The KC-390 Millennium, from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), a plane operated by the First Squadron of the First Transport Group (1st/1st GT) – Esquadrão Gordo, from Galeão Air Force Base (RJ), was in the air from the 15th to the 17th July on display at Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT 2022).
The aviation fair held in Fairford, England brought together military personnel from dozens of countries, as well as visitors, corporate guests and global partners.
In addition to the presence of the tactical and logistical transport and in-flight refueling vector, developed and manufactured by Embraer, a Brazilian company, the FAB sent a delegation with General Officers and Officials to learn about the sector's news, as well as to exchange experiences .
about the fair
The fair, which did not take place in previous years due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, was resumed this year with the aim of bringing together onlookers and aviation lovers who follow the overflights and maneuvers attentively in the skies.
Visitors had the opportunity to see an exhibition with hundreds of aircraft of all shapes and sizes, eras and countries of the world, such as military aircraft from the Royal Air Force, American, French, Italian, among others.
The RIAT has this name in allusion to the images that the aircraft form in the skies with the smoke during the maneuvers they perform, creating symbols, shapes, circles, that is, making a kind of “tattoo or drawing in the sky”.
FAB at RIAT 2022
The Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, was part of the entourage that participated in the event. Prior to the RIAT, the General Officer was at the Air Forces and Space Forces Commanders' Conference (GASCC) Global Air & Space Chief's Conference), where he signed the Declaration of Intent for Global Air Forces Collaboration on Climate Change.
Lieutenant-Brigadier Baptista Junior, accompanied by other FAB soldiers, also participated in meetings and visited various stands to learn about technological innovations in the aviation sector.
“It is on these occasions that we bring Brazilian products, what we are doing in our country and with our Air Force. Here we have a KC-390, a product of the Brazilian industry, the result of a partnership between Embraer and the Force for over ten years, no longer a prototype, but a series aircraft that is operating at Galeão Air Force Base with our crew. This generates an integration with the other Air Forces that are thinking about how their transport aircraft of this class, from 20 to 24 tons, will be replaced”, commented.
The General Officer also highlighted the opportunity to be close to representatives of the industry, in addition to interacting, developing trust with allies and presenting the necessary material for the FAB to continue planning the next programs, always with a focus on the evolution of the Institution.
For the Commander of the General Command, Lieutenant-Brigadier Pedro Luís Farcic, who was also at the fair, the event becomes of unique relevance, especially due to the current, operational and logistical moment that the FAB is in.
“We are living a unique moment at FAB, with the receipt of new projects such as the KC-390 Millennium, Gripen and happy with the acquisition of two aircraft that will be the future strategic tankers, the A-330. These novelties require a technological complement that a fair like this greatly facilitates our knowledge”He added.
RIAT 2022: Training the Next Generation Air Force
This year, RIAT 2022 has as its central theme “Training the Next Generation Air Force”. With the aim of expanding knowledge, the Commander of the FAB invited military personnel who work in the training and specialization of Air Force pilots, among them the Commander of the Air Force Academy (AFA), Air Force Brigadier Marcelo Gobett Cardoso; the Commander of the First Squadron of the Eleventh Aviation Group (1st/11th GAv) – Gavião Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Everson Lousano Galvão; Commander First Squadron of the Fifth Aviation Group (1st/5th GAv) – Rumba Squadron, Lieutenant-Colonel Aviator Rosemberg Gomes da Silva; and the Commander of the First Air Training Squadron of the AFA, Major Aviator Guilherme Gonçalves Herculian.
The Commander of the AFA, the FAB Teaching Organization responsible for training Airmen, Quartermasters and Infantry Officers, commented on the participation in RIAT 2022.
“Being here is an excellent opportunity to get to know the new concepts, techniques and doctrines aimed at primary and basic air instruction in military pilot training, practiced in the other Air Forces participating in the RIAT, with the purpose of studying possible improvements in the training of the Aviator Officer of the future”, highlighted the General Officer.
The Commander of the Gavião Squadron, Lieutenant-Colonel Galvão, who works in the specialization of pilots at the FAB, highlighted the opportunity of participating in the fair.
“It is extremely important to add knowledge and encourage the search for excellence in the preparation of future FAB combat pilots”, he added.
Rumba Squadron Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Rosemberg also commented on the event.
“Being present at the RIAT is a great opportunity to have with the most up-to-date doctrine from other countries, which allow us to reflect on ours and who knows how to improve or maintain what is already being done”, he stressed.
FAB's KC-390 Millennium
The KC-390 Millennium, on display at RIAT 2022, is a military tactical transport aircraft designed to set new standards in its category. Some of the aircraft's strengths are mobility, robust design, greater flexibility, proven state-of-the-art technology and easier maintenance.
The Commander of the KC-390 Millennium on the mission, Captain Aviator Romulo dos Santos Pinto, highlighted the importance of participating in the fair and his professional satisfaction with the opportunity to show the operational potential of the FAB outside Brazil, through KC.
“The great differential of this aircraft is that it can, in a short period of time, be configured to carry out various types of missions such as tactics, low-altitude navigation, cargo and personnel release, firefighting, in-flight refueling, search and rescue. And, for me, it is a privilege to have this opportunity to participate in the fair, we are not only showing the capabilities of the aircraft, but also the capacity of Brazil and the Brazilian people who are highly competent, have developed to produce an aircraft of this capacity and show for the whole world, not least because she doesn’t lose to any other that is here, she stands out as a reference in the Royal International Air Tattoo”, concluded the Officer.
During the visitation period, aviation enthusiasts got to know the aircraft and commented on the opportunity to be close to an aircraft manufactured in Brazil and that performs several missions for the FAB.
“It is a great pleasure for us to be here and see an aircraft like this, with all Brazilians and for us to talk about Brazil, it kills the nostalgia and that makes us proud of being Brazilians”, commented the visitor, who was born in Goiânia but has lived in England for just over five years, Giovanni Paolini.
“I believe that the KC-390 will be a great addition to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, that it will serve us well by transporting the supplies we need and it is also a very modern aircraft. So I believe it will serve us well.”, opined Royal Dutch Air Force Officer Jacco Weidenaar.
The RIAT was closed on Sunday (17/07) and, thus, the entourage went on Monday (18) to another fair, the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2022), held at Farnborough Airport, a city located about 15 minutes away by flight aboard the KC-390, which will also be on display for military personnel, businessmen and visitors from around the world.
Photos and Video: Petty Officer Manfrim / CECOMSAER
Street: Brazilian air force
