Aviano Air Base: Difference between revisions
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| website = http://www.aviano.af.mil/ | | website = http://www.aviano.af.mil/ | ||
| runway = 05/23 | | runway = 05/23 | ||
| length = 2987 m | | length = 2987 m (42608 ft) | ||
| material = Asphalt | | material = Asphalt | ||
| scenerytile = e012n46 | | scenerytile = e012n46 | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''Aviano Air Base''' (commonly wrote ''Aviano AB'' and improperly ''Aviano AFB'') is a NATO base built in 1911 in the Italian region of {{wikipedia|Friuli-Venezia_Giulia}}. It is located in the {{wikipedia|Aviano}} municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps (reason why local people calls it "Pedemontana"), about 8 NM from Pordenone. | '''Aviano Air Base''' (commonly wrote ''Aviano AB'' and improperly ''Aviano AFB'') is a NATO base built in 1911 in the Italian region of {{wikipedia|Friuli-Venezia_Giulia}}. It is located in the {{wikipedia|Aviano}} municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps (reason why local people calls it "Pedemontana"), at about 8 NM from Pordenone. | ||
The {{wikipedia|Aeronautica Militare|Italian Air Force}} has administrative control of the base | The {{wikipedia|Aeronautica Militare|Italian Air Force}} has administrative control of the base which hosts the {{wikipedia|US Air Force|U.S. Air Force}}'s {{wikipedia|31st Fighter Wing}}. | ||
The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Italian Alps. This strategic location makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW maintains two [[F-16]] fighter squadrons, {{wikipedia|555th Fighter Squadron|555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel"}} and the {{wikipedia|510th Fighter Squadron|510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards"}}, allowing the wing to conduct offense and defensive combat air operations. | The 31st FW (which commander is Brig. Gen. Barre Seguin) is assigned to the {{wikipedia|United States Air Forces in Europe}} major command and the {{wikipedia|Third Air Force}}. It's the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Italian Alps. This strategic location makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW maintains two [[F-16]] fighter squadrons, {{wikipedia|555th Fighter Squadron|555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel"}} and the {{wikipedia|510th Fighter Squadron|510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards"}}, allowing the wing to conduct offense and defensive combat air operations. | ||
In peacetime, the 31st FW prepares for its combat role by maintaining aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness. | In peacetime, the 31st FW prepares for its combat role by maintaining aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness. | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
''Aviano Air Base'' is one of the oldest military airports in Italy, established by the Italian government in 1911, it was used as training base for Italian pilots and construction facility for aircraft parts. During WWI, Italy used the airfield in missions against the Austro-Hungarian and German armies. At that time, two Italian aviators, Captain Maurizio Pagliano and Lieutenant Luigi Gori, conducted an unauthorized, but heroic and successful, air raid on the Austrian naval yards in Pula, in what is now Croatia. In their honor, the base's name was officially changed to "Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori", in 1919. During the war the airfield was also overrun by the Austro-German army in the months between November 1917 to November 1918. Between the two wars the airfield was again used as a training base. | ''Aviano Air Base'' is one of the oldest military airports in Italy, established by the Italian government in 1911, it was used as training base for Italian pilots and construction facility for aircraft parts. During WWI, Italy used the airfield in missions against the Austro-Hungarian and German armies. At that time, two Italian aviators, Captain Maurizio Pagliano and Lieutenant Luigi Gori, conducted an unauthorized, but heroic and successful, air raid on the Austrian naval yards in Pula, in what is now Croatia. In their honor, the base's name was officially changed to "Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori", in 1919. During the war the airfield was also overrun by the Austro-German army in the months between November 1917 to November 1918. Between the two wars the airfield was again used as a training base. | ||
In the WWII, both the Italian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe flew missions from it. British forces captured the base in 1945; they conducted air operations there up to 1947, when the Italian Air Force resumed operational use of the airport and resized it in the early 50s until the arrival of the US Air Force. | In the WWII, both the Italian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe flew missions from it. British forces captured the base in 1945; they conducted air operations there up to 1947, when the Italian Air Force resumed operational use of the airport and resized it in the early 50s until the arrival of the US Air Force. | ||
