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ROCAF
Air Force Academy – Gangshan Air Base |
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The
Republic of China Air Force Academy (CAFA - Zhōnghuá
Mínguó Kōngjūn
Guānxiào)
is the military academy for the air force of the Republic of China,
and is located in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Brief
History of the Air Force Academy
The
predecessor of the ROCAF Academy was the Central Army Academy's
Aviation Corps established in Nanjing in 1928, subsequently
reorganized as the Aviation Class in 1929.
In 1931, it was relocated to Jianqiao, and renamed Central Aviation
School on September 1, 1932. It was once again renamed the Air Force
Academy on July 1, 1938, and the Academy was relocated and stationed
in Gangshan, Kaoshiung County, Taiwan in 1949.
The Academy is the result of the desire of the founding father of the
Republic of China,
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, to save the country via aviation, as well as the late
President Chiang Kai-Shek's instruction to build a strong air force.
The aim was to educate excellent youth with philosophy, science and
military science, in order to constitute the backbone of the Air Force
with remarkable abilities, strong bodies, rich specialized knowledge
and precise flying skills.
Nowadays, the students receive lessons on aerospace engineering,
avionics engineering, aviation mechanical engineering and aviation
management.
Flight Training and Time of Training for Cadets
Persons qualified for flight training will be evaluated with a
TP-1 Flight Simulator.
The flight training program is separated into three phases: Evaluation
Flight Training, Basic Flight Training and Advanced Flight Training.
Professional Flight Training Program: Male
or female flight officers will receive flight training after acquiring
the basic specialized education.
Training
Hours and the Current Type of Trainer
Selection of Flight Training : Completing 10 to 12 hours with
T-34C.
Basic Flight Training : Completing 80 hours with T-34C.
Advanced Flight Training :
1. Combat Training Section : Completing 120 hours with AT-3.
2. Air Transportation Training Section
- Completing eighty hours with BH-1900 or T-34.
- Completing ninety hours with T-34.
Flight Simulator Training will be conducted for a total of 36 to 50
hours, depending on each phase of flight training.
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Basic
Training Group is the foundation of becoming a pilot in the
R.O.C. Basic flight training is the introductory training in the
department of aviation training, which uses turbo propeller airplanes
to do basic maneuvering, flight formations and basic tactics. The
department of Basic Flight Training was founded when the Hangzhou
Jianqiao flight school was built in 1931 June first. In 1949, the
flight school moved to Taiwan Gangshan, and the department of Basic
Flight Training was officially founded. Since 1984, the original
airplanes were replaced with T-34 instructor aircraft, which has been
responsible for training about three thousand pilots until the modern
day.
Fighter Training Group In 21st year of the Republic
Era, Jianqiao gathered those first class graduates from Central
Military Academy of aviation and people who have study aviation abroad
to be the first of Advanced Section.
The Advance Section went to the United States to train with T-6
aircraft during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and move back to
Jianqiao in 35th year after the war. In October, 38th year, the
section moves to its present site in Kangshan. In 46th year, the
section was enhanced to use T-33 aircraft, and AT-3 aircraft is
officially used in November 2005.
Those who finished the section over years distributed to forces have
created splendid record in 814 Aerial Warfare etc. It's one of our
training ordeals. In the future, we will continue this training with
strict and hard requirements in order to train more excellent
combatants.
Airlift Training Group was established in
1972. In need fulfill the demand of anti-submarine and helicopter
personnel. As to reduce the cost for training, the section uses C-47
for service. From 1989 the section establishes light weight air craft
group and uses T-34C for training. After the retirement of C-47 in
1995 the section uses BH-1900C for their training till today.
