Aviation & Ships Spotting in Malta

Anything from Civil & Military Aviation to Naval Vessels

Air Wing, Armed Forces of Malta

The Air Wing of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) traces its origins back to May 1972 when it was established as the Helicopter Flight, since it operated only rotary-wing aircraft - three AB.47G-2s and a Bell 47G-2 donated by the German Government - at St. Patrick's Barracks, Pembroke.  The Flight formed an integral part of the 1 Regiment of the Malta Land Force.  

In the first week of September 1978, in anticipation of the Royal Air Force vacating Luqa Airport, the Flight took-up temporary residence in a former Royal Navy hangar at Hal Far Airfield.  With the final withdrawal of the British Forces from Malta on March 31, 1979 the Flight moved to its present home at Luqa Airport (Apron-7).  

On April 1, 1980 the Helicopter Flight, together with other units of the Armed Forces of Malta (formerly Malta Land Force), was placed under a separate command designated as the Malta Task Force.  On May 11, 1988 the Task Force was amalgamated once again into the Armed Forces of Malta and the Helicopter Flight became to form part of 1 Regiment, AFM.

In February 1992, the Flight acquired from the U.S. Government her first fixed-wing aircraft - five surplus Bird-Dogs of the Italian Army Light Aviation.  

In July 1992 the AFM was re-organised once again into a HQ and three Regiments.  The Helicopter Flight was officially designated as the Air Squadron on July 27, 1992, to better reflect the unit's establishment now comprising both rotary and fixed wing aircraft, and came under the authority of the 2 Regiment AFM, a composite regiment, which included also two other sub-units: the Maritime Squadron and the Air Defence Battery.

With the introduction of the Military Aviation Regulations on May 1, 2000, the Air Squadron detached itself from the local Civil Aviation Directorate and the Squadron's fleet started to adopt new aircraft registration markings.  These new registration markings now consists of the letters AS (for Air Squadron) and four numbers.  The first two to indicate the year when the aircraft was purchased, the last two the order in which the aircraft joined the Air Squadron.

With the re-organisation of the Armed Forces of Malta and the disbandment of 2(Composite) Regiment on October 30, 2006, the Air Squadron was renamed as the Air Wing, AFM and elavated to regimental status, with its own headquaters, chain of command and logistic structure.


Roles

  • maintenance and integrity of the Malta's territorial waters and air space through surveillance against narcotics and illegal trafficking, and the prevention of illegal fishing;
  • provision of military Search & Rescue (SAR) service;
  • provision of Military assistance to other Governmental Departments and to the Malta Police Force, as a secondary role. 


Organisation

  • Wing Headquarters
  • Base Party
  • Flight Operations Division
  • Maintenance Division
  • Integrated Logistics Division
  • Rescue Section

Aviation Assets: Past & Present

Serial

Aircraft Type

Construction

Previous Identities

Remarks

AS7201

AB.47G-2

225

9H-AAE, 74+02 (GAF)

donated (1)

(AS7202)

AB.47G-2

260

9H-AAF, 74+18 (GAF)

sold (2)

(AS7203)

AB.47G-2

262

9H-AAG, 74+20 (GAF)

sold (3)

(AS7204)

Bell 47G-2

1991

9H-AAH, 74+35 (GAF)

stored (4)

(AS7305)

AB.206A Jet Ranger

8185

9H-AAJ, 8185 (LARAF)

sold (5)

AS9206

O-1E Bird-Dog

305M-0018

9H-ACA, MM61-2972/EI-34 (E.I.)

sold (6)

(AS9207)

O-1E Bird-Dog

305M-0029

9H-ACB, MM61-2983/EI-2 (E.I.)

on loan (7)

AS9208

O-1E Bird-Dog

305M-0032

9H-ACC, MM61-2986/EI-25 (E.I.)

sold (8)

AS9209

O-1E Bird-Dog

305M-0038

9H-ACD, MM61-2990/EI-26 (E.I.)

sold (9)

AS9210

O-1E Bird-Dog

305M-0035

9H-ACE, MM62-12281/EI-12 (E.I.)

sold (10)

AS9211

SA.316B Alouette III

2295

9H-AAW, LC2295 (LP)

active

AS9212

SA.316B Alouette III

2315

9H-AAX, LC2315 (LP)

active

AS9213

NH.500M

62-0220M

9H-ABY, MM80848/GdiF-49 (GdiF)

stored

(AS9214)

NH.500M

122-0227M

9H-ABZ, MM80854/GdiF-55 (GdiF)

stored (4)

AS9315

SA.316B Alouette III

2288

9H-AAV, LC2288 (LARAF)

active

AS9516

BN-2B-26 Islander

2159

9H-ACU, 9M-TAD

active

AS9617

SE.3160 Alouette III

1209

9H-ADA, A-209 (RNLAF)

stored

AS9618

SE.3160 Alouette III

1399

9H-ADB, A-399 (RNLAF)

stored

AS9819

BN-2B-26 Islander

2156

9H-ADF, G-LIPP

active

AS0020

SA Bulldog T1

BH.120/337

9H-ADQ, XX691 (RAF)

w/o (11)

AS0021

SA Bulldog T1

BH.120/345

9H-ADR, XX696 (RAF)

active

AS0022

SA Bulldog T1

BH.120/358

9H-ADS, XX709 (RAF)

stored (12)

AS0023

SA Bulldog T1

BH.120/363

9H-ADT, XX714 (RAF)

active

AS0124

SA Bulldog T1

BH.120/240

XX547 (RAF)

active


  1. donated to the Malta Aviation Museum, for permanent display, on 30-May-2008.
  2. sold in Dec-1997, re-registered as F-GNLY; AS7202 allocated on 1-May-2000.
  3. sold in Dec-1997 in UAE, becoming a ground instructional airframe at the Dubai Aviation Academy with the fictitious registration A6-BEL; AS7202 allocated on 1-May-2000.
  4. stored in a dismantled state.
  5. sold in mid 1997, re-registered as G-DNCN; AS7305 allocated on 1-May-2000.
  6. sold in 2001; re-registered as N841CP (Dec-2001) to 4th Aviation Co.
  7. written-off on 5-May-1993 following a ground loop at M.I.A.; now, on permanent loan to Malta Aviation Museum.
  8. sold in 2002; re-registered as N320DA (Jun-2002).
  9. sold in 2001; re-registered as N119AJ (Mar-2001).
  10. sold in 2002; re-registered as N119LH (Jul-2002).
  11. written-off on 5-Aug-2007 after crash-landing in an uncultivated field at Santu Pietru, l/o Dwejra Gozo, crew of two escaped with slight injuries.
  12. damaged in a ground incident at M.I.A.; currently undergoing repairs.

 E.I.  Italian Army 
 GAF  German Air Force
 GdiF  Guardia di Finanza (Italy)
 LARAF  Libyan Arab Republic Air Force
 LP  Libyan Police
 RAF  Royal Air Force (U.K.)
 RNLAF  Royal Netherlands Air Force

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Last revised: June 22, 2008

AS7201 (ex 9H-AAE) - AB.47G-2


9H-AAJ - AB.206A Jet Ranger


9H-ACA - Cessna O-1E Bird Dog


AS9212 (ex 9H-AAX) - SA.316B Alouette III


AS9213 (ex 9H-ABY) - NH.500M


AS9618 (ex 9H-ADB) - SE.3160 Alouette III


AS9516 (ex 9H-ACU) - BN-2B-26 Islander


AS0023 (ex 9H-ADT) - Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1