With an air crossing of more than 3,456 nautical miles, crossing North America, Central America and the Caribbean, pilots and flight technicians of the Colombian Aerospace Force, FAC, carried out a demanding mission to bring three new Cessna C-172S Skyhawk aircraft into flight that will strengthen the training processes of the International Fixed Wing School, ESIAF, in Puerto Salgar, department of Cundinamarca.
The air operation included 13 international stops in strategic cities such as Wichita Falls and Brownsville, in the United States; Veracruz and Tapachula, in Mexico; in addition to passes through Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, before arriving in Colombia. During several days of navigation, the crew members faced meteorological changes, long journeys over the sea and complex international aeronautical coordination, demonstrating the professionalism, discipline and resources of the Institution's human talent in military operation.
The arrival of these aircraft represents a new breakthrough for the International Fixed-Wing School, created in 2022 and currently considered one of the most promising air military training centers in the region. At Puerto Salgar, department of Cundinamarca, the ESIAF leads Colombian and foreign pilot training processes under international standards, consolidating Colombia as a benchmark in hemispheric cooperation in defense and aviation security.
Currently, the ESIAF has a modern fleet of Cessna C-172S Skyhawk and Texan T-6C aircraft, complemented with Redbird FMX and T-6C Texan II flight simulators with Mixed Reality, MR technology, in addition to programs based on Artificial Intelligence, data analysis and virtual reality, tools that strengthen training, manage to recreate complex military operation environments and consolidate an innovative teaching model focused on military operation with safety and academic excellence.
Source: Public Communications Office CACOM 1
