Bidar Air Force Station
Bidar Air Force Station, (Kannada: ಬೀದರ್ ಏರ್ ಫೋರ್ಸ್ ಸ್ಟೇಷನ್) (Hindi: बीदर वायु सेना स्टेशन), is a flight training establishment of the Indian Air Force. It was founded during World War II and has been a training center for Indian Air Force pilots since 1963. Trainer aircraft like the HAL HT-2 and variants of HAL HJT-16 Kiran have been used at the airbase for nearly four decades. In 2011, the station was remodeled and refurbished, with the runway extended to 9000 feet and new facilities for aircraft engine maintenance and testing added.
| Bidar Air Force Station | |||||||||
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| Part of Bidar | |||||||||
| Bidar, Karnataka Near Chidri area of Bidar city in India | |||||||||
Bidar Air Force Station Location in India | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 17.9°N 77.47°E | ||||||||
| Type | Indian Air Force Station | ||||||||
| Code | VOBR | ||||||||
| Height | 2,178 feet (664 m) | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Indian Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Training Command | ||||||||
| Open to the public | No | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1943-47 | ||||||||
| Built by |
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| In use | Training Command Center | ||||||||
| Fate | In 2011, the station was remodeled and refurbished, with the runway extended to 9000 feet and new facilities for aircraft engine maintenance and testing added | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Abhijeet Nene | ||||||||
| Past commanders | Air Chief Marshal PV Naik | ||||||||
| Garrison | No. 52 Squadron IAF | ||||||||
| Occupants | No. 52 Squadron IAF | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: IXX, ICAO: VOBR | ||||||||
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Bidar Air Force Station is home to the second biggest training center in India, providing further training to graduates of the Indian Air Force Academy before they are assigned to combat units. 60-90 sorties per day are flown from the base, generating the highest number of single-engine flying hours in India.
Once the home base for the air force's No. 52 Squadron, the station now houses the three Hawk Operational Training Squadrons (HOTS-A Aggressors, HOTS-B Bravehearts, and HOTS-C Cheetahs). A fourth squadron is ready to be raised shortly. The Weapon System Operators' School also functions here.