Chilean Air Force

The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Teniente Coronel training as a pilot^{[citation needed]} in France. Although a local academy was created, the first officers were sent to France for their training as well. One of them, Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado, took command over the Chilean military aviation school, which was officially established in February 1913, and remained in command until 1915. The Military Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Militar) was named in honor of him in 1944, and still carries that name today.

In those early years many aviation milestones were achieved; conquering the height of the Andes was one of the main targets as well as long distance flights. Typical aircraft of that era were Avro 504, Bleriot XI, Bristol M.1C, DH.9, and SE5a. In the following decade, the Airmail Line of Chile (Línea Aeropostal de Chile) was created on 5 March 1929 as a branch of the military aviation. This postal airline later developed into the National Airline (Línea Aérea Nacional) that is still the leading airline in Chile today. Shortly afterwards, on 21 March 1930, the existing aviation elements of the army and navy were amalgamated into a dedicated department: the Department of the Air Force (Subsecretaria de Aviación) effectively creating the current independent Air Force. It was initially named National Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Nacional). The international airport of Chile carries the name of Lan's founding father and first commander of the air force, Air Commodore Arturo Merino Benítez. Its baptism of fire was in the 1931 sailors' rebellion in Coquimbo, where Air Force attack aircraft and bombers and 2 transport planes converted into bombers contributed to its failure.

The first outlines of the organization of the current air force were visible in 1945 with the inception of Transport Group 1, later renumbered Group 10, with two C-45s and a single T-6 Texan at Los Cerrillos. Two years later the first FACh flight to Antarctica was performed. The fifties meant entry into the jet age for the FACh, and Grupo 7 was the first unit to receive them in 1954. Chile got its aircraft from both the United States and Europe. The American supply consisted of Lockheed F-80, Lockheed T-33, Beech T-34 Mentor, Cessna T-37, Cessna A-37 Dragonfly and Northrop F-5E/F for example, whereas the British supplied Hawker Hunters and the French delivered various helicopters and Dassault Mirage 50 aircraft.

During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force conducted Operation Silence, Hunters from the 7th Aviation Squadron destroyed several transmission antennas belonging to pro-government radio stations. After accomplishing their mission, the aircraft performed attack runs on the presidential residence at Las Condes and the presidential palace, a pilot mistakenly opened fire on the Air Force Hospital when attacking the residence, no casualties were reported.

The Chilean air force hosted the joint exercise Salitre with other friendly nations in 2014.^[1] It also participated in several United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas in 5 occasions.

The Chilean Air Force reported one of its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying 38 people en route to Antarctica missing on December 9, 2019. The aircraft was on its way to Antarctica’s King George Island to provide logistic support to a military base when radio contact was lost.^[2] On 11 December 2019, aircraft debris was located 18 miles South of where the plane last made contact and no survivors were found. The cause of the crash is unknown.^[3]

Commanders-in-chief

Personnel = 10,600 (including 700 conscripts)^{[citation needed]}

Office of the Commander in Chief

Combat Command of the Air Force

First Air Brigade with headquarters in Los Cóndores Air Base (Base Aérea Los Cóndores) in Iquique

• 1st Aviation Squadron
• 2nd Aviation Squadron
• 3rd Aviation Squadron
• 24th Air Defense Squadron
• 34th Telecommunications Squadron
• 44th Aviation Infantry Squadron

Second Air Brigade with headquarters in Pudahuel Air Base (Base Aérea Pudahuel) in Santiago

• 9th Aviation Squadron
• 10th Aviation Squadron
• Air Defence and Special Forces Regiment (Regimiento de Artillería Antiaérea y FF.EE)
• 32nd Telecommunications Squadron

Third Air Brigade with headquarters in El Tepual Air Base (Base Aérea El Tepual) in Puerto Montt

• 5th Aviation Squadron
• 25th Air Defense Squadron
• 35th Telecommunications Squadron

Fourth Air Brigade with headquarters in Chabunco Air Base (Base Aérea Chabunco) in Punta Arenas

• 6th Aviation Squadron

• 12th Aviation Squadron
• 23rd Air Defense Squadron
• 33rd Telecommunications Squadron
• 19th Antarctic Exploration Squadron

Fifth Air Brigade with headquarters in Cerro Moreno Air Base (Base Aérea Cerro Moreno) in Antofagasta

