Performance of a gas turbine combustor installed in a test facility has been studied by measuring spatially- and temporally-resolved temperature distributions using multiplex CARS technique. 500 CARS temperatures were determined at each measuring point to obtain a histogram of temperature distribution. Experiments were carried out in the aero-engine combustor sector rig burning standard kerosene fuel. The histograms were obtained around a triple-sector double annular rig running in ground idle conditions, showing features of flow mixing within the rig. The temperature histograms that prove the existence of high temperatures above 1900 K provide us valuable information to improve the design of the combustor structure suppressing NOx generation in turbulent combustion processes. The effects of swirl direction and pre-filmer on gas turbine combustion were investigated. When we installed radial swirls, a large recirculation zone was formed by the fuel module regardless of swirl directions and the pre-filmer installation. It is found that the swirl direction affects the shape of the reverse flow zone, however. Also, an attempt to estimate the flow field and flame structure is made using the histogram of temperature determined with the CARS technique.