Afonsos Air Force Base Base Aérea dos Afonsos |
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Aerospace Museum at Afonsos Air Force Base | |||
IATA: none – ICAO: SBAF | |||
Summary | |||
Airport type | Military: Air Force Base | ||
Operator | Brazilian Air Force | ||
Serves | Rio de Janeiro | ||
Built | 1911 | ||
In use | 1941 – present | ||
Elevation AMSL | 34 m / 110 ft | ||
Coordinates | |||
Map | |||
SBAF
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Runways | |||
Direction | Length | Surface | |
m | ft | ||
08/26 | 2,001 | 6,565 | concrete |
Sources: Brazilian Air Force[1] |
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.
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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).[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]
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:
Subordinated to the command of the 5th Air Force (V FAe), which is dedicated to Transport Aviation:
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.
The base is located approximately 30 km from Rio de Janeiro downtown in the district of Marechal Hermes.
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