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Air Base No. 11
Beja Air Base (; ), officially designated as Air Base No. 11 (, BA11) is one of the most important military airbases in Portugal, northwest of Beja, north of Algarve. It is used by the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) and has two parallel runways in the 01/19 direction, the biggest being . The base is home to two training squadrons, one helicopter squadron and one maritime patrol squadron. History The base was established on 21 October 1964, originally built to serve as a training facility for the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), due to airspace limitations within West Germany.Air Forces Monthly, p. 36. The Luftwaffe operated from the airbase until 1993, during which period it was used particularly for weapons training. In 1987 the Portuguese Air Force's 103 Squadron using Lockheed T-33 and Northrop T-38 aircraft was relocated from Montijo. After their arrival, the base started to host a mixed array of fixed and rotary-wing trainers, as well as maritime patrol aircraft. Between 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beja (Portugal)
Beja (), officially the City of Beja (), is a city and a municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 35,854, in an area of . The city proper had a population of 21,658 in 2001. The municipality is the capital of the Beja District. The municipal holiday is Ascension Day. The Portuguese Air Force has an airbase in the area – the Air Base No. 11. History Situated on a hill, commanding a strategic position over the vast plains of the Baixo Alentejo, Beja was already an important place in antiquity. Already inhabited in Celtic times, the town was later named '' Pax Julia'' by Julius Caesar in 48 BCE, when he made peace with the Lusitanians. He raised the town to be the capital of the southernmost province of Lusitania (Santarém and Braga were the other capitals of the ''conventi''). During the reign of emperor Augustus the thriving town became Pax Augusta. It was already then a strategic road junction. When the Visigoths took over the region, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the U.S. Navy initially as TO-2, then TV-2, and after 1962, T-33B. The last operator of the T-33, the Bolivian Air Force, retired the type in July 2017, after 44 years of service. Design and development The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 by lengthening the fuselage by slightly more than 3 feet (1 m) and adding a second seat, instrumentation, and flight controls. It was initially designated as a variant of the P-80/F-80, the TP-80C/TF-80C. Design work on the Lockheed P-80 began in 1943, with the first flight on 8 January 1944. Following on the Bell P-59, the P-80 became the first jet fighter to enter full squadron service in the United States Army Air Forces. As more advanced je ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Low-cost Carrier
A low-cost carrier (LCC) or low-cost airline, also called a budget, or discount carrier or airline, is an airline that is operated with an emphasis on minimizing operating costs. It sacrifices certain traditional airline luxuries for cheaper fares. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices, the airline may charge extra fees, such as for carry-on baggage. The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. The term is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services regardless of their operating models. Low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short-haul flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares. Some airlines advertise themselves as low-cost while maintaining products usually associated with traditional mainline carriers’ services. These products include preferred or assigned seati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Embraer C-390 Millennium
The Embraer C-390 Millennium is a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. It is the heaviest aircraft the company has constructed to date. Work on the project began at Embraer during the mid-2000s, with early efforts centred around a conceptual derivative of the E190 jetliner of a similar size to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The company was keen to use turbofan jet engines, instead of turboprops. Support for the venture was forthcoming from both the Brazilian government and the Brazilian Air Force. In May 2008, the government invested R$800 million (US$440M) in the project's development. In April 2009, Embraer was issued a $1.5 billion contract for two prototypes. The aircraft was initially designated C-390 before changing to KC-390 in early 2011. At the 2011 Paris Air Show, Embraer announced plans to launch a stretched version of the aircraft as a civilian freighter. Partnerships ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anti-submarine Warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typically carried out to protect friendly shipping and coastal facilities from submarine attacks and to overcome blockades. Successful ASW operations typically involve a combination of sensor and weapon technologies, along with effective deployment strategies and sufficiently trained personnel. Typically, sophisticated sonar equipment is used for first detecting, then classifying, locating, and tracking a target submarine. Sensors are therefore a key element of ASW. Common weapons for attacking submarines include torpedoes and naval mines, which can both be launched from an array of air, surface, and underwater platforms. ASW capabilities are often considered of significant strategic importance, particularly following provocative instanc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lockheed P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the Lockheed L-188 Electra, L-188 Electra commercial airliner by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed; it is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the Magnetic anomaly detector, magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines. Over the years, the P-3 has seen numerous design developments, most notably in its electronics packages. Numerous navies and air forces around the world continue to use the type primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. A total of 757 P-3s have been built. In 2012, it joined the handful of military aircraft including the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and Lockheed C-130 Hercules that the United States m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
