Aviano Air Base

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Revision as of 18:58, 16 September 2014 by J Maverick 16 (talk | contribs) (→‎External Links: F-16CJ AVB livery pack)
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Aeroporto "Pagliano e Gori" di Aviano
Aviano AB in the current version with custom buildings at dawn.
Aviano AB in the current version with custom buildings at dawn.
IATA: AVB ICAO: LIPA
Type Military
Owner Aeronautica Militare Italiana; US Air Force (user)
City Aviano, Pordenone, Italy
website
Runways
Runway Length Material
05/23 2987 m/ 42608 ft Asphalt
Scenery tile e012n46
TerraSync Not yet


Aviano Air Base is a NATO base built in 1911 in the Friuli-Venezia_Giulia This is a link to a Wikipedia article region. It is located in the Aviano This is a link to a Wikipedia article municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, about 8 NM from Pordenone. The Italian Air Force This is a link to a Wikipedia article has administrative control of the base and hosts the U.S Air Force's This is a link to a Wikipedia article 31st Fighter Wing This is a link to a Wikipedia article. 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, 555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel" This is a link to a Wikipedia article and the 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" This is a link to a Wikipedia article, 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 was established by the Italian government in 1911, and 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, until the arrival of the US Air Force.

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 a 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 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.

Communications

FGCom frequencies

(The following table takes into account some frequencies available only in the current development version.)

COMM
ATIS 129.300
TWR 142.050
GND 120.100
CLNC DEL 120.100
APP 120.120
APP 120.125
DEP 142.350


Navaids

TACAN
AVI 111X, 00 NM


NDB
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.

Progress

The following table takes into account improvements available only in the current development version.

Task Progress Remarks
Runway, beacon, PAPI, Tower Done Done Shoulders have been added and the runway prolonged and adapted as the real one; beacon has been moved out of a taxiway and the PAPI on rwy 05 moved away form the edge; the tower position has been moved to the current position.
Taxiway layouts 90}% completed Nearly done, only some adjustments here and there, especially in the south-west zone.
Taxi signs 10}% completed For now there are only the most important ones, they will be added when the layout is done.
Aprons 90}% completed A lot of small parkings have been added 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 proceeding with the southwest; in the north-east zone a car park have been added.
Buildings 20}% completed 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 70}% completed Most of the parking position have been added, have to do nearly all the net.
Comprehensive air base scenery 40}% completed The ground layout is nearly ok, taxi signs are only at the beginning, the aprons will be finished when the southwest zone is completed, buildings have to be repositioned but a few objects are already in the correct position, all the ground net an the taxi lights have to be added but most of the parking positions have been setted.

ATC services (USAF_AV)

Chart of LIPA.

ATC service is provided with OpenRadar regularly on weekends, using also Mumble This is a link to a Wikipedia article and FGCom - check Lenny's website for the exact times and dates, but usually on Saturday evenings and Thursday 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, and 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,...).

Screenshot gallery of LIPA

WED developement

Old layout version

New layout version

...

External Links

Aviano AB's F-16CJ Livery Pack