Raf Directors
C.K. Lee
Executive Director C.K. Lee brings extensive leadership, financial, and aviation experience to the board. He is President and CEO of InterBank and previously served as a federal banking regulator with the U.S. Treasury and FDIC before a career in investment banking specializing in bank mergers and acquisitions. Lee earned his master’s degree from the London School of Economics and also serves on the boards of the American Bonanza Society and Dallas Symphony Orchestra. An avid pilot, he brings both business expertise and a lifelong appreciation for aviation.
Robert Ellis
“Bob” Ellis brings decades of government leadership and aviation experience to the board. During his career with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), he held posts from Japan to the Pentagon and headed the Exchange’s Washington office. He was at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and in the aftermath helped coordinate a 24-hour field Exchange supporting rescue workers. Now a resident of Bourland Field Estates near Cresson, Texas, Bob enjoys flying his Boeing Stearman and Beechcraft Bonanza. His son, Ryan, a surgeon, is also a pilot.
Scott Perdue
Scott Perdue brings decades of military and civilian aviation experience to the board. A former enlisted U.S. Marine and U.S. Air Force officer, he flew the F-4 Phantom and F-15E Strike Eagle before a career in commercial aviation. He is an experienced flight instructor specializing in upset prevention and recovery training and has flown and instructed in aircraft ranging from military jets to the P-51 Mustang and B-25. He is also an aviation writer, author, and creator of the FlyWire aviation channel. His daughter, Shannon, USAF officer, is also a pilot.
1918 Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny"
One of the most important aircraft in aviation history, the “Jenny” trained thousands of pilots during World War I before becoming the airplane that introduced much of the country to aviation. After the war, surplus Jennys carried barnstormers from town to town, giving rides, performing daring exhibitions, and bringing flight to communities across America. Few aircraft did more to transform the airplane from a wartime machine into a symbol of adventure and possibility. Visit HERE to learn about the Jenny.
Pitcairn Pa-18 autogiro
The product of aviation visionary Harold Pitcairn and brilliant designer Agnew E. Larsen, an extraordinary piece of aviation history - and Ranger history - can once again be seen flying above Ranger Airfield.
Pitcairn's Flying Windmills captivated the public, appearing at major races, demonstrations and in corporate sponsorships, including Amelia Earhart’s Beech-Nut Gum Pitcairn, which she landed at Ranger. These remarkable aircraft were the direct precursors to the modern helicopter, and today, Ranger’s Autogiro is the oldest flying rotorcraft in the world.
WaCO ASO
NC662Y was restored by famed Waco restorers Dave & Jeanne Allen between 1998 and 2003. They flew the aircraft over 1200 hours, crisscrossing the United States many times, visiting fly-ins and airshows, where their restoration won many awards. Since 2026, Randall Gayle is the proud owner of 62Y, basing it on Ranger Airfield.
Waco gxe
Numerically the most important type to be built by Waco, with over 1600 made from 1927 to 1933; fitted with a large variety of engines of radial and V configuration. GXEs were widely used for the popularization of aeronautics through barnstorming and joyrides. They were used as a trainer and by small operators for charter flights. Acquisition made possible by former owners Tim Barrow & Brian Heyne.
travel air E-4000
Another Travel Air comes home to Ranger. "27" was owned by famed barnstormer Clay Adams for nearly 30 years. It flew thousands of passengers under Clay's stewardship.
Travel air 4000
NC6085 was originally powered by a 90 hp OX-5 and trained pilots at Parks Air College in St. Louis, MO. Prior to becoming a crop-duster it was flown at expos where stuntmen jumped off at 5 feet and slid across the ground, on duck hunts with double-barreled shotguns and for wingwalking. It is now powered by a 300 hp nine-cylinder Lycoming.
Mooney Mite M-18C
Tiny & Mighty. With a wingspan under 27' and a length of 18', this Mooney is one of the smallest aircraft ever produced. Constructed of wood and fabric, it's also one of the lightest - 520 lbs. Originally designed as a target drone, this was the first of the "backward tail" Mooneys, and it earned the reputation of "the cheapest, most efficient airplane ever built." 200 lbs lighter than a J3 Cub, the Mite will cruise 40mph faster than the Cub on the same 65hp! RAF's Mite was built in Texas in 1954 and was donated by Dan Shumaker - owner, restorer, and caretaker for 48 years.
Taylor-young a
N19653 is number 260 of 606 built by famed designer C.G. Taylor. After Taylor's original aircraft company was acquired by William Piper he formed what would become Taylor-Young Aeroplane Co. Powered by "40" horsepower Continental A-40s of various models, nearly all Taylor-Young A's, including Ranger's, were single magneto. Ranger's 1937 Taylor-Young was donated by Fritz Schuetzeberg.
Travel air 2000
A three-seater, open-cockpit biplane built by Travel Air Manufacturing Co. in 1928. It is no surprise the 2000 is a great airplane considering Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, and Lloyd Stearman were all involved in its design and production. Because of a superficial resemblance to Fokkers, Travel Airs frequently represented Fokkers in WWI flying films, earning them the nickname “Wichita Fokker”.
Great Lakes 2T-1A-2
The Great Lakes Sport Trainer is an American biplane trainer and aerobatic aircraft. It was originally produced in large numbers before the company building it went bankrupt in the Great Depression in 1933. Owing to its continuing popularity, however, it was eventually placed back into production in the 1970s and again in 2013. RAF's is powered by a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 swinging a constant speed propeller. It was cared for by Don Nichols of California for over 35 years.
Piper J3c "Cub"
NC7075H was delivered new to Charles Moseley of Texas in late 1946. The Moseley family flew the aircraft 197 hours before parking it in their barn in 1950. It remained there until 2009.
Ford Model Ts
The Ford Model T is an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. It is regarded as the first affordable automobile that opened travel to the common middle-class American. The Model T has a four-cylinder engine, producing 20 hp, for a top speed of 45 mph. Its transmission was billed as a "three speed". In today's terms it would be considered a two-speed because one of the three "speeds" is reverse.
AIRWAY BEACON
The Transcontinental Airway System was a navaid constructed across the U.S. from 1923 to 1933 because aircraft of the era lacked the technology for navigation during night flights or through inclement weather. To remedy this, rotating beacons atop 51-foot towers placed on concrete foundations in the shape of giant arrows painted bright yellow were the trick. Ninety years later, with many of the towers and locations lost to time, Ranger's will serve as a reminder of our past.
1936 John Deere model b
1934 Mccormick-Deering w30
1936 Farmall F20
Support Ranger Airfield
In 1911, a small field in Ranger, Texas welcomed its first aviator, R.G. Fowler in his Wright B biplane. 115 years later, pilots still take to the skies from that same grass, keeping a rare piece of aviation history alive.
Just as in years past, dedicated volunteers maintain the field and welcome visitors from around the world to experience living history firsthand.
If you are considering a donation of an aircraft or other items, please visit our donation page.
For businesses, supporting Ranger Airfield offers a unique opportunity. Each Old School Fly-In & Airshow brings in 300 aircraft, making it one of the largest fly-ins in the United States. Combined with strong event attendance and a growing online presence, your support delivers meaningful visibility.
Whether through an aircraft donation, financial support, historical artifacts, or a bequest, every contribution helps preserve this one-of-a-kind airfield. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations are tax deductible eligible.
Join us in keeping history alive.
Ranger Airfield Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization which maintains Ranger Airfield without pay. RAF directors are unpaid. To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual.
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