Brazilian Air Force Academy

Air Instruction

The Air Cadets start flying at the second year of the course. Besides all the academic studies, the Air Cadets join the Second Aerial Instruction Squadron (Segundo Esquadrão de Instrução Aérea - EIA) and begin having theoric classes of T-25 Universal basic trainer, classes about both normal and emergency procedures within the instruction area, and theory behind all pratical exercices that they will perform at the next weeks. The theoretical part of the course is extremely demanding, usually cadets have to get nothing less than 90% of correct answers at the final examinations, otherwise they practically end their chances of completing Second EIA Course and graduating as Air Force Pilots. At the end of Second EIA Course, the surviving cadets have accumulated 40 flight hours.

The T-25, as well as the T-27 courses are subdivided in four series of exercices. Pre-Solo, Manouvers and Acrobatics, Formation Flight and Navigation. As the Flights advances, about one third of the original number of Air Cadets are eliminated of the Aviation, most of them during Pre-solo flights. Usually, the eliminated air cadets stay in AFA, joining the Intendency or Infantry cadets, but lots of them just leave the Academy. This Extremelly high number of losses turned the Aviator Officer Formation Course the most dificult and demanding Officer Formation Course of all Brazilian Military Forces.

At the fourth year, the surviving air cadets join the First Aerial Instruction Squadron (First EIA) and start the course of the brazilian-made turboprop EMB-314 Tucano, better known in Brazilian Air Force as T-27 Tucano. This time, the cadets fly all over the year, learning more complex acrobacy, four-aircraft Formation Flights and IFR navigation. At the end of the year, almost graduating as Aviator Officers, the top 30 pilots are designated for the Fighter Pilot Course. The rest of the them are distributed between the Helicopter and MultiEngine Aircraf Schools.