An aviation museum at the El Reno Regional Airport is not set to open for about two months, but it’s already drawing positive attention to the area. 

A fully restored 1931 Curtiss-Wright B-14R Speedwing, owned by Tony Caldwell and part of The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field, received one of the most prestigious honors in aviation, the Bronze Lindy Award at EAA’s AirVenture 2025 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Tony Caldwell is an Oklahoma entrepreneur, former legislator and successful businessman. Now, he’s about to be the creator and owner of one of the state’s top aviation museums. 

The Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field, a nonprofit museum, will open this fall at the historic El Reno Regional Airport.

El Reno made its presence known at the nation’s largest air show last month. 

Scott Law, manager of the El Reno Regional Airport, traveled with the Oklahoma delegation that worked the week-long event in Oshkosh, Wis.

Law said the Oklahoma Department of Aviation and Aeronautics as well as the Oklahoma Department of Commerce had a shared Oklahoma booth at the event. 

Law helped man the booth and met with individuals as well as aviation-related companies that had questions about Oklahoma and El Reno.

The city of El Reno was awarded a grant for more than $640,000 and promptly bought a new street sweeper and a couple of dump trucks. 

The funds came from an Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality program that was created from the Volkswagen Clean Diesel Settlement.

The funding will support the replacement of aging municipal fleet vehicles with newer, cleaner and more efficient models.

The new street sweeper replaces a 1999 model. It was purchased for $369,295, while the two medium-duty dump trucks cost more than $135,000 each.