I do know a great examiner that will come to you (from the west coast). He's reasonable and fun to work with. I would highly recommend him.
The CAF can be a tough little club to penetrate and it's not really designed for the airplane owner, rather a group of guys that essentially want to co-op a few airplanes. Don't get me wrong, there are some great guys in the organization with knowledge, but I wouldn't expect much in the way of help from them as a whole.
Join NATA right away. And there is a yahoo group called T-28 Flyers that is good, too. We were able to get back issues of the NATA Skies magazine and learn A LOT about operating our T-28 as civilians. Operating big warbirds is a lot about figuring things out for yourself and it can be a steep and costly and potentially dangerous learning curve if you don't avail yourself of a lot of information early on.
The guys in Rockford are complete experts in the T-28 biz. Phone them up and they'll know everything you need to know. Mark Clark (courtesy aircraft, also in Rockford) will be able to steer you to training in your area or there with his outfit. He sells a lot of -28s as well. What model did your friend get?
You'll love the T-28, though. It's just awesome. Seriously......it's awesome. Awesome.
(awesome)