Grupo de Aviación 2
 

Role: Maritime Patrol/SAR/SIGINT.

The unit was formed as Grupo de Cooperación Aeronaval N° 2 on 30.6.1930. During the next years the unit received different types of float seaplanes. During the Second World War the group got AT-6 Texan, AT-11 Kasan, BT-13 Valiant and PT-19 training aircraft and OS2U Kingfisher and PBY-5 Catalina amphibians for maritime patrol and SAR duties. In 1949 the unit moved to Base Aérea Los Cóndores/Iquique and left its Republic F-47D Thunderbolt with Grupo de Aviación 5 at Base Aérea Quintero/Valparaiso. The sole equipment at this time were 13 North American AT-6 Texan. In 1957 Sikorsky S-55 Chickasaw were added to the inventory. From 1963 on the PBY-5 were replaced by HU-16B Albatross. The unit was disbanded in 1979, when the last HU-16B was retired. On 21.12.1982 the unit was reactivated with Canberra, which were operated by the Escuadrilla de Reconocimiento, and  Beech 99A, which were operated by the  Escuadrilla de Guerra Electrónica in the reconnaissance and electronic warfare role.

Air Bases:

Base	Duration
Base Aérea Quintero/Valparaiso	1930 - 1949
Base Aérea Los Cóndores/Iquique	1949 - n/a
Base Aérea Quintero/Valparaiso	n/a - 1979
Base Aérea Los Cerrillos/Santiago	1982 - n/a
Base Aérea Los Cóndores/Iquique	n/a - Present

Aircraft Used:

Type	Qty	Service	Example Serials
Dornier J Wal	8	1930 - n/a	10-12,14-18
Fairey IIIF	10	1930 - n/a	23-26
Arado Ar95	9	1938 - 1943	1-9
Focke-Wulf Fw-44 Stieglitz	1	n/a - n/a	n/a
North American AT-6 Texan	14	n/a - n/a	n/a
Beech AT-11 Kansan	7	n/a - n/a	n/a
Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher	8	1942 - 1958	300-314
Vultee BT-13 Valiant	10	1943 - n/a	n/a
Fairchild PT-19/PT-19A/PT-19B	4	1943 - n/a	n/a
Consolidated PBY-5/OA-10 Catalina	6/6	1943 - n/a	400-411
Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-1	4	1943 - n/a	500-503
North American B-25J Mitchell	12	1947 - 1948	800-811
Republic F-47D Thunderbolt	12	1949 - 1949	750-761
Sikorsky S-55 Chickasaw	8	1957 - 1971	H-50-57
Grumman HU-16B Albatross	9	1963 - 1979	566-574
ENAER PA-28-235 Dakota	n/a	1982 - Present	215-239
Bell UH-1H Iroquois	n/a	1982 - Present	H-74-96
English Electric Canberra PR.9	3	1982 - 2000	341-343
Beech 99A Petrel A/B	3/3	1982 - 2012	301-304,306-308
CASA 212-200	2	1994 - Present	960,961
Cessna O-2A Skymaster	2	1997 - Present	261,266
Bell 412	2	2009 - Present	H-57

Unit Insignia:

 

Grupo de Aviación 2

References:

• World Air Forces Directory 2006/2007 (Ian Carroll)