Pie de la Cuesta Air Force Base
Direction | Length | Surface | |
---|---|---|---|
ft | m | ||
10-28 | 2,320 | Asphalt |
Pie de la Cuesta Air Force Base (Spanish: Estación Aeronaval de Salina Cruz; B.A.M. 7), officially Base Aérea Militar No. 7 General de División Gustavo G. León González, Pie de la Cuesta (Air Force Base No. 7 Major General Gustavo G. León González) (ICAO: MM41), is a military airport located in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. The airport takes its name from Pie de la Cuesta, a beach neighborhood situated in the Acapulco Metropolitan Area where the airport is located.
History
In 1945, the airport was inaugurated as the civil airport serving Acapulco, a well-established coastal tourist destination in Mexico.[2] During the 1940s to the 1970s, Acapulco became the preferred destination for the Jetset, Hollywood celebrities, and affluent individuals seeking exclusive beach vacations in an exotic setting. As the popularity of Acapulco soared, the decision was made to construct a new airport.[3] On April 23, 1953, Acapulco International Airport was inaugurated, and the management of Pie de la Cuesta Airport was transferred to the Mexican Air Force.[4]
During the period known as the Mexican Dirty War, or state terrorism, in Mexico, the base served as a clandestine detention center. Illegal arrests, detentions, torture, interrogations, and the infamous "death flights" occurred here, involving the dropping of murdered and dying individuals from military planes into the Pacific Ocean. Military personnel accused of operating this method include Mario Arturo Acosta Chaparro, Alfredo Mendiola, Alberto Aguirre, and Humberto Rodríguez Acosta. Testimony suggests that teacher and guerrilla member Alicia de los Ríos Merino was last seen alive at this site.[5]
Facilities
The Air Force Station is situated at an elevation of 6 metres (20 ft) above sea level, it features one asphalt-surfaced runway, designated 10/28, measuring 2,320 metres (7,612 ft), and an apron measuring 14,153 square metres (152,342 sq ft) with parking positions for narrow-body aircraft and helipads. Adjacent facilities include 3 hangars, a control tower, and additional structures to house Air Force personnel.[6]
The airport is used by 204th Fighter Air Squad, that operates Pilatus PC-7 aircraft. Also is used by the 102nd Air Squad, that operates Bell 206 and Bell 212 aircraft.[7]
See also
- List of airports in Mexico
- List of airports by ICAO code: M
- List of Mexican military installations
- Mexican Air Force
- Acapulco International Airport
References
- ^ "Bases Aéreas" [Air Bases]. Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ Vázquez, Eduardo Francisco (23 May 2010). "POBLACION DEL VIEJO ACAPULCO 1938" [Old Acapulco Town (1938)] (in Spanish). Flickr. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "Esto es Guerrero: Historia de la Aviación" [This is Guerrero: Aviation History] (in Spanish). Mediateca Guerrero. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ Vázquez, Eduardo Francisco (23 May 2010). "POBLACION DEL VIEJO ACAPULCO 1938" [Old Acapulco Town (1938)] (in Spanish). Flickr. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ adndevanlosdesaparecidos (6 October 2021). "Caso Alicia de los Ríos: los perpetradores de su desaparición salen de las sombras". A dónde van los desaparecidos (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "PLANTELES MILITARES". Blog: uerzas Armadas de México. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ "BAM 7 "General de División Gustavo G. León González" Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero" [Air Force Base #7 "Division General Gustavo G. León González" Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero] (in Spanish). Kiwi's Patch Collection. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
External links
- SEDENA
- Air Bases in Mexico
- Bases aéreas de México
- Aeródromos de Guerrero
- v
- t
- e
- Campeche
- Chetumal
- Ciudad del Carmen
- Ciudad Juárez
- Ciudad Obregón
- Ciudad Victoria
- Ciudad Constitución
- Colima
- Ensenada
- Guasave Airfield
- Guaymas
- Guerrero Negro
- Isla de Cedros
- Ixtepec
- La Paz
- Los Mochis
- Matamoros
- Mexicali
- Minatitlán/Coatzacoalcos
- Nuevo Laredo
- Palenque
- Piedras Negras
- Poza Rica
- Puerto Escondido
- Puerto Peñasco
- Reynosa
- Tapachula
- Tepic
- Toluca/Mexico City
- Villahermosa
- Acapulco-Pie de la Cuesta Air Force Base
- Atlangatepec Air Force Station
- Celaya
- Chichen Itza
- Chilpancingo Airfield
- Ciudad Acuña
- Ciudad Mante Airfield
- Cuernavaca
- El Fuerte Airfield
- Isla Mujeres Airfield
- Holbox Airstrip
- Lagos de Moreno Airfield
- Lázaro Cárdenas
- Matehuala Airfield
- Monclova
- Monterrey-Del Norte
- Navojoa Airfield
- Nogales
- Nuevo Casas Grandes Airfield
- Pachuca
- Pátzcuaro Airfield
- Saltillo
- San Felipe
- Santa Gertrudis Air Force Base
- Tamuín
- Tehuacán
- Tuxtla Gutierrez Air Force Base
- Xalapa
- Zapopan Air Force Base
- Busiest airports in Mexico
- List of airports in Mexico
- List of airports by ICAO code: M
- Busiest airports in North America
- Busiest airports in Latin America
- List of airports in Baja California
- List of airports in Baja California Sur
- Airfields and airstrips
- Mexican Air Force
- Mexican Naval Aviation
- Transportation in Mexico
- Tourism in Mexico
- List of airlines of Mexico
- Airline destinations: Mexico