They were headed by Martin Willard Houltin, who served as a World War II B-29 bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Corps.
[3] The other members of the Columbus Air Force were Robert Burke, Tim Morrison, Michael Francis, Kenneth Croucher, and Curly Phillips.
However, in 1974, six members of the group were indicted and convicted on federal conspiracy charges arising out of the same case, and were sentenced to two consecutive five-year terms.
[6] The Columbus Air Force received a lot of notoriety after their arrest, and were featured in the New York Times Magazine, Argosy, and even Popular Mechanics.
"[8] The song "Treetop Flyer," written by Stephen Stills and performed by Jimmy Buffett on his album Banana Wind (as a hidden track), is reportedly about the Columbus Air Force.