Khalifa bin Zayed Air College (KBZAC) () is a military air force academy and college of the

United Arab Emirates Armed Forces The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces () are the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates. They consist of the United Arab Emirates Army, UAE Army, United Arab Emirates Navy, UAE Navy, United Arab Emirates Air Force, UAE Air Force, United Arab E ...

and is the main training institution of the

United Arab Emirates Air Force The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) () is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still under British rule. Since then, ...

. It is located in

Al Ain Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...

History

The college was first established as a school of aviation in June 1982 at the location of

Al Dhafra Air Base Al Dhafra Air Base (ADAB, , ) is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately south of Abu Dhabi, and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force. Facilities The airport sits at an elevation of a ...

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

by the United Arab Emirates founding father Sheikh

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he became ...

. The school was established to prepare and graduate military pilots for the UAE Air Force that are knowledgeable of the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

landscape and environment. In 1984 the school was renamed to the Air College and was commanded by Sheikh

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who is serving as the third and current president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. Mohamed completed his edu ...

. Due to the increasing number of students and enhanced aviation technology a new headquarters of the college was established in the city of Al Ain in 1995. The new headquarters was opened in 1996 and the college was renamed to Khalifa bin Zayed Air College pertaining to its leader, Sheikh

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022. Khalifa was the eldes ...

, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi. In 2007 the college was officially accredited as one of the UAE's educational institute by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Curriculum

The college offers a Bachelor of Aviation in three aviation science and

military aviation Military aviation is the design, development and use of military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling aerial warfare, including national airlift (air cargo) capacity to provide military logistics, logist ...

studies: * Aviation fighter * Helicopter aviation * Unmanned aerial vehicles technologies The college also offers studies in military air support and graduates air defense officers.

Notable alumni

Mariam Al Mansouri Mariam al-Mansouri (; born 1979), is the first female fighter pilot of the United Arab Emirates. She was one of the first women to join the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) academy, graduating in 2007.Hazza Al Mansouri Hazzaa AlMansoori (, surname also spelled "Al Mansoori", full name Hazzaa Ali Abdan Khalfan Al Mansoori () is an Emirati astronaut and the first person from the United Arab Emirates in space. In 2019, he embarked on the UAE's first scientific m ...

– The first Emirati astronaut in space

References

{{authority control Khalifa bin Zayed Air College Air force academies 1982 establishments in the United Arab Emirates Education in the United Arab Emirates Military academies of the United Arab Emirates Universities and colleges in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

History

Curriculum

Notable alumni

See also

References