Canoas Air Force Base

Canoas Air Force Base – BACO is a base of the Brazilian Air Force, located in Canoas, Brazil.

History
The history of Canoas Air Force Base begins in 1937, when the 3rd Army Aviation Regiment (3º RAv) transferred from Santa Maria Air Force Base to Canoas. With the setting up of the Air Force Ministry in 1941, the 3º RAv became known as Porto Alegre Air Force Base. However, on 21 August 1944, the 3º RAv officially ceased to exist; the same day marked the establishment of Canoas Air Force Base.

Units
The following units are based at Canoas Air Force Base:

Subordinated to the command of the 3rd Air Force (III FAe), which is dedicated to Reconnaissance, Attack, and Combat:
 * 1st Squadron of the 14th Aviation Group (1º/14ºGAv), the Pampa Squadron, using F-5EM and F-5FM (Northrop F-5E Tiger II) and AT-27 (Embraer EMB 312 Tucano) aircraft for attack, and reconnaissance missions.

Subordinated to the command of the 5th Regional Air Force Command (V COMAR):
 * 5th Squadron of Air Transportation (5°ETA), the Pégaso Squadron, using C-95A (Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante), C-97 (Embraer EMB 120 Brasília) and C-98 (Cessna 208 Caravan I/II) aircraft for transport, logistics, and humanitary missions.

Subordinated to the command of the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), which is dedicated to the control of the Brazilian Airspace:
 * 2nd Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group (2º/1ºGCC), the Aranha Squadron, using radars and equipment for air defense.

Additionally, the Batalhão de Infantaria de Aeronáutica Especial de Canoas (BINFAE-CO), an Infantry Battalion of the Brazilian Air Force that guards the Base, is also based at Canoas Air Force Base.

Accidents and incidents

 * 6 June 1949: a Brazilian Air Force Douglas C-47B-50-DK registration FAB-2023 flying from Florianópolis Air Force Base to Canoas flew into the side of a mountain shortly after take-off and flying into heavy overcast. All 28 passengers and crew died.
 * 28 July 1950: a Panair do Brasil Lockheed L-049 Constellation registration PP-PCG operating flight 99 from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Canoas Air Force Base struck power lines and crashed on a hill after an aborted landing and while holding in bad weather near São Leopoldo. All 50 passengers and crew died.
 * 26 October 1993: a Brazilian Air Force Patrol P-95 Embraer EMB 111 Bandeirante Patrulha registration FAB-2290 that departed from Canoas crashed into the ocean near Angra dos Reis while flying in bad weather conditions. All crew of 3 died.
 * 2 August 2011: a Brazilian Air Force Cessna C-98A Grand Caravan registration FAB-2735 en route from Canoas to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Air Force Base crashed near the location of Bom Jardim da Serra. All eight occupants died.

Access
The base is located 6 km east of downtown Canoas and 21 km north of downtown Porto Alegre.