This action is part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Brazilian Air Force Patron
Two F-5M aircraft, belonging to the First Squadron of the 14th Aviation Group (1º/14th GAV) – Pampa Squadron, performed a series of overflights, in different locations in Porto Alegre, on May 20th and 21st. The flights started a series of actions in honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Air Marshal Alberto Santos Dumont, Father of Aviation and Patron of the Brazilian Air Force, to be promoted by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) during the year 2023.
On the first day of the activity, the aircraft flew during an event celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Aeroclube do Rio Grande do Sul (ARGS). The ground program also included FAB’s participation, through presentations by the Canoas Air Base Music Band (BACO), the static display of the First Air Defense Group (1º GDAAE), the demonstration of the war dogs of the Defense and Security Group of Canoas (GSD-CO), and the exhibition of the Institutional Stand focused on Santos Dumont’s anniversary.
The President of ARGS, Hemenegildo Fração Júnior, expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity. “I take this opportunity to congratulate FAB for the 150th anniversary of its Patron, Santos Dumont, and to thank the Fifth Regional Air Command (V COMAR) for having presented us with overflights of F-5 fighters. We are very happy with the participation of the Institution in our anniversary!
On Sunday, the second day of the presentations, the flights took place in two locations. Initially, the aircrafts crossed the skies under the watchful and curious eyes of approximately 39,000 people, who were getting ready to watch the famous Grenal derby, at the Arena do Grêmio. At the same moment, the ground program included a presentation by the Music Band on the stadium’s lawn.
Spreading knowledge
The announcer, a fighter pilot from the Pampa Squadron, praised Santos Dumont’s life, work, and values: “Since the world is the world, man has wanted to fly, but in 1901, one man achieved the feat of flying a balloon: the Brazilian Alberto Santos Dumont. History was just beginning,” said the military man.
Videos and images of Santos Dumont were shown on the stadium’s big screen. Afterwards, the airplanes went on to fly over the Guaíba riverfront, an important tourist attraction in the capital, drawing the attention of the people from Porto Alegre, who used to enjoy the famous sunset there on Sunday afternoons.
In the words of the V COMAR Commander, Air Major Brigadier Marcelo Fornasiari Rivero, the Air Force had the opportunity to pay homage to Santos Dumont, joining two passions of the gaucho people: aviation and soccer. For Juliane Souza, a spectator who enjoyed the event, the moment was to get to know more about the Aeronautics Patron. “I knew little about Santos Dumont and now I’m going to find out more about his works for aviation,” she said.
Besides paying tribute to one of the greatest icons in the history of aviation, the action aimed to disseminate the aeronautical culture and spread knowledge about the history of aviation and Santos Dumont’s contributions. Recognized worldwide as the “Father of Aviation”, his life and work were marked by a relentless pursuit of a dream that seemed impossible: to fly.
*** Translated by the DEFCONPress Team FYI ***Fotos:V COMAR