Belize
Belmopan Airfield
Ownership
Operator: Royal Bahraini Air Force, Air Operations Centre, PO Box 245, Bahrain.
Operator Identity Code:
| Code | Operator |
| n/a | RBAF |
Not applicable.
Location
| Country | Region | Sub-Region |
| Bahrain | Southern Governorate | – |
Address: Not known.
Nearest Town/City: Manama – airfield is 11 miles (18 km) south.
| Latitude | Longitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Deg. Min. Sec. | N 25° 55′ 06.10″ | E 050° 35′ 26.01″ |
| Decimal | N 25.9184° | E 50.5906° |
Elevation: 41 m/136 ft
[geo_mashup_map map_content=”global” center_lat=25.9184 center_lng=50.5906 zoom=13 name=”airfields”]
History
Name Changes
| Airfield name | 1987 – Present |
Narrative Summary
General narrative history of the airfield.
Key Dates
| date 1 | Work starts on constructing airfield | |
| date 2 | Formal opening of the airfield | |
| date 3 | First aircraft arrives |
Runways
| Direction | Length | Width | Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | ||
| 15/33 | 3800 | 12467 | 45 | 148 | Paved |
Residents
The following organisations are, or were, permanently based at this location:
Based Military Units
| Unit | Operator | Arrived | Departed | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Fighter Wing | RBAF | 1989 | Current | Various |
| VMA(AW)-224 | USMC | 28 Aug 1990 | Mar 1991 | Fighter-Bomber |
Based Civilian Operators
Not applicable.
Photo Gallery
To be added.
More Information
Books
To be added.
Magazines
Feature articles to be added.
Websites
| Disclaimer: Information is provided on this page for historical purposes only, and not for aerial navigation. |
Punta Gorda Airport
Ownership
Operator: unknown.
Location
| Country | Region | Sub-Region |
| Belize | Toledo District | Punta Gorda |
Address: Riffa Air Base, Al Muaskar Highway, East Riffa, Bahrain.
Nearest Town/City: Punt Gorda – airfield is 2.5 miles (4 km) due south.
| Latitude | Longitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Deg. Min. Sec. | N 26° 06′ 33″ | E 050° 34′ 44″ |
| Decimal | N 26.109167° | E 50.578889° |
Elevation: 2 m/7 ft AMSL.
History
Name Changes
| Punta Gorda Airport | ? – Present |
Narrative Summary
Riffa (also reported as Rifa’a) Air Base is the home base of the Air Force and Navy’s helicopter units. It is located directly to the south of Isa Town, one of the main cities on Bahrain island. It was originally built in 19??.
Key Dates
| 199? | Airfield construction begins | |
| 1994 | Airfield officially opened |
Runways
| Direction | Length | Width | Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | ||
| 07/25 | 700 | 2,297 | ? | ? | Paved |
Residents
The following organisations are, or were, permanently based at this location:
Based Military Units
BDF aircraft use this airport, but there is no permanent BDF presence.
Based Civilian Operators
To be added.
Photo Gallery
To be added.
More Information
Books
None known
Magazines
Feature articles to be added.
Websites
wikipedia: Punta Gorda Airport
| Disclaimer: Information is provided on this page for historical purposes only, and not for aerial navigation. |
Philip S. W. Goldson IAP
Ownership
Operator: unknown.
Location
| Country | Region | Sub-Region |
| Belize | Toledo District | ? |
Address: ?, Belize.
Nearest Town/City: Punt Gorda – airfield is 2.5 miles (4 km) due south.
| Latitude | Longitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Deg. Min. Sec. | N 26° 06′ 33″ | E 050° 34′ 44″ |
| Decimal | N 26.109167° | E 50.578889° |
Elevation: 5 m/16 ft AMSL.
History
Name Changes
| Belize City Airport | ? – ? |
| Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport | ? – Present |
Narrative Summary
All BDF aircraft and helicopters are currently based here.
Key Dates
| 199? | Airfield construction begins | |
| 199? | Airfield officially opened |
Runways
| Direction | Length | Width | Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | ||
| 07/25 | 2,164 | 7,100 | ? | ? | Paved |
Residents
The following organisations are, or were, permanently based at this location:
Based Military Units
BDF aircraft use this airport, but there is no permanent BDF presence.
Based Civilian Operators
To be added.
Photo Gallery
To be added.
More Information
Books
None known
Magazines
Feature articles to be added.
Websites
wikipedia: Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport
| Disclaimer: Information is provided on this page for historical purposes only, and not for aerial navigation. |
Air Wing
Belize Defence Force
History
The Air Wing of the Belize Defence Force was formed in 1983.
Subordinate Units
None.
