Santa Cruz Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz Air Force Base – BASC is a base of the Brazilian Air Force
located in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil.
and it was constructed to handle the operations with the rigid airship
s Graf Zeppelin
and Hindenburg
. Between 1931 and 1937, Deutsche Luft Hansa
had regular flights between Germany and Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro
as final stop. For this reason Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
decided to construct a dedicated facility and move its operations from Campo dos Afonsos Airport
. The airport was inaugurated on 26 December 1936. The whole complex consisted of an airfield, the hangar, a hydrogen
factory and a branch-line connecting the complex to the main railway line to downtown Rio de Janeiro 54 km away among other structures. Some of the buildings are still in use, particularly the hangar which was built to accommodate the rigid airships. Because it is the only original surviving hangar built for rigid airships in the world, on 14 March 1999, it was listed as a National Heritage Site.
As a consequence to the Hindenburg disaster
on 6 May 1937 at Lakehurst Air Naval Station in New Jersey, USA, the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin requested to the Brazilian Government on 17 June 1937 the suspension of services. Since then no more civil operations were handled at this facility.
On 12 February 1942, six months before Brazil declaring war against the Axis
, the airport became a base of the Brazilian Air Force
. The name of the facility was changed to Santa Cruz Air Force Base on 16 January 1943.
On 3 May 1982 a British Avro Vulcan
bomber was intercepted by the aircraft of the 1° Grupo de Aviação de Caça (1ºGAvCa) based at Santa Cruz. The Vulcan had finished the Operation Black Buck 6
during the Falklands War
and was returning to Ascension Island
when it suffered technical problems. It was intercepted upon entering Brazilian airspace and made to land at the Galeão Air Force Base
. The Brazilian aircraft flew back to Santa Cruz having successfully accomplished the first interception mission in their history.
Subordinated to the command of the 2nd Air Force (II FAe), which is dedicated to Search and Rescue, Rotorary Wings, and Maritime Patrol:
Subordinated to the command of the 3rd Air Force (III FAe), which is dedicated to Reconnaissance, Attack, and Combat:
Subordinated to the command of the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), which is dedicated to the control of the Brazilian Airspace:
Additionally, the base has one U-7A (Embraer EMB 810 Seneca
) and two U-42 (Neiva Regente) for administrative missions.
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"...
located in 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...
, Brazil.
History
The base was originally called Bartolomeu de Gusmão AirportBartolomeu de Gusmão Airport
Bartolomeu de Gusmão Airport was an airport built to handle the operations with the rigid airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg. The airport was named after Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão , a Portuguese priest born in Brazil who did research about transportation with balloons.In 1942 it became an...
and it was constructed to handle the operations with the rigid airship
Rigid airship
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retained its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships.Rigid airships were produced and...
s Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...
and Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
. Between 1931 and 1937, Deutsche Luft Hansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G. was a German airline, serving as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and throughout the Third Reich.-1920s:Deutsche Luft Hansa was founded on 6 January 1926 in Berlin...
had regular flights between Germany and Brazil, with 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...
as final stop. For this reason Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German company which, during the early 20th century, was a leader in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, specifically of the Zeppelin type. The company was founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin...
decided to construct a dedicated facility and move its operations from Campo dos Afonsos Airport
Afonsos Air Force Base
Afonsos Air Force Base – BAAF is a base of the Brazilian Air Force, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The official name of the Base is Campo Délio Jardim de Matos after a former commander of the base and Minister of the Air Force.-History:...
. The airport was inaugurated on 26 December 1936. The whole complex consisted of an airfield, the hangar, a hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
factory and a branch-line connecting the complex to the main railway line to downtown Rio de Janeiro 54 km away among other structures. Some of the buildings are still in use, particularly the hangar which was built to accommodate the rigid airships. Because it is the only original surviving hangar built for rigid airships in the world, on 14 March 1999, it was listed as a National Heritage Site.
As a consequence to the Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
The Hindenburg disaster took place on Thursday, May 6, 1937, as the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, which is located adjacent to the borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey...
on 6 May 1937 at Lakehurst Air Naval Station in New Jersey, USA, the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin requested to the Brazilian Government on 17 June 1937 the suspension of services. Since then no more civil operations were handled at this facility.
On 12 February 1942, six months before Brazil declaring war against the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
, the airport became a base of 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"...
. The name of the facility was changed to Santa Cruz Air Force Base on 16 January 1943.
On 3 May 1982 a British Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
bomber was intercepted by the aircraft of the 1° Grupo de Aviação de Caça (1ºGAvCa) based at Santa Cruz. The Vulcan had finished the Operation Black Buck 6
Operation Black Buck
During the Falklands War, Operations Black Buck 1 to Black Buck 7 were a series of seven extremely long-range ground attack missions by Royal Air Force Vulcan bombers planned against Argentine positions in the Falkland Islands...
during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
and was returning to Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
when it suffered technical problems. It was intercepted upon entering Brazilian airspace and made to land at the Galeão Air Force Base
Galeão Air Force Base
Galeão Air Force Base – BAGL is a base of the Brazilian Air Force located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is named after Praia do Galeão , located in front of the original passenger terminal of the airport and presently the passenger terminal of the Brazilian Air Force...
. The Brazilian aircraft flew back to Santa Cruz having successfully accomplished the first interception mission in their history.
Units
The following units are based at Santa Cruz Air Force Base:Subordinated to the command of the 2nd Air Force (II FAe), which is dedicated to Search and Rescue, Rotorary Wings, and Maritime Patrol:
- 4th Squadron of the 7th Aviation Group (4º/7ºGAv), the Cardeal Squadron, using P-95A (Embraer EMB 111 Bandeirante Patrulha) aircraft for Maritime Patrol Missions.
Subordinated to the command of the 3rd Air Force (III FAe), which is dedicated to Reconnaissance, Attack, and Combat:
- 1st Group of Combat Aviation (1ºGAvCa), comprising the 1°/1°GAvCa – Jambock Squadron and the 2°/1°GAvCa – Pif-paf Squadron, both using the Northrop F-5E Tiger II supersponic fighter aircraft. They are currently being replaced by the F-5EM, an up-graded version of the F-5E made by EmbraerEmbraerEmbraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
in partnership with the Israeli Elbit. The 1st GAvCa also operates one AT-27 (Embraer EMB 312 Tucano) light attack aircraft. All aircraft are for attack missions. - 1st Squadron of the 16th Aviation Group (1º/16ºGAv), the Adelphi Squadron, using the A-1A and A-1B (AMX International AMXAMX International AMX|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Braybrook, Roy. "Assessing the AMX". Air International, June 1989, Vol 36 No 6. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 267–278....
) aircraft for attack, combat, and reconnaissance missions. In 1989 the Adelphi Squadron was the first unit of FAB to receive the A-1.
Subordinated to the command of the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), which is dedicated to the control of the Brazilian Airspace:
- 1st Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group (1º/1ºGCC), the Profeta Squadron, using radars and equipment for air defense.
Additionally, the base has one U-7A (Embraer EMB 810 Seneca
Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:...
) and two U-42 (Neiva Regente) for administrative missions.