Boboc is the cradle of the Romanian military aviation

Aurel Vlaicu (1882-1913) is one of the three most famous pioneers of Romanian aviation. In 1910, he built the first aircraft for the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2003, the entire training of flying, radio-engineering and anti-aircraft personnel for the Romanian army has been conducted at this base.

The first military aviation school was established in Romania on April 1, 1912 at the Cotroceni airport near Bucharest. Currently, two squadrons, which are part of SAFA, are stationed in Boboc. The first squadron, Escadrila 1. Aviatie Instructoare, is equipped with IAK-52 planes and IAR-316B helicopters for initial student training. The IAK-52 is a license version of the Jakowlew Jak-52 two-seater training aircraft, produced by Aerostar SA in Bacau. The IAK-52 entered service in 1985 and it is not planned to replace it with another type (they are to remain in service for a minimum of another seven years). The IAR-316B is a license version of the Aérospatiale SA.316B Alouette III helicopter, produced since 1971 at the IAR (Industria Aeronautică Română) plants in Brasov. Of the 125 delivered IAR-316Bs, only six remain in service and are used exclusively for Boboc Basic Training.

The squadron equipped with IAK-52 planes was previously stationed at Brasov-Ghimbav base, but at the end of 2003 it was transferred to Boboc. A fleet of IAR-316B helicopters and An-2 planes were stationed in Buzau before they were transferred to Boboc in 2002. An-2 planes were decommissioned after the disaster in 2010, which killed 11 people, including the then school commander, Colonel Nicolae Jianu. Currently, there is no multi-engine training aircraft for the preparation of transport crews, but no decision has yet been made regarding the purchase of a suitable training aircraft.

Candidates for jet pilots are trained by the 2nd Training Squadron (Escadrila 2 Aviaţie Instructoare), equipped with IAR-99 Standard aircraft, on an advanced training course, after completing the basic training conducted on the IAK-52. On July 31, 2015, 26 students completed the basic training, including 11 on IAR-316B helicopters and 15 on IAK-52 aircraft.

Escadrila 205 is equipped with IAR-99C Soim (Hawk) aircraft and is stationed in Bacau, logistically subordinate to the command of the Aeriana Base 95 base. The unit has been based there since 2012. According to unconfirmed information, the IAR-99C Soim are to return to Boboc in 2016. Compared to the IAR-99 Standard, the IAR-99C Soim version has a cabin with multifunctional displays, allowing for the training of pilots who will later sit behind with the controls of the modernized MiG-21M and MF fighter planes in the LanceR-C version, which are currently stationed at the Câmpia Turzii and Mihail Kogalniceanu bases. SAFA is set to start training the first F-16 fighter in 2017.

The Aviation School in Boboc is responsible for the aviation training of the graduates of the Aviation Academy of the Air Force "Henri Coanda". About 15 students are trained annually. The commander of the school wing, Col. Calenciuc, comments: This year was extremely busy, because we had 25 new students to train, who took up training on IAK-52 aircraft and 15 for training on IAR-316B helicopters. We use IAK-52 planes for selection and basic training. Over the past few years, we have changed many of our procedures and even our mindset to align our aviation training process with NATO requirements. We maintain regular contacts with the Turkish Air Force School and the Polish Air Force Academy in Dęblin to exchange experiences.

Until 2015, students studied a three-year program that began during their three-year study at the Air Force Academy and ended at the Boboc base. During the first year, the training was conducted on IAK-52 aircraft (30-45 hours of flight) and mainly included learning the landing procedures in VFR conditions, moving around in airport traffic, basic maneuvers as well as aerobatics and formation flights.

The decision as to the direction of further training, whether the pilot will be directed to fighter and transport aviation or become a helicopter pilot, is made after 25 hours of flight - says the instructor on the IAK-52 aircraft, Pusca Bogdan. Then he adds - The pilots we train for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are an exception, because they are all trained for helicopters. Therefore, they do not undergo selection training on the IAK-52, and are immediately sent for training on IAR-316B helicopters.

The commander of the Boboc base, Colonel Nic Tanasieand, explains: From autumn 2015, we are introducing a new aviation training system, under which aviation training will be continuous. This training is aimed at better preparation of pilots. The entire training period will be closed in 18 months, instead of the previous almost four years, when flight training was conducted only for seven months of the year. Previously, training on the IAK-52 lasted only three summer months during the summer recess at the Brasov Air Force Academy.

In the new training system, the first phase consists of six months of training on the IAK-52 so that students will obtain a pilot license upon graduation from the Air Force Academy. The second phase is advanced training conducted on IAR-99 Standard aircraft, also for six months. The training ends with the tactical-combat phase conducted on IAR-99C Soim by Escadrila 205 from the Bacau base. In this phase, also lasting six months, students learn to use the cabin with multifunctional displays, undergo training in night flights and training in combat application. Our goal is to further raise aviation training to a higher level and standardize procedures.

Col. Tanasieand is an experienced pilot himself, with over 1100 hours of flight time on L-29, T-37, MiG-23, LanceR and F-16 airplanes, he is also an instructor at the school. Col. Tanasiehas took over the duties of the Commander of the Air Force Aviation School in Boboc at the beginning of 2015: Using all my experience as a fighter pilot, I can share my knowledge with eighteen instructors of our school so that the Air Force receives the best trained graduates possible.

Due to the limited possibilities of the school, not all students are trained from start to finish in Boboc. Some of them undergo training in a private company, Romanian Flight Training, based in Strejnice near Ploiesti. They are trained here on Cessna 172 airplanes or EC-145 helicopters. The aim of this training is to obtain a tourist license after about 50 flight hours, only then they go to Boboc for further training. Thanks to this, students also gain additional experience outside the military, which increases their level of training. Many trainees, both airplane and helicopter courses, undergo such training, and only later in Boboc do they obtain the qualifications of military pilots.