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ROCAF
Air Academy students in the 1950's
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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ROCAF
Air Academy students today
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Air
Force Academy today:
Basic Training Group: Beechcraft T-34C "Mentor"
Fighter Training Group: AIDC AT-3 "Tzu Chung"
Airlift Training Group: Beeccraft BH-1900C |
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Beech
T-34C Turbo Mentor |
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T-34C
3427 |
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Close
up on a « Thunder Tiger » |
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AT-3
30835 |
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AT-3
30847 |
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Disappearing
behind the trees |
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30829
on final |
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Airbrakes
and flaps out, gear down |
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Gear
down |
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30839
on final |
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And
for another touch and go |
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View
of the underside |
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30807
on final |
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Turning
final |
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A
nice little bird |
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30852
with everything out |
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30806
on final |
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A
pair is coming back |
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Nose
section |
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« Thunder
Tiger » 80838 |
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Close
formation |
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At
the break |
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30813
on final |
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A
pair of AT-3’s on final |
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30861
on final |
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« Thunder
Tiger » 30824 |
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30807
going around; not the back seater in blind flight configuration |
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Low
approach |
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Climb
out |
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Everything
out |
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Close
up |
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Short
final |
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Perfect
formation |
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Beechcraft
BH-1900C |
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The
Air transprt trainer of the ROCAF |
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An
elegant twin engine aircraft |
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"Thunder
Tigers" Aerobatic Team |
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The
"Thunder Tiger" team, worshiped as the "Red Arrows"
in the United Kingdom
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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The
Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) aerobatic display team was formed
in 1953 at Tainan Air Base, under the name "Thunder Tigers
Technical Flying Corps". On August 14th, 1954, they performed
their first public display during the Air Force Celebration Day,
flying four F-84G "Thunderbird" (Thunderjet) aircraft
(Thunderbird was the type's name in Taiwanese).
On June 6th 1956, they received the title of "Flight Technical
Corps of China Air Force Thunder Tigers" and one year later they
began to fly a nine aircraft formation.
They crossed the border for the first time on December 15th, 1957
during the Phillippines International Air Show held at Manila Airport.
The Taiwanese team was of course one of the highlights.
In 1959, the "Thunder Tigers" made their conversion on F-86
Daggers (Taiwanese name of the Sabre) and flew their routine with 11
aircraft. Later in April the team was invited to the World Congress of
Flight at Nellis AFB, USA, where "Thunder Tigers" pilots
flew nine F-86F Sabres borrowed from USAF Williams AFB, Arizona. The
borrowed Sabre aircraft weared the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air
Force markings. During their American stay, they performed three other
displays before returning home.
In 1967, the team converted on to the Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter.
The American originated aircraft was replaced in 1975 by the Northrop
/ AIDC F-5E "Chung Cheng" fighter built under license by the
Taiwanese Aeronautical Company.
On November 1st, 1988, the "Thunder Tigers" transitioned to
the new Taiwanese-built AT-3 jet training aircraft. At that time, the
pilots of the team were drawn from instructors of the Air Force
Academy located in Tainan. Initially they flew six planes, but the
following year the team increased to its present count of seven
aircraft. The "Thunder Tigers" received their current paint
scheme in white, blue and red colors and began to use similar colors
for their smoke generators. |
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Superb
formation
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Bomb
burst artist view
(Artist
view DR) |
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The
"Thunder Tiger" team in action
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Quite
simply exotic and splendid
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Since
1993, the group has been based at the Republic of China Air Force
Academy in Gangshan, Kaohsiung.
On June 27th, 1997, during a four-ship barrel roll on a training
flight at Kang Shan Air Base, the leader of the team crashed and sadly
died in the crash.
To honor the Republic of China centenary in 2011, the "Thunder
Tigers" took part in the largest fly past held in Taiwan.
On February 3rd, 2012, two of the "Thunder Tigers" aircraft
were involved in a mid-air collision during a training flight. The
planes took off from Gangshan Air Force Base at 3:37 p.m. for a
formation training and collided 33 minutes later. The left stabilizer
of the lead plane was ripped off, but both pilots managed to return
and land the AT-3 aircraft safely at Gangshan Air Force base. Another
AT-3 training jet crashed near a mountain in Pingtung County in
Southern Taiwan, but both pilots ejected safely.
In October 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Chuang Pei-Yuan was involved in a
fatal crash while flying an AT-3 owned by the "Thunder
Tigers" team on a routine training mission. The team activities
were suspended shortly after this crash and all AT-3 aircraft were
grounded for major inspections regarding these fatal crashes.
