Belize Defence Force Air Wing

The Belize Defence Force Air Wing is the aviation branch of the Belize Defence Force, formed in 1983 it is based at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Ladyville. The main tasks of the Air Wing are Reconnaissance, SAR, CASEVAC, aerial resupply and troop transport. Furthermore, they assist the police in drug interdiction and anti-smuggling operations, and can be called upon by the Maritime Wing. Two Britten-Norman Defenders (registration BDF-01 and BDF-02) were purchased in Britain and formed the backbone of the air wing for years. The two aircraft could be equipped with light armament, making them the first armed aircraft in Belizean history. The British Forces in Belize maintained a strong position throughout the eighties and it was only in 1990, twelve years after its formation, that three Belizeans took command of the Belize Defence Force as Commandant of BDF, Guard Commander, Commander of Air & Maritime Wing.[1][2]

Belize Defence Force Air Wing
Belize Defence Force emblem
Active	1983
Country	Belize
Allegiance	Belize Defence Force
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Insignia
Aircraft marking

The Air Wing had 2 or 3 Ayres Thrush planes that were used for counter insurgency and crop dusting which initially entered service in 1988. One of them may have crashed at some point. They have apparently been placed in storage due to being deemed obsolete.[3]

In October 1998, Defender BDF-01 crashed near Orange Walk. A US Chinook helicopter retrieved it in 1999. BDF-01 was unable to be repaired, so a replacement Defender was received in 2003, with registration BDF-05.[4] In 2007, BDF-05 crashed in a marshy area near the Belizean coast. No fatalities were sustained, and a US UH-60 Black Hawk airlifted it out of the area.[5][4]

Through late 2015 and early 2016, two UH-1H helicopters were donated and delivered to the Air Wing from Taiwan, which use registration BDF-11 and BDF-12.[6]

The Belize Defence Force Air Wing is responsible for recovering and storing captured aircraft such as drug planes and helicopters. One such incident occurred in 2015 when a helicopter was reported circling near the border with Mexico in Orange Walk. It was discovered abandoned at around 3:00 pm. The helicopter was a Bell 407 with the registration N607AZ. While it was suspected to be used for drug transportation, none were found inside. The registration number was unmatched upon searching for it, so it was theorized that it was a fake registration to mislead authorities. If nobody came to claim it, the aircraft would be put into service with the Air Wing. As stated by Brig. Gen. David Jones of the Defence Force, it was unlikely to be claimed.[7] However, no information is available to confirm this.