The ''Berufsfliegerkorps'' (BFK) ( en, professional flying corps, french: corps of the aviateurs professionnels, it, corpo degli aviatori di professione) are the professional pilots of the Swiss Air Force.

History

In the early 20th century, Swiss military pilots were usually

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

soldiers. During 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 ...

there was a need for a permanent, professional association to maintain

Swiss neutrality Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy which dictates that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed or political conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external ...

. On 4 April 1941, the Federal Council decided to create the '' Überwachungsgeschwader'' ("Surveillance Squadron"). The ''Überwachungsgeschwader'' was disbanded at the end of 2005 and its personnel transferred to the ''Berufsfliegerkorps''. The command of the BFK is on the

Dübendorf Air Base Dübendorf Military Airport (german: Militärflugplatz Dübendorf) was a military airfield of the Swiss Air Force northeast of Dübendorf in Switzerland, located east of Zürich. History The search for a suitable site for an airfield started ...

, at which today no combat aircraft are stationed. The display teams ''

Patrouille Suisse The Patrouille Suisse is an aerobatic team of the Swiss Air Force. The team flies six Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter/bomber jets. History The Patrouille Suisse was founded on August 22, 1964 with four Hawker Hunters. Two displays were also f ...

'', Hornet Solodisplay, Superpuma Display and PC-7 Team are recruited from members of the corps belonging to various squadrons.

References

Flieger-Flab-Museum The Flieger Flab Museum (English: Swiss Air Force Museum) is located in the Canton of Zurich in Dübendorf on the grounds of Dübendorf Air Base. In the museum, 40 airplanes and helicopters are displayed, with the collection divided into dist ...

* * {{Swiss Air Force Squadrons & Units Swiss Air Force Dübendorf Military units and formations established in 2005