Berufsfliegerkorps

The Berufsfliegerkorps (BFK) (English: professional flying corps, French: corps of the aviateurs professionnels, Italian: corpo degli aviatori di professione) are the professional pilots of the Swiss Air Force.

Berufsfliegerkorps (BFK)
professional flying corps
corps of the aviateurs professionnels
corpo degli aviatori di professione
Active2005-today
CountrySwitzerland
BranchSwiss Air Force
Roleprofessional military pilot's unit
Garrison/HQDübendorf Air Base
HQ of the Berufsfliegerkorps at Dübendorf AFB

History

In the early 20th century, Swiss military pilots were usually militia soldiers. During the Second World War there was a need for a permanent, professional association to maintain Swiss neutrality. On 4 April 1941, the Federal Council decided to create the Überwachungsgeschwader ("Surveillance Squadron").

The Überwachungsgeschwader was disbanded at the end of 2005 and its personnel transferred to the Berufsfliegerkorps. The command of the BFK is on the Dübendorf Air Base, at which today no combat aircraft are stationed.

The display teams Patrouille Suisse, Hornet Solodisplay, Superpuma Display and PC-7 Team are recruited from members of the corps belonging to various squadrons.

References
  • Flieger-Flab-Museum
  • Wattinger, Rudolf (2006). "Vom Überwachungsgeschwader zum Berufsfliegerkorps" [From the Surveillance Squadron to the Professional Flying Corps]. Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitschrift (ASMZ) (in German). 172 (9): 14–15. doi:10.5169/seals-70493.
  • "Berufsfliegerkorps". Schweizer Luftwaffe (in German). Archived from the original on 6 April 2016.
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