Ghana Air Force

The GHF (Ghana Air Force) started on 24 July 1959 as a Flying Training School with Israeli instructors and technicians. The School was established as a cradle of a service to complement the Army and the Navy. Later that year a headquarters was established in Accra under the command of Indian Air commodore Jaswant Singh who was appointed as the first Chief of Air Staff (CAS).[2] In 1960 Royal Air Force personnel took up the task of training the newly established Ghana Air Force and in 1961 they were joined by a small group of Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. In September 1961 as part of President Kwame Nkrumah's Africanization program, a Ghanaian CAS was appointed, with the first being J.E.S. de Graft-Hayford. Although born in the U.K. he was of Ghanaian descent.

The Ghana Air Force was in the beginning equipped with a squadron of Chipmunk trainers, and squadrons of Beavers, Otters and Caribou transport aircraft. In addition a DH125 jet was bought for Kwame Nkrumah, Hughes helicopters were bought for mosquito spraying plus DH Doves and Herons. British-made Westland Whirlwind helicopters and a squadron of Italian-made MB-326 ground attack/trainer jets were also purchased.

In 1962 the national School of Gliding was set up by Hanna Reitsch, who was once Adolf Hitler's top personal pilot. Under the command of Air Commodore de Graft-Hayford, she served as director, operations instructor and trainer of the school. She also acted as the personal pilot of Kwame Nkrumah from 1962–1966.

The GHF headquarters and main transport airfield are located in Accra, close to Kotoka International Airport. Other GHF airfields include:

• Tamale.
• Sekondi-Takoradi.

GHF Air Force Station, Sekondi-Takoradi, started as RAF Station Takoradi, then it became Ghana Air Force Station, Sekondi-Takoradi, on 1 March 1961. The Chipmunk Basic Trainer Aircraft was the first aircraft used at the Station with an all Rank Air Force Station.

• Accra.

The GHF Air Force station, Accra, came into being soon after the Royal Air Force (RAF) had taken over the administration from the Indian and Israeli Air Force officers at the beginning of 1961. The station was housed at No 3 hangar at the Accra Airport (Kotoka International Airport) with hardly any aircraft. The Unit had four main sub-units, i.e. the Administration Wing, Flying Wing, Technical Wing and Equipment Wing. The School of Technical Training was also located at this station.

The Station moved from No 3 hangar to its present location in Burma Camp towards the end of 1965.[2]

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inspecting the Ghana Air Force guard of honour at The Flagstaff House (now the Jubilee House), 1 March 2016.

The role of the Ghana Air Force, as defined in the National Defence Policy, is to provide “Air Transport and Offensive Air Support to the Ghana Armed Forces and to protect the territorial air space of Ghana”. The National Defense Policy further states certain specific tasks, which the Ghana Air Force is expected to perform. These tasks are as follows:

• To maintain Fighter Ground Attack capability and provide Close Air Support during operation.
• To provide transport support to the Ghana Armed Forces.
• To provide surveillance over the air space of Ghana and over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• To provide liaison and recce flight capability.
• To provide VIP flight capability.
• To provide transport support for civilians as government directs.
• To provide medical evacuation and air rescue assistance.

The Ghana Air Force is also responsible for the co-ordination and direction of Search and Rescue (SAR) within the Accra Flight Information Region.[2]

The senior appointment in the GHF is the Chief of Air Staff. The following is a list of the Ghana Air Force Chiefs of Air Staff:[6]

The GHF's rank structure is similar to the RAF's rank structure from where its ranks were derived.

Commissioned officers

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Ghana (Edit)	No equivalent																								No equivalent
			Air Chief Marshal		Air Marshal		Air Vice-Marshal		Air Commodore		Group Captain		Wing Commander		Squadron Leader		Flight Lieutenant		Flying Officer			Pilot Officer

Enlisted

Equivalent NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Ghana (Edit)																	No equivalent										No equivalent								No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class I						Warrant Officer Class II		Flight Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal						Leading Aircraftsman						Aircraftsman

• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 338 Sheet 03
• Veep Commissions CASA -C295 Aircraft Into Armed Forces Service. Ghanaian Times. newtimes.com.gh.
• Defence Equipment & Technology. janes.com.

• Media related to Ghana Air Force at Wikimedia Commons