In 1954, the US Government signed with the Italian Government an agreement for the joint use of the base which became NATO. In the years 1950-1990, Aviano housed in turns fighter squadrons, in support of the tasks assigned to NATO and deployments of the Air Force tasked with training in the use of weapons. | In 1954, the US Government signed with the Italian Government an agreement for the joint use of the base which became NATO. In the years 1950-1990, Aviano housed in turns fighter squadrons, in support of the tasks assigned to NATO and deployments of the Air Force tasked with training in the use of weapons. | ||
Between the 1990s and 2005 and then in 2011, Aviano hosted various aircrafts for multiple operations in ex-Jugoslavia and Lybia and deployed aircrafts | On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew swept across southern Florida, leaving extensive damage in its wake. Every building of Homestead AFB received some damage and many buildings were destroyed. The fighter squadrons evacuated most of the planes before the storm but were unable to return. In the aftermath, the secretary of defense recommended closure of the base (then used by the Air Force Reserve) and inactivating the 31st FW. To avoid losing the wing’s heritage and history as the highest scoring Army Air Force unit in the Mediterranean Theater in WWII, the impressive combat record in Vietnam and number of significant firsts they produced in the early years of the Air Force, the 31 FW was chosen to move rather than fade into obscurity. On April 1, 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated at Homestead AFB and subsequently activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy in place of the 401st Fighter Wing. | ||
Between the 1990s and 2005 and then in 2011, Aviano hosted various aircrafts for multiple operations in ex-Jugoslavia, Iraq and Lybia and deployed aircrafts | |||
in Iraq, Lybia, Afghanistan and (presently) in Turkey in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. | in Iraq, Lybia, Afghanistan and (presently) in Turkey in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. | ||
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* Area F is the flightline area, and is the largest area in Aviano. The complex contains the active runway and taxiways and most of the base's facilities like the AMC passenger terminal, the legal office and the Commissary. | * Area F is the flightline area, and is the largest area in Aviano. The complex contains the active runway and taxiways and most of the base's facilities like the AMC passenger terminal, the legal office and the Commissary. | ||
The base is also full of aprons and hangars of different sizes for fighters and also big aircrafts like the [[747]] or the [[C-17 Globemaster III]]. | The base is also full of aprons and hangars of different sizes for fighters and also to host big aircrafts like the [[747]] or the [[C-17 Globemaster III]]. | ||
=== Communications === | === Communications === | ||
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|- | |- | ||
| Taxi signs | | Taxi signs | ||
| {{progressbar| | | {{progressbar|60}} | ||
| More signs are placed | | More signs are placed. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Aprons | | Aprons | ||
| {{progressbar|90}} | | {{progressbar|90}} | ||
| A lot of small parkings have been added/edited in the Area F, especially the great one on the left side rwy 23, need only a few fine tunings. Edited the northeast zone of parkings and | | A lot of small parkings have been added/edited in the Area F, especially the great one on the left side rwy 23, need only a few fine tunings. Edited the northeast zone of parkings and the southwest. Apart of the runway, taxiways etc. also the internal area of the base is in a final part of development. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Buildings | | Buildings | ||
| Line 132: | Line 134: | ||
| Exclusion zones | | Exclusion zones | ||
| {{done}} | | {{done}} | ||
| | | They include also the internal part of the base. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Roads | | Roads | ||
Revision as of 19:19, 31 August 2015
 Aviano AB in the current version with custom buildings at dawn. | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Type | Military | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Aeronautica Militare Italiana; US Air Force (user) | |||||||||
| City | Aviano, Pordenone, Italy | |||||||||
| website | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Scenery tile | e012n46 | |||||||||
| TerraSync | Not yet | |||||||||
Aviano Air Base (commonly wrote Aviano AB and improperly Aviano AFB) is a NATO base built in 1911 in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia_Giulia 
. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps (reason why local people calls it "Pedemontana"), at about 8 NM from Pordenone.