The "Thunder Tigers" flew at Lieutenant Colonel Chuang
Pei-Yuan's funeral in November 2014. The next unofficial display was
held on November 2016.
Since 2017 the team has resumed its demonstrations, but exclusively
within the Taiwanese sector.
Welcoming them on the western side of Europe would be an excellent
challenge for the organizers of the RIAT, for example... |
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AIDC
AT-3 "Tzu Chung" trainer |
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The
AIDC AT-3 "Tzu Chung" (Self Reliance) is an advanced jet
trainer operated by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF). A total
of sixty-two aircraft were manufactured between 1984 and 1990, by the
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation of Taiwan (AIDC) in
collaboration with American aircraft manufacturer Northrop. Two A-3
single-seat attack versions were also built.
The design of this advanced jet trainer began in 1975. After the
design was approved in 1978, two prototypes were produced. The first
aircraft rolled out on July 17th, 1980 and made its maiden flight on
September 16th, 1980. Further evaluation resulted in a contract for 60
AT-3A's for the ROCAF. |
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The
prototype 01 at take off
(Courtesy
AIDC Archives) |
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Armaments
trials
(Courtesy
AIDC Archives) |
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Design:
The AT-3 is a low-wing monoplane with a straight wing and a
conventional slab tail plane. The AT-3 has five weapon mounts (one
centerline, two inboard underwing and two outboard underwing) and
wingtip launch rails. There are two Zero-zero Martin-Baker 10 ejection
seats in the tandem dual-control cockpit of the production models. The
rear seat (the instructor position) is elevated 30 cm to allow better
over-the-nose visibility. There's a rarely used small bomb bay feature
in the aircraft, now mostly holding an auxiliary fuel tank. The AT-3
is equipped with two Honeywell/Garrett TFE731-2-2L non-afterburning
turbofan engines, producing a total thrust of 3178 kg (7000 lb). The
aircraft is able to carry various size iron bombs, rocket pods, AIM-9
Sidewinder missiles and locally produced TC-1 IR Air-to-air missiles. |
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The
AT-3 with the South-East Asia camouflage
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Clean
configuration at landing
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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The
XA-3 "Lei Ming" single seat version of the AT-3
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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Equipped
as target towing plane
(Courtesy
AIDC Archives) |
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Operational
history:
The main AT-3A operator is the Flight Training Command in ROCAF
Academy. In 1988 the "Thunder Tigers" demonstration team
swapped its AIDC F-5E aircraft with AT-3's. On September 9th, 1989 the
35th Combat Squadron (Night Attack) replaced its old Lockheed T-33A1
Shooting Star trainers with AT-3's painted in South East Asia jungle
colors (Vietnam scheme). The AT-3's delivered to the 35th Combat
Squadron were equipped with semi-recessed twin 12.7 mm machine guns in
the bomb bay. The 35th Squadron later relocated to ROCAF Academy for
logistic reasons, and stood down in 1999 with its aircraft transferred
to the Flight Training Command. The aircraft operates both as an
advanced trainer and for weapon training. Currently all AT-3 remaining
in services with ROCAF are painted in the "Thunder Tigers"
Blue, White and Red colors. The AT-3 went through a mid-life update
between 2001 and 2006, which will allow the aircraft to operate some
more years in ROCAF service.
Performance
Crew Member: 2
Length: 42 feet 4 inches (12.9 meters)
Wingspan: 34 feet 3.75 inches (4.36 meters)
Wing Area: 236.05 square feet (21.93 square meters)
Empty Weight: 8,500 pounds (3,855 kilograms)
Maximum Take Off Weight: 17,505 pounds (7,940 kilograms) |
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In
the AIDC facilities
(Courtesy
AIDC Archives) |
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Maintenance
for the "Tzu Chung" fleet
(Courtesy
AIDC Archives) |
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In
2011 with the Republic of China Centenary logo
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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With
a new livery for the "Thunder Tiger" leader in 2017
(Courtesy
ROCAF via web) |
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