União da Vitória Airport

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José Cleto Airport
IATA: QVB - ICAO: SSUV
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Municipality
Serves		União da Vitória
Elevation AMSL		2,467 ft (752 m)
Coordinates		26°14′S″51, 04°W′″{{{8}}}
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
16/34	3,280	1,000	Asphalt

União da Vitória Airport better known as José Cleto Airport is a public-use airport located at São Cristóvão District, 2 kilometers far from União da Vitória downtown. It is usually used for non-regular flights and small sized aircraft.

[edit] History

In the early 1900s, the region was under influence of the Contestado War. So that, the Lieutenant Kirk, a Brazilian aviator, convocated the Brazilian Army representative to show the use of aircraft in battles. Convinced by the lieutenant's opinion, the Brazilian Government ordered the army to open airfields in União da Vitória, Canoinhas and Rio Negro and to send aircraft to the these cities, in order to drop bombs and fight against the rebels.

The airplanes had trouble while going to their destinies. The trains, which were carrying them and the troops, were attacked by the rebels, making the conflict and the Government expenses even bigger. Then, Kirk himself, went to União da Vitória armed with new airplanes and troops.

During his second flight, the one that he would start destroying villages and other settlements, he crashed his aircraft in a forest 44 kilometers far from União da Vitória while trying to make an emergency landing. This crash was the first documented aircraft accident in Brazil.

In the 1960s, the airport had air companies installed with regular flights to Curitiba, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre and other important cities, being a hub to regional airports.

Nowadays, the traffic is regional and usually composed by ultralight aircraft.