Aviano Air Base
Aviano AB in the current version with custom buildings at dawn. | ||||||||||
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Type | Military | |||||||||
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Owner | Aeronautica Militare Italiana; US Air Force (user) | |||||||||
City | Aviano, Pordenone, Italy | |||||||||
website | ||||||||||
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Scenery tile | e012n46 | |||||||||
TerraSync | Not yet |
Aviano Air Base is a NATO base built in 1911 in the Friuli-Venezia_Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, about 8 NM from Pordenone.
The Italian Air Force has administrative control of the base and hosts the U.S Air Force's 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, 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 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.)
ATIS | 129.300 |
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TWR | 142.050 |
GND | 120.100 |
CLNC DEL | 120.100 |
APP | 120.120 |
APP | 120.125 |
DEP | 142.350 |
AVI | 111X, | 00 NM |
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AVI | 390, | 046.0 deg, | 9.5 NM |
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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.
ATC services (USAF_AV)
ATC service is provided with OpenRadar regularly on weekends, using also Mumble 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
WED screenshot of Aviano before the developement
Screenshot of WED after the developing
WED screenshot after development
Old layout version
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 767-300 taked off from Aviano in Delta livery to ETAR
New layout version
...
External Links
- Aviano AB on Facebook
- AFN Aviano
- 31st Force Support Squadron
- Aviano AB units
- U.S. Air Forces in Europe
- Aviano Passenger Terminal
- Aviano AB history (video)
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. Download here