The Italian Air Force has administrative control of the base which hosts the U.S. Air Force 's 31st Fighter Wing .
The 31st FW (which commander is Brig. Gen. Barre Seguin) is assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force . It's the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Italian Alps. This strategic location makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons, 555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel" and the 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" , allowing the wing to conduct offense and defensive combat air operations.
In peacetime, the 31st FW prepares for its combat role by maintaining aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness.
History
Aviano Air Base is one of the oldest military airports in Italy, established by the Italian government in 1911, it was used as training base for Italian pilots and construction facility for aircraft parts. During WWI, Italy used the airfield in missions against the Austro-Hungarian and German armies. At that time, two Italian aviators, Captain Maurizio Pagliano and Lieutenant Luigi Gori, conducted an unauthorized, but heroic and successful, air raid on the Austrian naval yards in Pula, in what is now Croatia. In their honor, the base's name was officially changed to "Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori", in 1919. During the war the airfield was also overrun by the Austro-German army in the months between November 1917 to November 1918. Between the two wars the airfield was again used as a training base. In the WWII, both the Italian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe flew missions from it. British forces captured the base in 1945; they conducted air operations there up to 1947, when the Italian Air Force resumed operational use of the airport and resized it in the early 50s until the arrival of the US Air Force. In 1954, the US Government signed with the Italian Government an agreement for the joint use of the base which became NATO. In the years 1950-1990, Aviano housed in turns fighter squadrons, in support of the tasks assigned to NATO and deployments of the Air Force tasked with training in the use of weapons. On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew swept across southern Florida, leaving extensive damage in its wake. Every building of Homestead AFB received some damage and many buildings were destroyed. The fighter squadrons evacuated most of the planes before the storm but were unable to return. In the aftermath, the secretary of defense recommended closure of the base (then used by the Air Force Reserve) and inactivating the 31st FW. To avoid losing the wing’s heritage and history as the highest scoring Army Air Force unit in the Mediterranean Theater in WWII, the impressive combat record in Vietnam and number of significant firsts they produced in the early years of the Air Force, the 31 FW was chosen to move rather than fade into obscurity. On April 1, 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated at Homestead AFB and subsequently activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy in place of the 401st Fighter Wing. Between the 1990s and 2005 and then in 2011, Aviano hosted various aircrafts for multiple operations in ex-Jugoslavia, Iraq and Lybia and deployed aircrafts in Iraq, Lybia, Afghanistan and (presently) in Turkey in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Technical characteristics
Runway
The airport has only one runway (045°/225°), 2987 m long and 55 m wide. (Both runways 05 and 23 will have got two BAK-12 aircraft arresting systems for emergency landings and training in the beta version).
- Both directions are used for takeoffs (though runway 05 is much preferred).
- Runway 23 is not used a lot for landings (except when there is strong down wind), for visual approaches only.
- Runway 05 is suitable for all landings and is served by an ILS system (frequency: 390.00 MHz).
Layout
- Area A1 contains a few of Aviano's support functions (such as the library and chapel) and the Department of Defense Dependents School for the base population's children.
- Area A2 contains a fitness centers, dining facility, dormitories, thrift shop and a fire department.
- Area C contains most of the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron's facilities.
- Area D contains a soccer field and picnic area.
- Area E contains AFN, military working dog kennels and Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment. The Italian Carabinieri (military police) also have their base headquarters in this area.
- Area F is the flightline area, and is the largest area in Aviano. The complex contains the active runway and taxiways and most of the base's facilities like the AMC passenger terminal, the legal office and the Commissary.
The base is also full of aprons and hangars of different sizes for fighters and also to host big aircrafts like the 747 or the C-17 Globemaster III.
