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Your membership in the Foundation will help to preserve and restore the historic site where the First Aero Squadron was based during its first ever deployment in a military campaign.
As a member, you will receive:
● a subscription to the FASF newsletter, “The Aerodrome;”
● a First Aero Squadron patch and a window decal;
● the right to nominate and vote for candidates for the FASF Board of Trustees;
● a guided tour of the historic site and Columbus;
● use of the site runway (at your own risk); and
● an invitation to all FASF-sponsored events and educational presentations.
Regular membership is only $20 a year ($15 for active military and $10 students). Other categories of membership, such as a “Life Membership” are listed on the application form.
To become a member of the First Aero Squadron Foundation, please fill out and mail us a membership application. If you have a business, we’d love to have your firm or enterprise become a Business Supporting Member, too. You can get a fresh application easily by simply clicking right below for the PDF version, which you can then print out at your own convenience.
CLICK RIGHT HERE TO OBTAIN THE FASF MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION!
We’d love to see your donations help us reach our goals!
Monetary. We appreciate all donations—no matter how small. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, so any contributions you make are tax deductible as allowed by IRS regulations. All donations will be acknowledged in writing. Unless you specify a specific purpose for your gift, which we will honor, donations will be used for general operations. No Trustee receives a salary in the FASF: all of the board members are volunteers. Please note that the First Aero Squadron Foundation is registered with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office which oversees charitable giving within the State and ensures that charitable donations are used for their intended purpose.
Artifacts and other Non-Monetary Donations. We appreciate and will promptly contact you if you have pre-World War II artifacts that you are considering donating to the FASF. These could include, for example, photographs of the operations and the men who were in Columbus during the Punitive Expedition, pre-World War II military and aviation artifacts, other period artifacts, etc. In addition to items of historical note, we also appreciate donations of other items that we could use in our administrative operations. Again, please contact us ahead of time.
Time and Talent. In addition to money, we appreciate donations of your time or talent to assist us in meeting our goals. From time to time, we’ll ask for volunteers to help with a specific project. If you can help us in anyway, we will be most appreciative. Just put your interests down in the last part of the Membership Application.
The FASF “Buy an Acre” Campaign. In September 2013, about the same time the FASF paid off its debt on the original 60 acre parcel of historic land, 160 acres immediately east of the original parcel was put up for sale. The 160 acre tract includes the remainder of the 1916-17 First Aero Squadron landing field as well as the rest of the historic Columbus Municipal Airport. In order to secure the entire historic area, FASF President Bill Wehner and his wife Mary purchased the 160 acre parcel out of their own resources. Bill immediately allowed the FASF full access to the land and will turn over title to the FASF as soon as he is reimbursed for his personal outlay. He is not asking to make any profit whatsoever.
In response, the FASF is asking for donations of $250 to “purchase” an acre in this repayment effort. Donors who help in this effort can make their purchase in honor and memory of a special individual. Both the donor’s name (and individual memorialized, if applicable) will be inscribed on a plaque on the site, noting that they were instrumental in the preservation of this important historical legacy. For individuals who would like to help out with the purchase of less than acre, ½ acre ($125), ¼ acre ($62.50) and 1/10 of an acre ($25) donations will also be recognized.
Where to Send Dues and Donations:
Just make out your check to the First Aero Squadron Foundation or just FASF and mail to:
First Aero Squadron Foundation
PO Box 1916
Columbus, NM 88029
Phone
(575) 519-1100
Email
info@firstaerosquadron.com
Remember: The First Aero Squadron Foundation is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and all donations (including ‘dues’) are tax-deductible.