Several nations with an armed forces observe an Air Force Day or Day of the Air Force as a military holiday to recognize their country's air force. These holidays often hold the same status as any military's Armed Forces Day.
Several nations with an armed forces observe an Air Force Day or Day of the Air Force as a military holiday to recognize their country's air force. These holidays often hold the same status as any military's Armed Forces Day.
The Armenian Air Force celebrates its professional holiday on 26 June. [1] [2]
The Azerbaijani Air Forces celebrates Air Force Day on 14 February. [3]
The Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus celebrates Air Force Day every third Sunday in August, following the Soviet Air Force precedent to honor the branch's 2001 unification. [4] [5] [6]
Aviation and Air Force Day is celebrated by the Bulgarian Air Force on 16 October. It was chosen as a holiday as it honors the first combat flight in Bulgaria. Wreaths and flowers are laid in front of the Monument of the Bulgarian pilot at the building of the National Assembly. The President of Bulgaria attends the national ceremony in Sofia, where he/she receives an honor guard. The Aviation Museum in Krumovo also celebrates the holiday with an open day. [7]
Since 2006, the Royal Canadian Air Force has celebrated Air Force Day on 4 June. It has been hosted by the Royal Canadian Air Force Association of Canada (RCAFA) on Ottawa's Parliament Hill. [8]
The German Air Force celebrates its founding on 9 January.
The Indian Air Force celebrates its holiday on 8 October. Air force bases in India hold parades and air shows to mark the holiday. [9] The Air Warrior Drill Team often performs on this day. [10]
The Indonesian Air Force celebrates its founding on 9 April. [11] The Air Force also celebrated "Air Force Service Day" (Indonesian : Hari Bakti TNI AU) on 29 July to commemorate the Dakota VT-CLA's incident. [12]
The Kyrgyz Air Force celebrates Aviation Day on August 18. [13] It marks the directive of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces, that established an air unit at the Tokmak Aviation Training Regiment. [14] On Aviation Day in 2019, the 60th anniversary of military aviation in the nation was celebrated, with the air force holding an air parade in the Chüy Region. [15]
The anniversary of the founding of the Kyrgyz Air Force is also observed on 27 July. [16]
The Nicaraguan Air Force celebrates Air Force Day on 1 February. [17]
Air Force Day (known in the Urdu language as یوم فضائیه or Youm-e-Fizaya) in Pakistan is a national day celebrated on 7 September, a day after Defence Day. Airshows and other programs are held by the Pakistan Air Force to honour its role in defending the nation during the Bajaur Campaign, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and specifically in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Air Force Day is marked on 1 July by the Philippine Air Force, marking the formal anniversary of its creation in 1947.
Russia's Air Force Day is celebrated on 12 August and honors personnel, and veterans of the Russian Aerospace Forces. It was originally known as Air Fleet Day (Russian : День Воздушного Флота) when it was established in 1933 and was celebrated on the third Sunday of August. [18] [19] The modern date for the holiday was introduced by President Vladimir Putin on 31 May 2006. The date marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Imperial Russian Air Service, which was formerly part of the Engineer Corps of the Imperial Russian Army prior to that day. 12 August is still widely regarded as birthday of Russian military aviation. Air shows are commonly held at Zhukovsky Airport while more ceremonial events are held at the House of War and Armed Forces Veterans in Moscow. [20]
The Republic of China Air Force celebrates Chinese Air Force Day on 14 August. It commemorates the acts and sacrifices of the pilots of the Republic of China in the 1930s. [21] Also known as the "814 Day", it marks the anniversary of the first air-to-air victory ever made by the Republic of China Armed Forces against the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.
The Turkish Air Force Foundation Day is the anniversary holiday for Turkey's military aviation force. The foundation of the Turkish Air Force was laid by the Minister of War Mahmud Shevket Pasha in Yeşilköy on 1 June 1911, when the first Ottoman Aviation Squadrons were created. This date has since been accepted as the birthday of the Turkish Air Force. [22] [23]
Ukrainian Air Force Day is celebrated on 6 August. [24] This day is celebrated according to the presidential decree of Viktor Yushchenko on 27 June 2007.
