Afonsos Air Force Base

Afonsos Air Force Base – BAAF (ICAO: SBAF) is a base of the Brazilian Air Force, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The official name of the Base is Campo Délio Jardim de Matos (1916–1990) after a former commander of the base and Minister of the Air Force.

Afonsos Air Force Base

Base Aérea dos Afonsos
Aerospace Museum at Afonsos Air Force Base
Summary
Airport typeMilitary: Air Force Base
OperatorBrazilian Air Force
ServesRio de Janeiro
Built1912
In use1941–present
Time zoneBRT (UTC−03:00)
Elevation AMSL34 m / 110 ft
Coordinates22°52′30″S 043°23′05″W
Map
SBAF
Location within greater Rio de Janeiro
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 2,001 6,565 Concrete
Sources: Brazilian Air Force[1]

History

In October 1911 the first aeronautical organization was created in Brazil: the Aeroclube do Brasil (Flying club of Brazil). The site chosen for its location was given the name of "Campo dos Afonsos" (Afonsos' Field) and an airfield was opened in 1912.[2]

On February 2, 1914, a Military Aviation School was opened at the site. The school was a partnership with the Italian Army, but due to the beginning of hostilities related to World War I, it was short-lived and finally closed on July 18 of the same year.[3]

On January 29, 1919, a French Military mission founded a new school of military aviation at Campo dos Afonsos.[4] Because of this school, the Aeroclube do Brasil was forced to leave the location. For years they had no home but in 1936 it was re-opened at the Manguinhos Airport.

Between 1931 and 1936, before a dedicated new facility was opened at Bartolomeu de Gusmão Airport, the Graf Zeppelin docked at Campo dos Afonsos during its stop-overs in Rio de Janeiro.[5]

In 1941, the Campo dos Afonsos became of exclusive use of the Brazilian Air Force and the new base was baptized as "Afonsos Air Force Base".

Today it is home of not only two units, one battalion and one special squadron, but also of the University of the Brazilian Air Force, the institution of higher education of the Brazilian Air Force,[6] and of the Aerospace Museum.[7]

In 2012 the aerodrome celebrated its centennial anniversary.

Units

The following units are based at Afonsos Air Force Base:

Subordinated to the command of the 2nd Air Force (II FAe), which is dedicated to Search and Rescue, Rotorary Wings, and Maritime Patrol:

  • 3rd Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group (3°/8°GAv), the Puma Squadron, using H-34 (Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma) helicopters for transportation, search and rescue and humanitarian missions, and small number of T-25 (Neiva Universal) aircraft.[8]

Subordinated to the command of the 5th Air Force (V FAe), which is dedicated to Transport Aviation:

  • 1st Group of Troops Transportation, (1ºGTT), divided into 1°/1°GTT, the Coral Squadron, and 2°/1°GTT, the Cascavel Squadron, both using C-130H (Lockheed C-130 Hercules) aircraft for transportation of parachute troops, transportation, and search and rescue missions.[9][10]

Additionally, the Batalhão de Infantaria de Aeronáutica Especial dos Afonsos (BINFAE-AF), an Infantry Battalion of the Brazilian Air Force that guards the Base, and the Esquadrão Aeroterrestre de Salvamento (EAS), known as Pára-SAR, specialized in Rescue missions are also based at Afonsos Air Force Base.

Access

The base is located approximately 30 km from Rio de Janeiro downtown in the district of Marechal Hermes.

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References
  1. Brazilian Air Force Official Website Archived April 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (1988). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: dos primórdios até 1920 (in Portuguese). 1. Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia and Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica. pp. 395–403.
  3. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (1988). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: dos primórdios até 1920 (in Portuguese). 1. Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia and Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica. pp. 392–395.
  4. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (1988). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: dos primórdios até 1920 (in Portuguese). 1. Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia and Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica. pp. 443–453.
  5. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (1990). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: de 1921 às vésperas da criação do Ministério da Aeronáutica (in Portuguese). 2. Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia and Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica. pp. 164–166.
  6. "Missão da Universidade da Força Aérea" (in Portuguese). Força Aérea Brasileira. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  7. "Museu Aeroespacial" (in Portuguese). Força Aérea Brasileira. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  8. "3º/8ºGAv – Esquadrão Puma" (in Portuguese). Spotter. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  9. "1º/1ºGTT – Esquadrão Coral" (in Portuguese). Spotter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  10. "2º/1ºGTT – Esquadrão Cascavel" (in Portuguese). Spotter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
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