A Sample Feature From Aviation News

The Portuguese rotary club

Above: One of the Rotores helicopters is put through its paces for the camera by two members of the 2009 Rotores display team; Captain Ferreira and Lieutenant Melo. In 2009, the team will complete 12 displays in Portugal, France and Spain. (Photo, author)

Although military aviation in Portugal dates back to May 1911, the history of Base Aerea 11 Beja Air Base located in the Baixo Alentejo region of Southern Portugal is far more recent. In fact, dating from 1964, Beja is the Forca Aerea Portuguesa’s (Portuguese Air Force ‘PAF’) youngest base, and in many ways, it is perhaps the most important. Ian Harding went to find out why.

DESPITE its relatively young age, Beja has a vital strategic role to play within the Comando Operacional da Forca Aerea Portuguesa, being home to four squadrons of considerable diversity focussed on basic and advanced fixed and rotary pilot training. Following the arrival of 601 Sqn and its P-3 Orions from BA 6 at Montijo during February 2008, it adopted a maritime role too. Add to this the fact that Beja also hosts the country’s two national display teams; the internationally re-knowned Asas de Portugal and less well-known Rotores de Portugal, and the significance of Beja grows. While fast jets always draw much attention for understandable reasons, one of Beja’s older and certainly distinguished residents receives far less but this in no way detracts from the high esteem in which it is held. The aircraft is the venerable and much loved Sud Aviation Aérospatiale SA-316B Alouette III, still going strong after 45 years in service. There is some irony here perhaps in that Portugal’s youngest base is therefore also home to the most historic aircraft currently in service with the PAF and to 552 Sqn Zangoes (Drones) whose responsibility it is to extend the service life of this remarkable light transport and multipurpose aircraft.

A diverse role

The PAF received 142 Alouette IIIs, the first of which was delivered in April 1963, serving with two squadrons on the Portuguese mainland: No 111 Sqn at BA 3 Tancos Air Base from 1963 until the unit was disbanded in 1992 and 552 Sqn established at Tancos in 1978. Both squadrons shared a pool of Alouette IIIs until 111 Sqn disbanded, followed by 552 Sqn moving to its current home at Beja in November 1993. The unique qualities of this amazing helicopter were tested during the African ‘colonial wars’ and later supporting UN troops on the ground in East Timor between 2000 and 2002. The aircraft’s greatest test occurred between 1961 and 1974 when many former Portuguese colonies in Africa and the Far East rejected Portuguese rule, giving rise to many armed independent movements. During this period the PAF amassed substantial combat experience which ultimately helped shape its structure and test its aircraft and aircrew to the full. The Alouette III operated extensively in all three overseas fronts in Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Angola, primarily undertaking ‘medevac’ and other ground troop support missions. It was not used as a gun ship although a version known as a ‘heli-canhao’ was armed with a 200mm cannon. During this period, it was operated by five Squadrons overseas: 94 ‘De Miconge a Luiana’, 122 ‘Canibais’, 402 ‘Saltimbancos’, 503 ‘Os Indios’ and 703 ‘Vampiros’.
No 552 Sqn is now the proud custodian of the final 12 PAF aircraft in flying condition. Although all 12 are designated SA-316Bs, there is a subtle difference between some of the aircraft which do not materially affect their operational conditions. Some received instrumentation enabling them to be flown under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) while others did not, hence they operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The IFR aircraft are used specifically for training. Operational missions are undertaken by both variants including night flying and some pilots prefer the VFR variant, which is lighter due to the weight of the extra instrumentation in the aircraft fitted with IFR. This equipment comprises the VOR (Very High Frequency Omni-directional Radio Range), ILS (Instrument Landing System), DME (Distance Measuring Equipment), Radio-Altimeter and a very rudimentary auto-pilot system. As for the colour scheme, all aircraft currently retain a traditional two tone brown/green camouflage as a base and seven have special bright Rotores display markings additionally applied.
The squadron has the prestige of representing the PAF publicly with their unique Alouette III display team; the Rotores de Portugal, which, made its debut with four aircraft at Sintra AB in April 1976. The team displayed like this for almost 20 years before it disbanded in 1995 only to return ten years later in 2005 with three aircraft. They have been displaying ever since, largely to Portuguese audiences, although one or two overseas displays generally take place each year. The current team leader is Major Carlos Candeias who, with over 3,000 flight hours in the Alouette understands the aircraft as well as anyone, expressed the importance of the Rotores team.

Below: Engines shut down, ground crew attend to the aircraft while air crew head off for their mission de-brief session. (Photo, author)

For the rest of this article please see the October 2009 issue.