Aircraft
| Type | Qty | Service | Example Serials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender | 2 | 1983 – Present | BDF-01, BDF-02 |
| Dornier Do-27 | 1 | 1987 – 1990 | BDF-03 |
| Cessna 182J | 1 | 1996 – Present | BDF-03 |
| Slingsby T-67M-200 Firefly | 1 | 1996 – Present | BDF-04 |
| Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander | 1 | 2000 – Present | BDF-05 |
| Beech A90 King Air | 1 | 2004 – 2006 | BDF-06 |
| Ayres S-2R/T Turbo Trush (DOSAW) | 3 | 1988 – n/a | N3100E, N3100N, N3090M |
| Bell UH-1H Iroquois (DOSAW) | 1 | 1990 – 2000 | N81526 |
| Cessna 208 Caravan (DOSAW) | 1 | n/a – n/a | N9720F |
Unit Markings
| Figure 1 |
|---|
| To be added |
Main Bases
| Base | Duration |
|---|---|
| Philip S. W. Goldson IAP/Belize City | 1983 – Present |
Photographs
None currently available.
More Information
References
- World Air Forces Directory 2002/2003 (Ian Carroll)
Other Sources
To be added.
National Markings
Belize Defence Force
This section describes and illustrates the various national insignia used by the Belize Defence Force since its formation:
1983-Present
The main marking is displayed in 2 positions on the fuselage and the tailfin. Most aircraft have BDF and the serial number applied on 4 positions (ie above and below each wing, and on each side of the fuselage).
Air Bases and Airfields
Belize Defence Force
This page gives details of the air base and airfields which are used by the Belize Defence Force. Belmopán and Punta Gorda are secondary airfields, which are used temporarily.
Belize Defence Force
History
Narrative Summary
The Belize Defence Force Air Wing was formed in 1983 and based at Belize City. The main tasks of the Air Wing are reconnaissance, SAR, transport and anti-narcotic. Two BN-2B Defenders were bought in Britain and formed the backbone of the air wing for years. The two aircraft could be equipped with light armament as rocketpods, torpedoes and guns, making them the first armed aircraft in Belizean history. In 1991 the Guatemalan government recognized the self determination of the Belizean people, ten years after it’s independence. This step was followed in 1992 by a declaration of the Guatemalan president of the recognition of the independent state of Belize and the establishment of diplomatic relation between the two countries. After this the RAF Harriers were withdrawn from Belize in 1993 followed by the Puma helicopters in 1994 marking the disbandment of the British Force Belize (BFB). The BDF assumed total defence responsibility on January 1, 1994.
The only British flying unit left in Belize is the Army Air Corps 25 Flight equipped with some Gazelle and Lynx helicopters, based at Price Barracks, Ladyville. During the 1990s the Air Wing was expanded by a Cessna 182 and a Slingsby T67M-260 basic training aircraft, the latter acquired in 1996 in Britain and marking another step towards self-reliance of the Belize Defence Force by training the Air Wing’s own pilots. Tragedy however struck in October 1998, when one of the BN-2B (BDF-01) crashed in a swampy area southeast of Indian Church in the Orange Walk District. Following the significant decrease in capacity, a Britten-Norman Islander was obtained as a replacement aircraft. As with the British, the BDF receives military assistance from the United States, seeing Department of State Air Wing (DOSAW) operated UH-1H helicopters and Ayres S2R defoliant sprayers deployed in the country.
Key Dates
| 1983 | Belize Defence Force Air Wing was formed. | |
| 1993 | RAF Harriers were withdrawn from Belize. | |
| 1 January 1994 | The BDF assumed total defence responsibility. | |
| 1994 | British Forces Belize was disbanded. | |
| October 1998 | BDF-01 crashed. |
Current Status
The Air Wing is fully operational.
Future Plans
No information available.
Markings
National Insignia
Current — Historical
Aircraft Serial Numbers
First serials were allocated to aircraft in 1983. The prefix BDF is used.
Unit/Base Codes
Coding system not used.
Aircraft
Aircraft Designations
None.
Current Aircraft Inventory
Table of Current Service Aircraft
All-Time Aircraft Used List
All-Time Table of Aircraft Used
Aircraft NOT Used
No false reports of aircraft on order or in service have been noted.
Organisation
Main Headquarters:
Price Barracks, Ladyville
Organisational Structure
The Air Force is organised into one operational unit.
Current Order of Battle
Table of Current Order of Battle
Historical Orders of Battle
None.
All-Time Flying Units List
Air Bases
Current Air Bases
The Belizean Air Force currently operates one major airbase and a number of secondary airfields.
Military Air Bases Listing
All-Time Air Bases Used List
More Information
Books
None.
Magazines
World Air Power Journal 32, p.142
Websites
None.