601 Squadron (Portugal)
601 Squadron "''Lobos''" (''Esquadra 601'') is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare squadron of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF), currently based at Beja Air Base. It operates the Lockheed P-3C CUP+ Orion. Roles and missions The squadron's main mission is the maritime patrol, as well as both the anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW). It also has assigned search and rescue (SAR), and mine laying as its secondary missions. History Officially formed in March 1986, 601 Squadron's creation originated from the acquisition of six former-Royal Australian Air Force P-3B Orion aircraft by Portugal. These six aircraft were upgraded by Lockheed and OGMA and re-designated as aircraft of the P-3P variant. Portugal had lacked a dedicated aircraft for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare since 1977, when its fleet of Lockheed P-2 Neptune was retired and 61 Squadron was disbanded. As such, until the entry in service of the P-3 Orion, the Portuguese Air Forc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Search And Rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs (such as K9 units); urban search and rescue in cities; combat search and rescue on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water. International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) is a UN organisation that promotes the exchange of information between national urban search and rescue organisations. The duty to render assistance is covered by Article 98 of the UNCLOS. Definitions There are many different definitions of search and rescue, depending on the agency involved and country in question. *Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard: "Search and Rescue comprises the search for, and provision of ai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AgustaWestland AW119 Koala
The AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, produced by Leonardo since 2016, is an eight-seat utility helicopter powered by a single turboshaft engine produced for the civil market. Introduced as the Agusta A119 Koala prior to the Agusta-Westland merger, it is targeted at operators favoring lower running costs of a single-engine aircraft over the redundancy of a twin. Development The ''A119'' designation was first applied to a proposed 11-seat stretched version of the AW109 in the 1970s; however this concept did not emerge and no such rotorcraft actually built. The helicopter that was eventually to enter production as the A119 was conceived in 1994, as Agusta was recovering from a period of financial woes that had nearly put the company out of business. In February 1995, the second of two prototypes conducted its first flight. The first prototype was used for static tests. Civil certification was originally anticipated in 1997, this deadline was missed allegedly due to multiple issues suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
552 Squadron (Portugal)
552 Squadron "''Zangões''" (''Esquadra 552'') is a transport helicopter squadron of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF). Its based at Air Base No. 11 (, BA11), at Beja, and operates the AgustaWestland AW119 in transport and helicopter instruction roles. Mission It has the primary mission of executing tactical air transport operations and the secondary missions of providing basic and complementary flying training in helicopters, providing combat air support, executing general air transport operations and executing search and rescue operations. In addition to providing helicopter instruction for the Air Force, the squadron also has trained pilots of the Navy's helicopter squadron and pilots and ground crews of the Army's UALE. History Created on 24 November 1978, the 552 Squadron has inherited the traditions of all former Portuguese Air Force squadrons that operated the Sud Aviation Alouette III. After the Carnation Revolution a major reorganization occurred in the Portu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Socata TB 30 Epsilon
The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light military trainer aircraft produced by SOCATA (then part of Aérospatiale). It is a tandem two-seater with a metal airframe. The first prototype flew on 22 December 1979. Design and development In 1978, the French Air Force (''Armée de l'Air'') published a requirement for a new basic trainer aircraft to partially replace the Fouga Magister in the early parts of the syllabus for pilot training. The new aircraft was expected to have tandem seating, be powered by a 224 kW (300 hp) piston engine and have a three-hour endurance. Similar designs were proposed by the SOCATA subsidiary of Aérospatiale (based on their TB 10 Tobago light aircraft) and by GEPAL (the GEPAL Mk II). The SOCATA proposal, the TB 30B, was chosen in February 1979.Jackson 1987, p. 8. The first of two prototypes flew on 22 December 1979,Taylor 1988, p. 56. but testing showed that the Epsilon had poor handling and it was redesigned with a new swept back fin supplemen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
20151026 Christian
Year 151 (CLI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Condianus and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 904 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 151 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Asia * Mytilene and Smyrna are destroyed by an earthquake. * First year of Yuanjia of the Chinese Han dynasty. By topic Art * Detail from a rubbing of a stone relief in Wu family shrine (Wuliangci), Jiaxiang, Shandong, is made (Han dynasty). Births * Annia Galeria Aurelia Faustina, daughter of Marcus Aurelius * Zhong Yao, Chinese official and calligrapher (d. 230) Deaths * Kanishka, Indian ruler of the Kushan Empire * Novatus Saint Novatus (died c. 151) is an early Christian saint. His feast day is 20 June. Novatus and his brother, the martyr Timotheus, wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
