How a dream of Wacos became a living museum at Mustang Field.
The Caldwell Collection exists to share not only the wonder of flight with visitors, but to share the inspirational stories of the entrepreneurs and adventurers who created master works of aviation technology, based upon their times, and took to the skies during the golden age of aviation.
The Caldwell Collection, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established in 2024.
Tony Caldwell didn't set out to build a museum. He set out to find a Waco.
What began as a search for a single Waco biplane turned, over years, into the tenth-largest collection of pre-1945 aircraft in the United States. Each aircraft carries its own story: the men and women who built it, flew it, and in many cases nearly let it disappear.
Every airplane has a story. We're just trying to make sure those stories don't get lost. — Tony Caldwell
From wartime flight line to flying museum — the timeline of Mustang Field and The Caldwell Collection.
Oklahoma Air College, Inc., owned by four local businessmen including Clarence Page and Jerry Sass, builds Mustang Field outside El Reno as a contract primary flight training base for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Cadets learn the fundamentals of flight here before moving on to advanced training.
Mustang Field closes in June 1944, after training nearly 5,000 pilots. The buildings stay in use for other work. Hangar 3 most recently served as an aircraft painting facility, which was very hard on the building.
Tony Caldwell discovers El Reno Airport, the former Mustang Field, and flies there regularly from then on.
Tony begins the collection that becomes The Caldwell Collection, starting with the Waco biplanes of his Dream Wacos collection.
Tony finds the abandoned Hangar 3, and The Caldwell Collection is founded as a nonprofit to restore it and share the aircraft with the public.
Hangar 3 is completely rebuilt — new roof, floors, walls, windows, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and insulation — an investment of more than $2 million.
The Caldwell Collection opens its doors on October 4, 2025. The hangar that had been worn down by decades of hard use is a working airfield building again, with aircraft on the floor, in the shop, and on the flight line.
The Collection is home to nearly three dozen aircraft spanning the 1920s through the 1940s. Tuesday through Saturday the hangar doors roll back and visitors walk the floor among them. On flying days, some of them are out on the line.
In October 2026 the City of El Reno is taking down Hangar 1, another of Mustang Field’s 1943 hangars. It is being rebuilt across the road from Hangar 3 as two buildings totaling 22,000 square feet, to house the museum’s expansion.
With our storage hangar, that brings the museum to 56,000 square feet, with room to display and fly up to 55 aircraft. The new buildings are expected to be ready for use in early 2028.
Every aircraft at Mustang Field tells a story in person that a photograph can't. Tuesday through Saturday, the hangar doors roll back and the Collection is yours to walk through.
The aircraft displayed at The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field tell a story of passion, history, and preservation. What began as The Dream Wacos Collection, a personal endeavor by Tony Caldwell, has evolved into a larger mission — honoring the pioneers of flight and sharing their legacy with the world.
Tony's love for aviation is rooted in more than just aircraft — it's about the stories they carry, the pilots who flew them, and the eras they helped define. His Dream Wacos Collection began as a personal pursuit, focused on preserving Golden Age aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s, particularly Waco biplanes, celebrated for their craftsmanship and historical significance.
Over time, Tony's collection grew beyond Wacos to include a diverse range of vintage aircraft, each with a unique history tied to aviation's evolution. As his passion for preserving these planes and the aviation community deepened, so did his vision — to create a space where these historic aircraft could be appreciated by all. Today, many of the Dream Wacos aircraft are on loan to The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field.
What started as one man's passion project has become a public treasure — ensuring these aircraft are not just preserved but flown, restored, and shared with future generations.
The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field is not just a place to see airplanes — it's a place to experience their history, witness their restoration, and celebrate the pioneers who made aviation what it is today.
The museum's founder, namesake, and Board of Directors Chair, Tony Caldwell is a lifelong aviation enthusiast and commercially rated pilot. He is an entrepreneur who has started and grown a number of significant businesses including One Agents Alliance, and he serves as Chairman of Prism Bank. Tony has always been involved in giving back to his community through service as a volunteer or board member of a number of local and statewide organizations and has served as an elected official. Learn more at tonycaldwell.net.
Les serves on the museum's Board of Directors and is one of its most active volunteers. Les and Tony learned to fly together and have shared friendship and aviation adventures for decades. Les is an entrepreneur and businessman having founded Double Life Corp, an international supplier of oil field equipment based in Oklahoma City.
Chris is a Certified Public Accountant who has served as Chief Financial Officer or Chief Operating Officer for several Oklahoma City based companies including at one time, One Agents Alliance. Chris serves on the Board of Directors. Chris and Tony have been friends for over 20 years and brings his financial acumen to the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
Caleb serves on the museum's Board of Directors. He is General Manager and CEO of Radial Engines, Ltd., the Oklahoma shop his father Steve founded in 1981 and one of the world's most experienced FAA-certified repair stations for small radial engines. Caleb started out at the shop at age ten, taking engines apart and cleaning parts, and has run it as General Manager since 1997, bringing decades of antique-engine experience to the Collection.
Emily serves as the museum's webmaster, marketer, and most passionate coordinator. She works with Tony in his businesses as his right hand strategic executive assistant. Leading with curiosity and a background in applied psychology, Emily brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to every interaction and piece of content she creates.
Rob maintains and restores The Collection's aircraft and operates Waldo Wright's Flying Service, his restoration business, in the museum's hangar.
Jake serves as the Caldwell Collection’s Maintenance Lead, helping maintain and preserve the Collection’s historic aircraft. A licensed A&P mechanic and instrument-rated pilot, he earned his pilot’s license at 19 and holds tailwheel and high-performance endorsements. Jake brings hands-on mechanical experience and a pilot’s perspective to his work. His passion for aviation centers on backcountry flying and pre-WWII and WWII-era aircraft.