Communications
FGCom frequencies
(The following table takes into account some frequencies available only in the current development version.)
| ATIS | 129.300 |
|---|---|
| TWR | 142.050 |
| GND | 120.100 |
| CLNC DEL | 120.100 |
| APP | 120.120 |
| APP 2 | 120.125 |
| DEP | 142.350 |
| AVI | 111X, | 00 NM |
|---|
| AVI | 390, | 046.0 deg, | 9.5 NM |
|---|
Custom scenery
J Maverick 16 is currently redesigning the airport so that the scenery is as faithful as possible to the real air base. The airport will be submitted for inclusion in the international scenery as soon as the ground layout and the buildings are done; further updates (more buildings, boudaries, decorations...) will be released via TerraSync. A first preview of the beta can be found on GitHub (unused). As of 2015/08, a first version is nearly ready for Terragear testing, a first custom scenery pack will be available in 2016.
Progress
The following table takes into account improvements available only in the current development version.
| Task | Progress | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Runway, beacon, PAPI, ILS, Tower |  Done
|
Shoulders have been added and the runway prolonged and adapted as the real one; beacon has been moved out of a taxiway, PAPI have been moved to the real position and the ILS system on rwy 05 moved away form the edge; the tower position has been moved to the current position. |
| Taxiway layouts | 
|
Re-designed most of them, which now are nearly done, only some adjustments here and there. |
| Taxi signs | 
|
More signs are placed. |
| Aprons |
|
A lot of small parkings have been added/edited in the Area F, especially the great one on the left side rwy 23, need only a few fine tunings. Edited the northeast zone of parkings and the southwest. Apart of the runway, taxiways etc. also the internal area of the base is in a final part of development. |
| Buildings | 
|
They've been added with the current version (as seen in the img above), but need to be completely replaced with the new one. A custom tower with the 31st FW emblem has been added. |
| Parking positions and ground net | 
|
Most of the parking position have been added, nearly all the net is ready. |
| Exclusion zones | Done
|
They include also the internal part of the base. |
| Roads |
|
The base has lots of roads, most of them are created. |
| Comprehensive air base scenery |
|
The ground layout is nearly ok, taxi signs are plaed, the aprons need only some fine edits, buildings have to be repositioned but a few objects are already in the correct position, most the ground net, the taxi lights hare added and most of the parking positions have been setted. |
ATC services (USAF_AV)
ATC service is provided with OpenRadar regularly on weekends and weekdays, using also Mumble and FGCom - check Lenny's website for the exact times and dates, but usually on Sunday evenings and Tuesdays evenings. For further informations about LIPA, you can download the chart on the right, use SkyVector and GCMAP. The air base is also included in the NIATCA project. To avoid pilot/ATC misunderstandings see the minimum list of best practices, remember that this is a military American air base and not a civilian airport, with different rules and procedures so don't simulate an emergency or found an excuse to land/take-off from Aviano only because it is controlled in that moment, especially for airliners (e.g. terrorists on board, engine faliture, passenger with cardiac arrest, President on board, very top secret mission, ...).
Aviano Open Days Week-end
Aviano Open Days Week-end will be a mega-event where every airman will be able to perform flights with any type of aircraft (from non-U.S. fighters to big airliners) during a whole week-end. ATC will be provided every day in 3-hour intervals (followed by 1 or 2 hours of free flying) from approximately 07:00 to 20:00 UTC time, with the possibility of having two towers controlling in the same time or replacing USAF_AV. Also airshows (one will be planned by FGUK) will be expected. Communications will happen on the MPChat, Mumble, Teamspeak and FGCom.
Screenshot gallery of LIPA
WED development
WED screenshot of Aviano before the developement
Screenshot of WED after the developing
WED screenshot after development
Old layout version
- Error creating thumbnail: File missing
(old) Tower view of LIPA in winter with traffic
F-15 ready for take-off from rwy 05
A Boeing 747-8i parked in the AMC apron by evening with custom buildings
F-16 taxiing to parking after landing on rwy 05 with home livery
An F/A-18D Hornet landing on rwy 05
View of the Aviano Passenger Terminal with a C-17
New layout version
...
The Aviano AB Livery Pack for F-16CJ
The Aviano Air Base Livery Pack is a set of 10 USAF liveries used by squadrons in the base for the General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon of FGUK created by Gary Brown and requested by J Maverick 16. List of liveries, development and preview from FGUK available here; from the FGForum here.