Base Aérea de Porto Velho – Força Aérea Brasileira

Author: Ian French
Photography: Ian French & Força Aérea Brasileira

Base Aérea de Porto Velho (BAPV) was commissioned in 1984 and shares its facilities with the civil Gov. Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira International Airport. It was built in just 13 months.

The civilian airport was opened in 1969 to replace the Caiari Airport. It was granted international status in 2002 and received its current name at that time.

Base Aérea de Porto Velho reports to the Amazon Air Command (VII COMAR) and is home to Ala 6 and its single unit, 2 Esquadrão 3 Grupo de Aviação.

It had a second unit, 2 Esquadrão 8 Grupo de Aviação, which was formed in 1980 at Base Aérea do Recife, Pernambuco when 2° Esquadrão Misto de Reconhecimento e Ataque (2º EMRA) with Bell UH-1D Iroquois, Neiva L-42 Regente and Embraer U-7 Seneca was disbanded. The squadron moved to Base Aérea de Porto Velho in 2009 and was reequipped with Mil Mi-35M Hind (AH-2) from 2010. These were withdrawn from service in 2022 and the unit disbanded.

2° Esquadrão 3° Grupo de Aviação (1/3° GAv)
“Grifo”

2/3 GAv was formed as 2° Esquadrilha do 7º ETA in 1984 at Base Aérea de Porto Velho, Rondônia operating the Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante (C-95B) from 1984 to 1995. In 1995 the unit received its present name and became a fighter/attack unit operating the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (AT-27) from 1995 until 2005 when they were replaced by the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano (A-29). Both the single seat (A) version and twin seat (B) version are operated.

Aviation Press would like to thank the Força Aérea Brasileira for their assistance with the article.

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