LCRA, PEC award $8,800 grant for Commemorative Air Force Museum upgrades
Central Texas Wing will improve lighting at hangar that draws more than 10,000 visitors annually
DEC. 14, 2023
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing will install new energy-efficient lighting to better showcase its WWII-era planes and other popular aircraft exhibits, thanks to a grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative. The $8,800 Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $2,200 in matching funds from the group, will allow for the replacement of mercury vapor lighting that is over 20 years old with modern LED lights. The Central Texas Wing museum houses and preserves seven Commemorative Air Force aircraft, including a C-47, the aircraft that led the airborne invasion of Normandy, France, on D-Day on June 6, 1944. Gregg Roberts, executive officer of the Central Texas Wing, said more than 10,000 people visit the museum annually, including many veterans, ROTC participants, students and active-duty military members. Visitors to the museum are touched in different ways by seeing the planes and learning about military history and those who served, Roberts said. “We have many veterans who have flown these airplanes or ones like them and they are overcome by emotions when they see the airplanes and go back inside,” he said. “Younger military persons, like members of the ROTC, are impressed with the lack of modern-day technology and what could be accomplished with the limited technology available when these planes were in use. We have many high school groups visit our hangar and museum and they are surprised at how big the airplanes are on the outside and how small and cramped the spaces are on the inside.” The new lighting also will improve the quality of photographs taken by visitors and enhance the working environment for volunteers and aircraft technicians, Roberts said. The Central Texas Wing has tried for the past 10 years to upgrade the museum lighting, but many times had to divert funds to repairing and restoring the aging airplanes the group flies, which must be kept in a safe operating condition. Members of the public can buy flights on some of the planes on occasion. The museum is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility also is used for various community events. The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Pedernales Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
About PEC
Founded in 1938 by then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, Pedernales Electric Cooperative Inc. is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 398,000 accounts across Central Texas. An industry-recognized leader providing outstanding member service and reliable electricity, PEC conducts its business via a transparent and democratic process and highly encourages member participation.
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