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Manaus Air Force Base – ALA8 (IATA: PLL, ICAO: SBMN) is a base of the Brazilian Air Force, located in Manaus, Brazil.

Manaus Air Force Base
Base Aérea de Manaus
Manaus, Amazonas in Brazil
Two C-105A Amazonas at Manaus in 2014
SBMN Location in Brazil
Coordinates	03°08′46″S 059°59′11″W
Type	Air Force Base
Code	ALA8
Site information
Owner	Brazilian Air Force
Controlled by	Brazilian Air Force
Open to the public	No
Website	fab.mil.br/organizacoes/mostra/457
Site history
Built	1954 (1954)
In use	1970-present (1970-present)
Garrison information
Current commander	Cel. Av. Luiz Ângelo de Andrade Pinheiro Borges
Occupants	7th Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group 1st Squadron of the 9th Transportation Group 7th Squadron of Air Transportation 4th Aviation Battalion Brazilian Army
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: PLL, ICAO: SBAN
Elevation	81 metres (266 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27 2,318 metres (7,605 ft) Asphalt

History

The base was created in 1970 and between 1970 and 1976 public facilities of Ponta Pelada Airport were shared with the military facilities of Manaus Air Force Base.[1] In 1976, with the opening of Eduardo Gomes International Airport, all public operations were transferred to the new airport. Ponta Pelada Airport was then renamed Manaus Air Force Base and since then it handles exclusively military operations.

Units

The following units are based at Manaus Air Force Base:

• 7th Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group (7°/8°GAv) Hárpia, using the H-60L Black Hawk.[2]
• 1st Squadron of the 9th Aviation Group (1°/9°GAv) Arara, using the C-105A Amazonas.[3]
• 7th Squadron of Air Transportation (7°ETA) Cobra, using the C-97 Brasília, and the C-98A Grand Caravan.[4]
• 4th Aviation Battalion of the Brazilian Army (4° BAvEx) Batalhão Coronel Ricardo Pavanello, using HM-1 Pantera, HM-2 Black Hawk, and HM-4 Jaguar.[5]

Accidents and incidents

• 28 April 1971: Brazilian Air Force, a Douglas DC-6B registration FAB-2414 en route from Manaus to Rio de Janeiro had problems with engine vibrations which forced the crew to return to Manaus. On the ground one of the right hand engines burst into flames. The fire spread to the fuselage causing the death of 16 of the 83 occupants.[6]
• 23 February 1973: Brazilian Air Force, a de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo registration FAB-2372 crashed on landing killing 3 occupants.[7]

Access

The base is located 9 km from downtown Manaus.

Gallery

This gallery displays aircraft that are or have been based at Manaus. The gallery is not comprehensive.

Present aircraft

• 
  Sikorsky H-60L Black Hawk (FAB)
• 
  CASA C-105A Amazonas (FAB)
• 
  Embraer C-97 Brasília (FAB)
• 
  Cessna C-98A Caravan (FAB)
• 
  Eurocopter HM-1 Pantera (Army)
• 
  Sikorsky HM-2 Black Hawk (Army)

Retired aircraft

• 
  Embraer AT-26 Xavante (FAB)
• 
  Helibras H-34 Super Puma (FAB)
• 
  de Havilland C-115 Buffalo (FAB)
• 
  Embraer C-95B Bandeirante (FAB)
• 
  Northrop F-5EM (FAB)
• 
  Eurocopter HM-3 Cougar (Army)

See also

• List of Brazilian military bases
• Ponta Pelada Airport

References

External links

• Airport information for SBMN at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Current weather for SBMN at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for PLL at Aviation Safety Network

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