Afonsos Air Force Base (Campo dos Afonsos)

Afonsos Air Force Base is located in the Marechal Hermes district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, approximately 30 km from the city center. The site was established as Campo dos Afonsos, with the airfield opening on December 12, 1912, as the location for the Aeroclube do Brasil. Early operations included a military aviation school founded in 1914 in partnership with the Italian Army, followed by a second military aviation school established by a French mission in 1919. The facility was used for docking the Graf Zeppelin during stop-overs between 1931 and 1936. In 1941, the installation transitioned to the exclusive use of the Brazilian Air Force and was commissioned as Afonsos Air Force Base.

The base is operated by the Brazilian Air Force and houses the University of the Brazilian Air Force and the Aerospace Museum. Since January 2017, there have been no permanent flying units assigned to the installation. The facility functions as a support site for aviation units of the Brazilian Air Force, Navy, and Army. Infrastructure at the base has historically supported squadrons operating aircraft including the Lockheed C-130 Hércules, de Havilland C-115 Buffalo, Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, and rotorcraft such as the Bell H-1H Iroquois and Helibras H-34 Super Puma.