Base Aérea Lima-Las Palmas

Academia del Aire, Fuerza Aérea del Peru

25 October 2003

Apart from Jorge Chavez IAP, otherwise known as Lima-Callao, the capital of Peru houses another military airfield. At Las Palmas one finds the Academia del Aire of the Fuerza Aérea del Peru. The Peruvian Air Force Academy's flying unit is Grupo 51. The Grupo is subdivided in four Escadrónes for primary, basic and advanced phases of flying training. The latest additions are 18 Czech-built Zlin 242L's that replaced US supplied Cessna T-41D's.

The accompanying photographs have not been shot under sunny circumstances but are too interesting not to display on this site.

Thanks go to the Peruvian authorities as well as to Graham Dinsdale and Garreth le Sueur for making this visit possible.

All pictures (c) Hans Rolink.

All primary instruction is done one the Czech built Zlin 242L. 18 were supplied during 1998 to take over from Cessna T-41D's. The aircraft have been sprayed in a tactical camouflage which is a bit unusual for aircraft of this nature. Depicted here is Zlin 242L serialled 466/7. 

All the Zlins fly with Escadrón de Entrenamiento 511.

Basic training is done on the Brazilian built EMBRAER T-27 Tucano. As the hardpoints beneath the wings of 432 already tell, weapons training is also part of the T-27 course. An initial order for 20 placed in 1984 was followed by one for another 10 in 1990. One reason for the Tucanos having been sprayed in tactical camouflage is for their employment in anti-narcotics operations. 

Tucanos fly with Escadrón de Entrenamiento 512 on training missions, whilst Escadrón de Entrenamiento 514 uses them in some anti-narcotics operations.

Advanced training is the domain of the Italian built Aermacchi MB.339AP. 16 were delivered starting in 1981. It had been intended to build the type under license in Peru, but eventually nothing came of this plan.

Weapons training is also done on the MB.339AP, as evidenced by the gunpods and rocketpods beneath the wings of this jet serialled 480.

The Macchis fly with Escadrón de Entrenamiento 513.

Training the pilots for the many and varied helicopters of the Fuerza Aérea del Peru is the responsability of the Schweizer 300C light helicopters of Escadrón de Entrenamiento 510. This helicopter serialled 669 is one of six supplied during 1999.