Lectures, exhibitions, aerial demonstrations, an obstacle course on the beach, concerts and flight baptisms for children are among the dozens of activities on the program for the 73rd anniversary of the Air Force (FA), presented yesterday in Figueira da Foz.

Scheduled to take place over ten days, between June 28 and July 6, the celebrations also include a military ceremony on Avenida do Brasil, adjacent to Buarcos Beach, with an air parade on Saturday, July 5, at 10:30 am.

Other highlights include an exhibition on the capabilities of the Air Force, in Praça da Europa (opening on June 28), as well as another, in the same place, on the 20th anniversary of the EH-101 Merlin helicopter, an aircraft “capable of saving people 700 km from the Azores, the only one that does so”, the FA pointed out.

A solidarity walk is scheduled for June 29 on the waterfront and, on June 30, the Arts and Entertainment Center will host the IX Aerospace Days. On the same day, in João Ataíde square, there will be a popular concert with the Air Force Music Band (22:30), followed by a visual show with unmanned aerial devices (drones), starting at 23:55.

Demonstrations of FA assets will be a constant throughout the ten days of the celebrations - the Air Force has stressed that there will be aircraft flying over Figueira da Foz “every day” - with the highlight being the Black Hawk helicopters (July 29), the EH-101 Merlin (on July 2) and the F16 planes based at Monte Real´s Area No. 5 base (July 3).

From the air base, located approximately 35 km to the south of Figueira da Foz, around 500 children will be baptized in the KC-290 and C-295 aircraft.

The first of these planes will also be involved in an FA interaction activity with the RFM Somnii electronic music festival (taking place between July 4 and 6 at Praia do Relógio), with Air Force pilots scheduled to appear on stage and explain the aircraft´s maneuvers live.
On July 1, Air Force Day, in addition to an open training session on Buarcos Beach, a monument will be unveiled in Praça da Europa, next to the sundial, to commemorate the institution´s 73rd anniversary, representing an Air Force aircraft “designed for the future”.

Present at the ceremony, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CEMFA), General Cartaxo Alves, highlighted the public interest mission of the institution he heads, recalling the FA´s “enormous responsibility” for the ‘gigantic’ area it covers, which stretches from 300 miles (around 480 km) west of the island of Flores (Azores) to the border with Spain, i.e. “the same distance as from Lisbon to Kiev”, the capital of Ukraine, he noted.

“A single air force, with the means it has, guarantees search and rescue, the sovereignty and integrity of our national airspace, urgent medical transport and the transportation of organs for transplantation on a daily basis, with great selflessness,” argued Cartaxo Alves.

Regarding the anniversary of the Air Force, he stressed the need that the FA feels “to celebrate itself, to relive its moments, but above all to be close to the population”.

Pedro Santana Lopes, the mayor, pointed out that in just over six months´ time there will be presidential elections, “and the debate on the importance, role and mission of the armed forces will also be present there, regardless of who wins the national elections that will take place at the beginning of 2026”.





Source: https://ofigueirense.com

Figueira da Foz