Author: Ian French
Photographers: Sandro Rota/Ecuador Aviation Photography & Ian French/Aviation Press
Although naval aviation origins can be traced back to the Air Force school in 1921 and naval personnel passing through US flying schools in the 1950s, it was not until 1967 when Comando de la Aviación Naval was established. The first helicopters, Bell 47Gs, arrived in 1973.
The Aviación Naval Ecuatoriana was established in 1967 at Estación Aeronaval de Guayaquil
Estación Aeronaval de Guayaquil
From 1967 the squadrons here were:
Escuadrilla de Enlace which was established in 1967.
Aircraft operated: C320E 1967-1970, C177 1968-1970, C337 1971-1980 & C500 1979-1994
Escuadrilla de Transporte which was established in 1967 and was absorbed into Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 in 2000.
Aircraft operated: C172 1969-1982, Arava 1975-1988, CN235M 1989-2000, B200 1981-2000 & B300 1993-2000
Escuadrilla de Helicópteros which was established in 1973 and was absorbed into Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 in 2000.
Helicopters operated: SA316B 1974-1987, B206B 1986-2000, TH-57A 1993-2000 & B230 1998-2000
Escuadrilla de Transporte which was established in 1975 and disbanded in 1988.
Aircraft operated: Arava 1975-1988
Escuadrilla de Entrenamiento which was established in 1971 and was renamed Escuela de Aviación Naval in 1997. It relocated to Manta in 2000.
Aircraft operated: C337 1971-1998, T-41D 1971-1994 & T-34C 1980-2000
Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 was established in 2000 at Guayaquil. At some time around 2015 all fixed wing aircraft moved to Manta and the squadron was renamed Escuadrón de Aviones.
Aircraft operated: CN235M 2000-2015, B200 2000-2015, B300 2000-2015, B206B 2000-2005, TH-57A from 2000, B230 from 2000, B350 2001-2015, B430 from 2010, B407 from 2021
Estación Aeronaval de Manta
Escuadrón Aeronaval 100 was established in 2000 at Guayaquil but relocated to the new base at Manta that same year. At some point around 2015 the unit was renamed Escuadrón de Aviones.
Aircraft operated: C500 from 2000, T-34C 2000-2005, B200 from 2000, T-35B 2002-2005, CN235M from 2005 & B350 from 2014
Escuela de Aviación Naval
The Escuela relocated from Guayaquil in 2000.
Aircraft operated: T-34C 2005-2014, T-35B from 2005, B206B from 2005, C172S from 2016
Aviation Press would like to thank Mark Forest/Forest Aviation Tours and Sandro Rota/Ecuador Aviation Press for their assistance
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262 Cessna 172S of the Escuela de Aviación Naval at Manta
AN-202 CN235M of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Guayaquil
AN-204 CN235MPA of Escuadrón Aeronaval 100
AN-231 Beech 200 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200
AN-235 Beech 350 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200
AN-236 Beech 200 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200
262 Cessna 172S of the Escuela de Aviación Naval at Manta
264 Cessna 172S of the Escuela de Aviación Naval at Manta
HN-301 Bell 206B of Escuadrón de Aviones departing Gauyaquil
HN-317 Bell TH-57A of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Gauyaquil
HN-321 Bell 206B of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Guayaquil wearing speacial markings to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Aviación Naval Ecuatoriana in 2015
HN-401 Bell 230 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Guayaquil
HN-405 Bell 430 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Guayaquil
HN-407 Bell 430 of Escuadrón Aeronaval 200 at Guayaquil
HN-407 Bell 430 of Escuadrón de Aviones at Guayaquil
214 ENAER T-35B of the Escuela de Aviación Naval at Manta