Royal Air Force in Texas
Reunion Dinner and Fly-In Pancake Breakfast.

In honor of The #1 British Flying Training School (B.F.T.S.), the BFTS Museum is hosting a Dinner-Dance and Fly-In on Friday, October 17 & 18, 2008 to honor the British pilots who trained in the United States, and the American officers and civilian staff who assisted with that training, as well as the citizens who embraced the service members while they were here.

The museum grounds will open at 6pm on Friday, October 17, 2008, with a dinner-dance and a performance featuring the Dave Washburn Band and other performers. Tickets are $30 in advance. Seats are limited and we recommend purchasing a table for your group. WWW.BFTSTexas.com

Saturday’s event will start with a pancake breakfast at 7:30am and host other food, memorabilia, and craft booths. Vintage air craft, Bogini’s antique cars, and vintage military vehicles will be on display. Event plans call for a Color Guard and fly-over on Saturday at noon, with tours of the helicopter medical evacuation units, experimental aircraft, Red Cross, and others. Tom Killebrew, author of the book, “The Royal Air Force in Texas”, will also lecture and sign books. Admission for adults is $5, ages 5 – 16, $3, and children 4 and under are free. Military and their families with ID admitted Free.

Concurrently you are invited to preserve a part of history and enjoy a great day of painting at the popular destination for WWII enthusiasts, veterans, and visitors of all ages! This training school was the first and largest in the United States and trained over 2,000 British and American cadets to become pilots between 1941 and 1945.
Artists can paint artifacts at the Museum October 15, 16, 17, prior to the opening event. Register with your work on Friday for display during the dinner or check in on Saturday between 7:30am and 9:00am during the pancake breakfast. Early paintings will be put on sale/display.

The ON SITE PAINTING of vintage planes, antique cars, and antique military vehicles will take place immediately following check-in at 7:30am. Paintings will be submitted at 1:00pm for judging. There will be ribbons, cash prizes, and Best of Show awards.

About the No. 1 British Training Flying School Museum Prior to the entry of the US into WWII President Roosevelt worked out a deal with Winston Churchill to send British pilots to the United States via Canada for training. Since the skies over England were filled with Hitler's planes and the Canadian weather was inclement much of the time, the pilots came to Terrell, Texas. There is a museum in Terrell commemorating the collaboration of allied forces and the bond that developed between the British pilots who trained there and the town’s people that took them in as their own. The cemetery society also cares for the graves of the service men who lost their lives during training and are buried in Texas. Many of the soldiers; now in their 80’s and 90’s and some of which have married local girls, still attend reunions every few years. We want to honor all veterans with this fly-in and welcome all veterans from every era to participate. For more information or tickets to the Dinner-Dance please visit www.BFTSTexas.com or call (972)524-4322

Contact Person: Lynnette Nadeau Company
Telephone Number: 972-524-4322
Email Address: LNadeau@CityofTerrell.org