Cachimbo Airport
Encyclopedia
Cachimbo Airport is the military airport serving Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso
, a large Testing and Training Range complex of the Brazilian Armed Forces located in Serra do Cachimbo
(Cachimbo Mountains), in the southern part of Pará
, Brazil
.
It is operated by the Brazilian Air Force
.
has an area of 21,588 km2 and perimeter of 653 km. It is within the limits of four municipalities: Altamira, Itaituba, Jacareacanga
, and Novo Progresso
, in an area comparable in size to the Brazilian state of Sergipe
.
The airport and the complex have their origins on an airfield opened on September 3, 1950. With the end of World War II
, the Brazilian government saw the need for a strategic support facility to the operation of aircraft flying between the Northern Region (location of the Amazon Rainforest
) and the Southeast Region of Brazil
(locations of Rio de Janeiro
and São Paulo
), flying on a straight route. Before the construction of the airfield the link was only possible to be operated with safety following the longer coastline route. The airfield was officially commissioned on January 20, 1954.
In the 1970s studies were made in order to upgrade the facility to a Center for Testing Weapons and Training of the Brazilian Armed Forces, with the purpose of development of weapons, bomb tests, experiments, training and maneuvers of national interest. Indeed, on March 7, 1983, the Campo de Testes do Cachimbo (Cachimbo Testing Range), subordinated to the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology was created. On January 17, 1995 the name of the complex was changed to Campo de Provas Brigadeiro-do-Ar Haroldo Coimbra Velloso, the commander who set the whole infra-structure of the complex. On July 30, 1997, the name was again changed to Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso.
On August 18, 1979 its new renovated airfield was opened and given the name of Cachimbo Airport.
The apron of the airport is large enough for up to 20 small aircraft with full support and maintenance facilities.
One unit of the Amazon Surveillance System is also located at the airport.
Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso
Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso – CPBV is a large complex of the Brazilian Armed Forces located in Serra do Cachimbo , in the southern part of Pará, Brazil. The complex includes the Cachimbo Airport operated by the Brazilian Air Force...
, a large Testing and Training Range complex of the Brazilian Armed Forces located in Serra do Cachimbo
Serra do Cachimbo
Serra do Cachimbo is a mountain range in Northern Brazil, in the southern part of the state of Pará, located mostly in the municipalities of Altamira, Itaituba, Jacareacanga, and Novo Progresso....
(Cachimbo Mountains), in the southern part of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
It is operated by the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
.
History
The Testing and Training Complex of Campo de Provas Brigadeiro VellosoCampo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso
Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso – CPBV is a large complex of the Brazilian Armed Forces located in Serra do Cachimbo , in the southern part of Pará, Brazil. The complex includes the Cachimbo Airport operated by the Brazilian Air Force...
has an area of 21,588 km2 and perimeter of 653 km. It is within the limits of four municipalities: Altamira, Itaituba, Jacareacanga
Jacareacanga
Jacareacanga is a town and municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil.-References:...
, and Novo Progresso
Novo Progresso
Novo Progresso is a town and municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil.-References:...
, in an area comparable in size to the Brazilian state of Sergipe
Sergipe
Sergipe , is the smallest state of the Brazilian Federation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the country. It borders on two other states, Bahia to the south and west and Alagoas to the north, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The airport and the complex have their origins on an airfield opened on September 3, 1950. With the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Brazilian government saw the need for a strategic support facility to the operation of aircraft flying between the Northern Region (location of the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
) and the Southeast Region of Brazil
Southeast Region, Brazil
The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is the richest region of the country, responsible for approximately 60% of the Brazilian GDP. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais are three richest states of Brazil,...
(locations of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
), flying on a straight route. Before the construction of the airfield the link was only possible to be operated with safety following the longer coastline route. The airfield was officially commissioned on January 20, 1954.
In the 1970s studies were made in order to upgrade the facility to a Center for Testing Weapons and Training of the Brazilian Armed Forces, with the purpose of development of weapons, bomb tests, experiments, training and maneuvers of national interest. Indeed, on March 7, 1983, the Campo de Testes do Cachimbo (Cachimbo Testing Range), subordinated to the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology was created. On January 17, 1995 the name of the complex was changed to Campo de Provas Brigadeiro-do-Ar Haroldo Coimbra Velloso, the commander who set the whole infra-structure of the complex. On July 30, 1997, the name was again changed to Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso.
On August 18, 1979 its new renovated airfield was opened and given the name of Cachimbo Airport.
The apron of the airport is large enough for up to 20 small aircraft with full support and maintenance facilities.
One unit of the Amazon Surveillance System is also located at the airport.
Units, airlines and destinations
Because no units are permanently based at this facility, Cachimbo is a military airport operated by the Brazilian Air Force, and not an Air Force Base. It is for exclusive military use and therefore no scheduled flights operate at this airport.Accidents and incidents
- 29 September 2006: a damaged executive Embraer Legacy 600 performed an emergency landing on Cachimbo Airport, after having damaged the wing of a Gol Transportes AéreosGol Transportes AéreosGol Transportes Aéreos is a Brazilian airline based in Comandante Lineu Gomes Square, São Paulo City, Brazil....
Boeing 737-800 operating flight 1907Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 was a Boeing 737-8EH, registration PR-GTD, on a scheduled passenger flight from Manaus, Brazil, to Rio de Janeiro. On 29 September 2006, just before 17:00 BRT, it collided in midair with an Embraer Legacy business jet over the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso...
. The Boeing subsequently crashed in the jungle killing all 155 people on board.