Natal Air Force Base

Natal Air Force Base
Natal Air Force Base
Base Aérea de Natal
Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil
	A line of AT-26 Xavante at Natal in 2008
	SBNT Location in Brazil
Coordinates	05°54′30″S 035°14′57″W / 5.90833°S 35.24917°W
Type	Air Force Base
Code	ALA10
Site information
Owner	Brazilian Air Force
Controlled by	Brazilian Air Force
Open to; the public	No
Website	www.fab.mil.br/organizacoes/mostra/44/
Site history
In use	1942-present
Garrison information
Current; commander	Brig. Av. Marcelo Fornasiari Rivero
Occupants	1st Squadron of the 5th Aviation Group; 2nd Squadron of the 5th Aviation Group; 1st Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group; 1st Squadron of the 11th Aviation Group; 2nd Squadron of Air Transportation; 3rd Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group;
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: SBNT, LID: RN9001
Elevation	51 metres (167 ft) AMSL
Runways
16L/34R	2,600 metres (8,530 ft) Asphalt
16R/34L	1,800 metres (5,906 ft) Asphalt
12/30	1,825 metres (5,988 ft) Asphalt
	Source: DECEA

Natal Air Force Base – ALA10 (ICAO: SBNT) is a base of the Brazilian Air Force, located in Parnamirim, near Natal, Brazil.

History

Originally called Parnamirim Airport, this facility had an important role during World War II as a strategic base for aircraft flying between South America and West Africa. Particularly between 1943 and 1945, the base was used jointly by the Brazilian Air Force, United States Army and United States Navy, the Royal Air Force, and commercial airlines. The maintenance and security installations were made by the U.S. Army in the South Atlantic (USAFSA).^[2]

It shared some facilities with Augusto Severo International Airport until 31 May 2014.^[3]

Units

The following units are based at Natal Air Force Base:

1st Squadron of the 5th Aviation Group (1º/5ºGAv) Rumba, using the C-95BM & CM Bandeirante.^[4]
2nd Squadron of the 5th Aviation Group (2º/5ºGAv) Joker, using the A-29A Super Tucano.^[5]
1st Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group (1º/8ºGAv) Falcão, using the H-36 Caracal.^[6]
1st Squadron of the 11th Aviation Group (1º/11ºGav) Gavião, using the H-50 Esquilo.^[7]
2nd Squadron of Air Transportation (2°ETA) Pastor, using the C-95B & BM Bandeirante, C-97 Brasília, and C-98A Caravan.^[8]
3rd Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group (3º/1ºGCC) Morcego, using radars and equipment for air defense.^[9]

Accidents and incidents

25 March 1961: Brazilian Air Force, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain registration FAB-2055 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Natal crashed upon final approach. Of the 28 passengers and crew, 5 survived.^[10]
23 April 1977: Brazilian Air Force, an Embraer C-95 Bandeirante registration FAB-2169 crashed upon landing at Natal.^[11]
3 July 1977: Brazilian Air Force, an Embraer C-95 Bandeirante registration FAB-2157 crashed after take-off from Natal. All 18 occupants died.^[12]