Departure
91%
vs 95% ▼ 4
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Canoas Air Force Base sits on the northern edge of the Porto Alegre metropolitan area in Rio Grande do Sul, serving as a front-line base for the Brazilian Air Force. It is not open to civilian traffic, but its single long, lit runway and military air traffic control make it a notable fixture for any simulator pilot flying in southern Brazil.
Canoas Air Force Base, known locally as Base Aérea de Canoas or ALA3, is a Brazilian Air Force installation in the city of Canoas, immediately north of Porto Alegre. It hosts fighter, transport and maritime patrol squadrons and is not open to the public, but its scale, long paved runway and military radio environment make it an interesting destination for simulator pilots exploring military aviation in southern Brazil.
The base lies in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, about 6 kilometres east of downtown Canoas and 21 kilometres north of downtown Porto Alegre. It sits close to Porto Alegre's main civil airport, Salgado Filho, and shares the general Porto Alegre terminal area, with approach control handled by Porto Alegre Approach.
Canoas has a single physical runway, 13/31, measuring 8,992 feet and surfaced in hard standing (asphalt), with runway lighting. There is no ILS available at the field.
Air traffic services at Canoas are provided on Tower on 118.5 MHz and Ground on 121.7 MHz, with an operations frequency of 122.5 MHz. ATIS broadcasts are available on 127.85 MHz. Approach control in the area is provided by Porto Alegre Approach on 119 MHz.
The base is a prominent landmark on the northern fringe of the Porto Alegre conurbation, positioned east of downtown Canoas and north of downtown Porto Alegre, making the built-up area of both cities a useful reference when inbound.
The base traces its origins to 1937, when the 3rd Army Aviation Regiment (3º RAv) was transferred to Canoas from Santa Maria Air Force Base. Following the creation of the Air Force Ministry in 1941, the unit was known for a time as Gravataí Air Force Base. On 21 August 1944 the 3º RAv was formally dissolved and Canoas Air Force Base was commissioned on the same day. On 28 July 1950 a Panair do Brasil Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashed near São Leopoldo while holding in poor weather en route to Canoas, at a time when the base's runway was used by airliners because the runway at the predecessor to Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho airport was not yet paved; all 50 aboard were killed. In 2024, catastrophic flooding in Rio Grande do Sul forced the suspension of operations at Porto Alegre's civil airport, and Canoas Air Force Base temporarily handled civilian flights from 21 May to 21 October 2024.
Canoas remains an active Brazilian Air Force base and is not open to the public. It is home to the 1st Squadron of the 14th Aviation Group flying the F-5EM fighter, the 5th Squadron of Air Transportation operating the C-95, C-97 and C-98A transport types, the 2nd Squadron of the 7th Aviation Group flying the P-95B maritime patrol aircraft, and the 2nd Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group, which operates radar and air defence equipment. As a military installation, prior permission is required for any visiting aircraft.