Grupo de Aviación N° 5
 

Role: Transport/Liaison.

The unit was formed as Escudrilla de Anfibios Nº 1 on 27.7.1929 with Vickers Vendette at Base Aérea El Bosque/Santiago. On 15.11.1929 the unit moved to Base Aérea La Chamiza/Puerto Montt. The unit was expanded in 1936 and became Grupo de Aviación 5, part of II Brigada Aérea from 1937. In 1940 it became part of III Brigada Aérea at Base Aérea Maquehue/Temuco. In 1944 the unit consisted of seven North American AT-6 Texan, five Vultee BT-13 Valiant, five Fairchild PT-19 and two Avro 626.

In 1949 the unit became a fighter unit, when it received Republic F-47D Thunderbolt from Grupo de Aviación 2 and moved to Base Aérea Quintero/Valparaiso. After a reorganisation in 1954, the unit was part of Ala Base 1 and was now a communication unit at Base Aérea La Chamiza/Puerto Montt again, as all remaining Republic F-47D were centralized at Grupo de Aviación 11. In 1956 the group received five Beech C50 Twin Bonanza and in 1957 five de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. In 1967 the unit became part of the recently formed Ala Base 5. The main equipment of the unit is now the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter. An Escuadrilla de Enlace operates two Cessna O-2A Skymaster from Mataveri IAP on Rapa Nui.

Air Bases:

Base	Duration
Base Aérea El Bosque/Santiago	1929 - 1929
Base Aérea La Chamiza/Puerto Montt	1929 - 1949
Base Aérea Quintero/Valparaiso	1949 - 1954
Base Aérea La Chamiza/Puerto Montt	1954 - 1967
Base Aérea El Tepual/Puerto Montt	1967 - Present

Aircraft Used:

Type	Qty	Service	Example Serials
Vickers Vedette V	6	1928 - n/a	1-6
de Havilland DH.60 Moth	2	1930 - n/a	n/a
Avro 626	2	1930 - n/a	n/a
North American NA-74	1	n/a - n/a	n/a
North American AT-6 Texan	7	1943 - 1954	n/a
Vultee BT-13 Valiant	5	1943 - n/a	101-160
Fairchild PT-19/PT-19A/PT-19B	5	1943 - n/a	n/a
Republic F-47D Thunderbolt	26	1949 - 1954	750-772
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver	2	1952 - n/a	907,911
Beech C50 Twin Bonanza	5	1956 - n/a	476-480
Sikorsky S-55 Chickasaw	1	1957 - 1971	H-53
de Havilland DHC-3 Otter	5	1957 - n/a	930-934
de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter	10	1966 - Present	932-949
Bell UH-1H Iroquois	n/a	1966 - Present	H-77
CASA 212-300	1	1997 - Present	966
Cessna O-2A Skymaster	2	1999 - Present	262,263
Cessna 525 Citationjet (CJ1)	4	2001 - Present	361-364
Cessna 206ANF Stationair	1	n/a - Present	251
Sikorsky S-70A Blackhawk	1	2011 - Present	H-02

Unit Insignia:

 

Grupo de Aviación N° 5

References:

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