Haitian Air Corps
| Haitian air corps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942–1994 (2013 re-establishment) |
| Country | Haiti |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Defence |
| Garrison/HQ | Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
The Haiti Air Corps (French: Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti) was a unit of the Armed Forces of Haiti.
The corps was formed in 1943 with some former United States aircraft. In the late 1940s Haiti got its first fighter aircraft, an F-51 Mustang. Haiti in 1975 bought a Cessna O-2A Skymaster for the air corps. The corps was disbanded in 1994.[1]
Aircraft operated
Many of Haiti's air force aircraft were donated secondhand from the United States and France:[2]
- North American Aviation F-51D Mustang fighters – 6 delivered 1950 and the last retired 1973/74, sold to Dominican Republic for parts
- North American Aviation T-28 TrojanD fighter trainer – 12 ex-French Air Force delivered 1973
- Cessna O-2A Skymaster – 8 observation aircraft delivered 1975 and sold to Dominican Republic for parts
- Sikorsky S-55 utility helicopters
- Republic P-47 fighters received from the USA
A Haitian DC-3 - de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver/de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter utility transport
- Hughes Helicopters 269C utility/trainer helicopter – 3
- Hughes Helicopters 369CC utility/trainer helicopter – 2
- Sikorsky S-58T (CH-34 ChoctawC)
- Aermacchi SF.260TP Warrior trainer*
- Cessna 150 – 3/Cessna 172 Skyhawk trainer
- Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando transport last seen in Uphold democracy.
- Beechcraft Beech 18 light transport
Lynn Garrison and crew with Haitian Corps d'Aviation Marchetti S-211 prior to flight in 1990
A Haitian Corps d’Aviation SF-260TP in 1990 - Lockheed C-60 Lodestar
- Boeing S-307 Stratoliner
- Cessna 310
- Douglas C-47 Dakota
- Beech 58 Baron
- Cessna 402 Utililiner
- IAI 201 Arava
- Piper PA-34 Seneca
- Cessna 303
- Beech 65 Queen Air
- Fairchild PT-19 trainer
- North American Aviation North American T-6G Texan trainer
- Vultee Aircraft Vultee BT-13A Valiant trainer.[3]
- Beech Bonanza F33 trainer
- SIAI-Machetti S-211 jet trainer, retired and put up for sale on 23 April 1990, 2 sold to United States private companies and 2 to Republic of Singapore Air Force
- Lockheed AT-33 Strike aircraft lease from the USA
Air Force involvement in Operation uphold democracy
The Haiti Air Corps was active in Operation uphold democracy as a transport force. All of Haiti's combat aircraft were retired, Haiti air force at the time had:
- Two O-57 Grasshopper scout planes
- Three BT-13 Valiant trainer planes
- One C-78 Bobcat transport plane
- One C-46 Commando transport plane
All of the equipment was from WW2 and was in very bad condition. The US Army captured two C-46 Commandos painted in Air Haiti markings and one was tracked to being a EX-US Navy plane.[4]
Current state
The Haiti Air Corps is currently active as of 2013 and the state of the retired aircraft is not known, but many aircraft were sold as parts or secondhand aircraft. The SIAI-Machetti S-211 jet trainers were retired and put up for sale on 23 April 1990, 2 sold to United States private companies and 2 to Republic of Singapore Air Force, and some of the F-51s and O-2As were given to the Dominican Republic for spare parts. Some of the aircraft like the S-58Ts and O-2As can be seen as wrecks in junkyards. The current inventory consists of 4 helicopters and some trainers/Cessna light aircraft.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ "Haiti Air Force". www.aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ the world's air forces. p. 634.
- ↑ Wegg 1990, p. 139.
- ↑ "Uphold Democracy 1994: WWII weapons encountered". wwiiafterwwii. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
- ↑ "Haiti Air Force". www.aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/haiti/fadh.htm