• 7th Aviation Squadron
• 8th Aviation Squadron
• 21st Air Defense Squadron
• 31st Telecommunications Squadron
• 41st Aviation Infantry Squadron

Personnel Command

Education Division

• Air Force School "Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado"
• Air Force NCO School "Flight Sergeant Adolfo Menadier Rojas"
• Advanced NCO School
• Air War Academy
• Air Force Polytechnical Academy
• Air Photographic Surveying Service

Health Division
General Hospital of the Air Force
Air Force High Command Prefecture

Logistics Command

Maintenance Division
Administration Division
Infrastructure Division

The Air Force also maintains the Air Force Special Forces (Comandos de Aviación), comparable to a United States Air Force Combat Control Team.^{[citation needed]} They may be up to 350 strong, and their roles include assault, reconnaissance, Air Traffic Control, Fire Support, and Command, control, and communications.^{[citation needed]}

Aircraft

Current inventory

Chile also maintains its own aviation industry, ENAER. The design of the T-35 Pillán trainer, based on the Piper PA-28R Saratoga, is the best known example, seeing some export success as well. Furthermore, the assembly of the A-36/T-36 Halcón (CASA C-101) was achieved as well. Performing maintenance on most types in the current inventory, such as minor modifications on F-5E aircraft for example, the industry is of significant importance to the air force. ENAER is reported to be in talks with Embraer of Brazil to codesign the first indigenous South American military transport plane. Also, under the Pacer Amstel programme, with initial Dutch support, and later locally ENAER upgraded an F-16 combat jet, which for the Chilean Air Force is an advance for their maintenance of the F-16 fleet (becoming the 5th country to modify their jets under authorization).

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Chilean Air Force[9] v t e
			General de aire		General de aviación		General de brigada aérea		Comodoro		Coronel de aviación		Comandante de grupo		Comandante de escuadrilla		Capitán de bandada		Teniente		Subteniente		Alférez		Cadete

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Chilean Air Force[9] v t e																													No insignia
	Suboficial mayor						Suboficial		Sargento primero								Sargento segundo						Cabo primero				Cabo segundo	Cabo	Soldado de tropa profesional		Alumno

Officers

Officer[10]	Line Corps
Badge
Arm of service	Aviation	Engineering	Air Defense	Telecommunications and Information Technology	Administration	Air Base
Abbreviation	(A)	(I)	(DA)	(TI)	(AD)	(BA)
Specialty	Aviators (Fighter, Helicopter) and Air transport officers	Aviation engineers	Air defense	Information and telecommunications engineers	Engineers assigned to administrative duties	Logistics

Officer[10]	Services/Staff Corps
Badge
Arm of service	Justice	Medical Corps Dental Corps	Chaplainancy	Bands Service	General Services Corps
Abbreviation	(J)	(S) y (SD)	(SR)	(B)	(SG)
Specialty	Attorneys and Judges	Doctors, Nurses and Dentists of various specialties	Chaplains	Musicians	Professional workers and civilian employees

Non-commissioned officers and airmen

NCOs and airmen of the[10]	Line Corps			Services Corps
Badge				-
Arm of service	Weapons	Technical support	Administration	Combat medicine and surgery
Specially	Air Defense Intelligence personnel Aircrews	Maintenance and armaments Communications, information technology and electronics Air Operations Support	Administrative staff	Combat medics and surgeons

Officers' cap badges

Chilean Air Force officers wear the following cap badges in their peaked caps.

Rank cap badge[11]	Air Generals and Air Commodores				Colonels and Group Commanders		Ensigns through Squadron Commanders
Full dress
Service dress
Rank	Air General	Aviation General	Air Brigade General	Air Commodore	Aviation Colonel	Group Commander	Squadron Commander	Flight Captain	Lieutenant	Sublieutenant	Ensign

• Hagedorn, Daniel P. (September–October 1996). "Talkback". Air Enthusiast (65): 80. ISSN 0143-5450.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fuerza Aérea de Chile.

• Fuerza Aérea de Chile official website
• Fuerza Aérea de Chile at Chilean Defense Ministry, official website
• Fuerza Aérea de Chile website, old at Archive.org (in Spanish)
• Ranks of Fuerza Aérea de Chile website (in Spanish)