Lieutenant Vicente Landaeta Gil Air Base

Lt. Vincent Landry Gil AFB (also known as Balanda ) was founded on February 14, 1964 by Resolution No. A-184 of the General Command of the Venezuelan Air Force. It is located in the city Barquisimeto in the state Lara, Venezuela.

1960s
On December 10 of the year 1963, Resolution No. A-184 of the General Command of the emitted Venezuelan Air Force (FAV), by which the Air Base Teniente Vicente Landry Gil is created, located in the city of Barquisimeto , state Lara. Its eponymous an officer distinguished Venezuelan, a member of the First Military Aviators Promotion. This officer of great talent and virtues dies in a plane crash occurred do on 4 February of the year 1931 in the crash, precisely at the airfield of the city of Barquisimeto, the aircraft flown by Farman 190; being the first air accident occurring in Venezuela.

On February 14 of the year 1964 is officially opened facilities AFB Teninte Vincent Landry Gil, being featured in this Unit Squadron B-40, equipped with aircraft B-25 Mitchell, Air Bombardment Group No. 13 and also Air Police Squadron is activated, in order to provide personnel safety, equipment and facilities as well as the operations are performed from it. It was for the honor of being its first Commander Major (Av) Juan Ignacio Leyzeaga, who exercises command until the year 1965, when the Mayor gives the same (Av) César Guerrero Zambrano. The theme of this unit is rising "Insurance to tomorrow." The Air Base Teniente Vicente Landry Gil, was conceived as an infrastructure with all services to operate safely and efficiently at any time as required, thus ensuring maximum mobilization and operation of any of the weapons systems that account the Venezuelan Air Force.

In the year 1968 a breakthrough in technology technical staff of this unit participate in the assembly in the country was made aircraft, F-86K and the beginning of the largest system inspections Canberra ; which were made on the outside.The Unit participated with a bomber squadron of B-25 Mitchell in the acts of the 48th Anniversary of Military Aviation Venezuela, made in the El Libertador Air Base in the city of Maracay.

In July of the year 1969, you receive the Base Command, Lt. Col. (Av) Rafael Sanchez Mejias. During this year, the Air Force undergoes a change in its structural organization to be restructured as follows: a General Aviation Command as regent brain and conductor; one staff of the Aviation and Inspectorate General of Aviation, as advisory bodies; and implementing agencies as three commands: The Air Command Instruction Air Command and Service Air Combat Command; Command which is assigned to this unit. During this year of 1969, an unfortunate accident happens aircraft B-25 Mitchell in the city of Barquisimeto , where he died on Senior Technical Sergeant (Av) Esteban Sánchez Pachano. With the passing of the years, this unit gave shelter to weapons systems such as Canberra, F-86K , F-86F ; latter being those that gave life to this operational unit to be the first aircraft were assigned as Operational Air Base Unit; this occurs in the month of July in the year 1971 when the Air Fighter Group No. 12 sets this facility as its headquarters. In the course of this year were moved to Barcelona, aircraft Canberra that had been highlighted in this unit. At the end of this year enters Heroes Squadron, Lt. (Av) Raga Esteban Parra, who died in the crash of the plane F-86Fque was flying near the town of Sanare.

1970s
During the year 1972, the Venezuelan Air Force weapon system acquires CF-5 airplane that over the years will be the operational aircraft of this air base. In the year 1973, the unfortunate accident where the Lieutenant die (Av) Otilio Guerra Torres, Jose Lucena Escalona, Carlos Colmenares save the Sergeant occurs Bolivian Air Force Airman Venancio Chavez and Orlando Loaiza, the rush to land near population of Tapipa in Miranda State , the plane B-25 Mitchellen traveling.In 1974 , the Air Fighter Group No. 12, it is definitely transferred to Barquisimeto , becoming the operating unit of the Air Base Teniente Vicente Landry Gil, whose main objective is to conduct operations against air force and air support, to to help fulfill the mission of the Venezuelan Air Force. But it was not until July of the year 1974, when the planes are definitely transferred to the Air Base Teniente Vicente Gil Landry, where they operate since. The arrival of the aircraft CF-5, along with the Canadian school game, sank to the instruction and training of fighter pilots so far existed in the Venezuelan Air Force , which introduced new techniques and knowledge.

In the year 1976, comes into force on Housing Plan through Housing Institute Garrison of the Armed Forces, which would make it possible to manufacture the houses of the Military Construction Lieutenant Vicente Gil Landry. For the year 1977, through the improvement plans for military and civilian personnel of the armed forces, the commissaries are created in the air force; thus would create the post commissary this airbase. That same year, the crash die where the Mayor (Av) and Lieutenant Rafael Penaloza Mota (Av) Franco Paternoster Fine gold, the case died Sept. 21 in Los Tamayones state Lara, when they worked a training flight on a plane VF-5D. While it is the year of 1978 are created, better known by his initials as CAFAV auxiliary corps, air force, these bodies were composed of people who develop aeronautical activities in the country, who would be trained and monitored by the Air Force to fulfill air operations in an emergency or at the request of the command, this base was assigned control Auxiliary No. 3. In the year 1979, the modification work teams aircraft navigation and communication are made CF-5 , denominating since VF-5.

1980s
For the year of 1986, specifically in the month of November, the Venezuelan Air Force , conducts an organizational change of Air Groups to effect transformation of Fighter Squadron No. 35 Air Fighter Group No. 12 Squadron Combat School No. 35. During the month of February 1987 he is assigned to this new Squadron Weapons System T-2D, which were part of the Air Training Group; as its first Commander Major (Av) Certain Arnold Gallardo. This squadron had the responsibility to train fighter pilots of the Air Force that would feed Units Hunting as are the Air Groups Game No. 11 (Aircraft Mirage 50 ), No. 12 (Aircraft VF-5 ) and No. 16 ( Aircraft F-16 ) respectively.

1990s
Again in the year 1991, the Venezuelan Air Force , implementing a modernization program called "Griffin Program" for a new aircraft modernization VF-5. This modernization involved the modification of the navigation system and communication by an electronic navigation system integrated attack. In the year of 1997 and led to organizational changes within the Venezuelan Air Force, the Air Base Teniente Vicente Gil Landry becomes the Command of the Air Zone II of the Venezuelan Air Force, all in accordance with the provisions of Resolution Ministry of Defence FAV No. 2276 dated February 25 of 1997 , the first commander of this area Brigadier General (Av) Lester Luis Lopez Ordaz.

2000s
In 2000 a plane crash, the aircraft is produced VF-5 acronyms 9348 which was piloted by Captain (Av) Ricardo Fernández Rizo, provided a mechanical failure so had to eject near the town of Quibor been Lara, without regrettable loss of life occur. During this period the holding of the Forty-Seventh Anniversary held Venezuelan Air Force, the act made in the El Libertador Air Base, Maracay state Aragua, and Air Base Teniente Vicente Gil Landry; Lieutenant Colonel (Av) César Guerrero Zambrano, Unit Commander, as an act of singular importance imposed antique buttons and gave honorable mentions to civilian personnel (FAV), who with loyalty, discipline and good conduct, have devoted much of his life to the enhancement of our air force. Also a military parade and air show was performed.

Aircraft

 * Canadair / Northrop CF-5A: from 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Canadair / Northrop RCF-5A: from 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Canadair / Northrop CF-5D: from 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Canadair / Northrop NF-5A: from 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Canadair / Northrop NF-5B: from 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * A-65 B80 Beechcraft Queen Air: from 🇺🇸 United States
 * Hongdu K-8W Karakorum: from 🇨🇳 China