Haiti Air Corps
| Haitian Air Corps | |
|---|---|
| Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti Corps d’Aviation de 1’Armee d’Haiti | |
 | |
| Active | 1942–1995 |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Haiti |
| Headquarters | Bowen Field |
TheHaiti Air Corps(French:Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti (Corps d’Aviation de 1’Armee d’Haiti)) was the air force of Haiti from 1942 to 1994. The air corps was disbanded along with the rest of the armed forces afterOperation Uphold Democracy,the US invasion of 1994.
History[edit]
The Haitian Air Corps was founded in 1942 with aircraft supplied by the US.[1]The main task for this new air force was transport and communication.[1]The Haitian Air Corps was headquartered atBowen Fieldwhich was a former US marine corps airfield.[1]Môle-Saint-Nicolas Airportwas a secondary airfield. During World War 2 the Haitian Air Corps was engaged in the Caribbean anti submarine warfare campaign against the German Navy.[2]In 1950 the Haitian Air Corps received its first combat aircraft: six F-51D Mustangs which were active during the Duvalier period. In October 1970 the Mustangs were replaced by T-28 Trojans from France. The T-28s were then replaced by O-2As in 1975. In the 1980s the Haitian Air Corps received its first jet aircraft: the SIAI-Machetti S-211 and these were accompanied by SF-260s to replace the O-2s which were sold for parts. In 1990 the SIAI-Machetti S-211s were sold, 2 were sold to United States private companies and the other two were sold to the Singapore Air Force.[3]During operation Uphold Democracy the Haitian Air Corps played almost no role in Haitian defence, the Haitian inventory at the time included: TwoO-57 Grasshopperscout planes, ThreeBT-13 Valianttrainer planes, OneC-78 Bobcattransport plane, and oneC-46 Commandotransport plane.[4]Almost all of the inventory at the time of the invasion dated back to World War Two and was in very poor condition at the time, the air corps was disband along with the rest of the armed forces in 1994.
Inventory[edit]
At the time of the disbandment of the Haitian Air Corps this was the inventory:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liaison | |||||
| Taylorcraft O-57 Grasshopper | United States | Liaison | 2[4] | ||
| Transport | |||||
| Cessna C-78 Bobcat | United States | Light Transport | 1[4] | ||
| Curtiss C-46 Commando | United States | Heavy Transport | 1[4] | ||
| Trainers | |||||
| Vultee BT-13 Valiant | United States | Trainer | 3[4] | In service since 1940s | |
Aircraft retired before the disbandment of the Haitian Air Corps:North American AviationF-51D Mustang,North American AviationT-28 Trojan,CessnaO-2A Skymaster,Sikorsky S-55,de Havilland Mosquito,de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver/de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter,Hughes Helicopters269C,Hughes Helicopters369C,Sikorsky S-58T,Aermacchi SF.260TP,Douglas C-47 Dakota,SIAI-Machetti S-211.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcAeroflight[aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/haiti/Haiti-af-home.htm aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/haiti/Haiti-af-home.htm].
{{cite web}}:Check|url=value (help);Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^Hagedorn, Dan (2006).Latin American Air Wars and Aircraft 1912-1969.Hikori Publications. p. 119.ISBN9781902109442.
- ^"Haiti - Forces Armées d'Haïiti [FAd'H]".www.globalsecurity.org.Retrieved2021-03-23.
- ^abcdejwh1975 (2015-06-09)."Uphold Democracy 1994: WWII weapons encountered".wwiiafterwwii.Retrieved2021-03-23.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)