The Air Force Academy () was an educational institution of the

Albanian Air Force The Albanian Air Force ( sq, Forca Ajrore e Republikës së Shqipërisë - Air Force of the Republic of Albania) is the air force of Albania and one of the branches of the Albanian Armed Forces. History Early history In 1914 the government ...

based in Vlorë, Albania. Four year courses were held at the academy, after which graduates are transferred as officers to the air force.

History

In the late 1930s the first pilot were sent to train in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, airmen were sent to Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union for training. After the need for a domestic training program became apparent. People's Defense Minister Beqir Balluku ordered the establishment of the "Aviation School in the city of

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foo ...

". It was created by decree of the Presidium of the People's Assembly on 11 May 1962 as the Air Force School of the Albanian People's Army. In 1963, the first jet training squadron was formed, with pilots training on Soviet MIG-15 jet aircraft. JAK-61s and MIG-19s were also used, with the former used for basic pilot training and the latter for advanced pilot training. From 1967-1968, during which the country underwent a

Cultural and Ideological Revolution The Cultural and Ideological Revolution () or Cultural Revolution () was a period of political and social change in Albania, launched by Enver Hoxha, the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania (PPSH) at the time. The authorities of th ...

, the school was restructured to train maintenance personnel and flight instructors. In 1971, it was renamed to the High School of Aviation by decision of the Defense Council. In 1992, after the fall of the People's Socialist Republic, it was renamed the Air Force Academy. In 2005, it was renamed the Air Force Corps School. In 2008 the Air Force Corps School passed under the auspices of the Defense Ministry. The former academy training field was converted into a soccer filed in the 2010s.

Alumni

* Colonel Vladimir Avdia, acting military representative of Albania in

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

References

{{coord missing, Albania Educational institutions established in 1962 Military academies of Albania 1962 establishments in Albania

History

Alumni

See also

References