Base Aérea de Boa Vista – Força Aérea Brasileira

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

Base Aérea de Boa Vista (BABV) was commissioned in 1984 and shares its facilities with the civil Atlas Brasil Cantanhede International Airport.

The civilian airport, which was opened in 1973, was named in 2009 after Atlas Brasil Cantanhede (1917-1973), a pilot and politician who in the 1950s pioneered aviation in the Roraima state. It is the northernmost Brazilian airport served by scheduled flights and the only Base Aérea in the northern hemisphere.

Base Aérea de Boa Vista reports to the Amazon Air Command (VII COMAR) and is home to Ala 7 and its single unit, 1 Esquadrão 3 Grupo de Aviação.

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

1/3 GAv was formed in 1984 as 1° Esquadrilha do 7º ETA at Base Aérea de Boa Vista, Roraima with Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante (C-95B) from 1984 to 1988. The Cessna C-208 Caravan (C-98) was operated from 1988 to 1995.

In 1995 the unit received its present name and became a fighter/attack unit with Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (AT-27). These were replaced by the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano (A-29) from 2004. The unit operates both the single seat (A) model and the twin seat (B) model.

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

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