescence. How disgraceful is that.

John Green

John, having read this thread through including all your posts and replies to them I think you are becoming the “pot calling the kettle black”, and have dragged your own political views and prejudices into a simple debate over the CAF name change process, rather than others – as you accuse.

I actually consider the other debaters have provided convincing arguments based on facts (ie the quoting of the CAF’s own website as per the 2002 members vote), it seems to be you who continues to bulldoze your opinion without support of any facts?

I admire the CAF greatly, and understood the origins of the “Confederate” name for the organisation and in some ways its self “mocking” of a formal military organisation, and have never considered it in anyway linked to the north-south political divisions of the US or slavery, but I can imagine the word invokes such attitudes outside the southern states and it therefore could reduce corporate or philanthropic fundraising.

I understand that was the experience and justification for the name change by the CAF executive, and accepted by the membership in formal vote?

I am not aware of any “left wing lobby groups” black banning them, or applying “politically correct” public pressure on them to change their name, as you seem to constantly imply?

I’m not a member of the CAF, but understood like many other posters above who read WIX that the name change was a democratic decision inside the organisation, but also that it wasnt a unanomous decision and many members resented the name change.

I sub-consciously still remember/refer to them as the “Confederate” Air Force as I grew up knowing of them as that, but equally accept the organisations decision to position itself more seriously as a “Commemorative” flying museum to attract the funding such an operation requires.

This wonderful organisation puts two B-17s, a B-24 and the sole flying B-29 into the air, along with many other rare and high cost warbirds, it is the US equivalent of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in its role, it seemingly exceeds the workload and asset base of the BOBMF, but all without the government funding, and is certainly worthy of support, regardless of what it calls itself.

The “Confederate” name was very suitable and apt to a privately funded group of southern pilots flying aircraft for fun and private preservation – all at their own cost.

However they evolved from a simple group of private owners, to a formal organisation with a museum focus, and collection and public display objectives, collective/organisational ownership of aircraft rather than private ownership, and costs far exceeding the individual owners or members contributions.

The “Commemorative” name is more suitable to a National organisation flying aircraft as a quasy National Flying Collection or Memorial Flight.

It is surprising that the CAF doesnt receive Federal Government or USAF funding support (despite the P-82 dispute) given the public relations and heritage preservation role they are performing.

The Marketing or re-branding is entirely understandable and simply part of the steps to ensure the organisation continues to operate successfully by accessing reliable sources of corporate funding, even if many, (including myself) looking fondly on its original name and simple origins.

I admire them regardless of any name they choose to operate under, its their achievements and ongoing success that really matters.

As I’m not a member I dont consider I have a say in their decisions to change the organisational name,

I assume your not a member either?

regards

Mark Pilkington