The Air Force Day of the United States was introduced on 1 August 1947 by order of President Harry Truman. [25] It was created "in recognition of the personnel of the victorious Army Air Forces and all those who have developed and maintained our nation's air strength". 1 August was specifically chosen as the date for this holiday for historical reasons, being that at the time of its introduction, it celebrated the ruby jubilee of the 1907 establishment of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps. It officially came into being after the signing of the National Security Act of 1947, with its first celebration being staged while still under the control of the United States Army. Air Force Day was last observed in 1949. [26] [27]
Today, the Air Force Birthday honors the modern United States Air Force on 18 September. [28]
The Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces celebrates its professional holiday on the third Sunday of August. [29] It was introduced by decree of President Islam Karimov on 21 July 1995. [30] On this holiday, the Ministry of Defense organizes a number of events, including a wreath laying ceremony to honor pilots who died in the line of duty. [31] A ceremonial flypast is also organized by the Tashkent Military District over the city of Chirchiq.[ citation needed ]
Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day.
The following is the list of official public holidays recognized by the Government of Russia. On these days, government offices, embassies and some shops, are closed. If the date of observance falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be a day off in lieu of the holiday.
DOSAAF, full name Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy, was a paramilitary sport organization in the Soviet Union, concerned mainly with weapons, automobiles and aviation. The society was established in 1927 as OSOAVIAKhIM and from 1951 to 1991 carried the name of DOSAAF.
Defender of the Fatherland Day is a holiday observed in Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. It is celebrated on 23 February, except in Kazakhstan, where it is celebrated on 7 May. Ukraine abolished the holiday starting 1992 and, after the Revolution of Dignity, has instated the somewhat similar Defender of Ukraine Day on 14 October.
The Central Air Force Museum is an aviation museum in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum, it is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Soviet aircraft, with a collection including 173 aircraft and 127 aircraft engines on display. The museum also features additional displays, including Cold War-era American espionage equipment, weapons, instruments, uniforms, artwork, and a library containing books, films, and photos is also accessible to visitors.
Tushino was a former general aviation airfield located in Tushino, northwest Moscow, Russia. During the Cold War, this was the site of military exercises showcasing the latest in Soviet innovation. These exercises were held on Soviet Air Fleet Day. Nowadays, the grounds are the site of the Otkritie Arena, the home of FC Spartak Moscow, one of Russia's leading football clubs.
Ivan Vasilievich Timokhovich was a Russian military historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, Honored Scientist of Russia, Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Major General, Russian Air Force.
In the life of Soviet Union, air shows were a highly regarded type of parade, almost always of military nature. They happened on various occasions and anniversaries, in many locations across the country. A notable air show was the Tushino Air Show held annually in August.
The Air and Air Defence Forces are the aerial arm of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was formed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, though the military was not created by the Uzbek government until 1992. The Air Force consists of 10,000 to 15,000 personnel in 2006, with most of them being Russians as of 1995.
The Independence Day of Kyrgyzstan is the main state holiday in Kyrgyzstan. It is celebrated in Kyrgyzstan annually on August 31, the anniversary of its declaration of independence in 1991.
The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces comprise the air and space branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Russia established the VKS as a new branch of its military on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force (VVS) and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO), as recommended by the Ministry of Defence. The VKS has its headquarters in Moscow. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained the merger as improving efficiency and logistical support.
Russian Air Force Day is a professional military holiday of Russia celebrated on 12 August to honor the active and reserve personnel, as well as veterans of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The Kyiv Independence Day Parade has been the main event of various celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine, which is celebrated annually in Kyiv on August 24.
Armed Forces Day also known as Tajik National Army Day or Defender of the Fatherland Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on 23 February, commemorating the founding of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan. The event is marked by military parades, fireworks and ceremonies around of the country.
Day of the Russian Navy is national holiday in the Russian Federation and a senior holiday in the Russian Armed Forces. The day honors the sailors in units of the Russian Navy and its specialized arms. It is celebrated annually, on the last Sunday of July.
The Minsk Independence Day Parade also known as the July 3 Parade is the main event of the Independence Day of Belarus. This parade is held annually in Minsk on July 3 and is one of the most frequently held military parades in Eastern Europe, as well as the former Soviet Union. It is held every year except years that celebrate Victory Day, to which Victory Day Parades are held.
Day of the Armed Forces is a national holiday in Kyrgyzstan celebrated annually on May 29 commemorating the founding of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. It the second military holiday celebrated in the country, with Defender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February being of equal status as of January 2003. Armed Forces Day also takes place a day after a different holiday, Border Guards Day, which commemorates jointly with Armed Forces Day.
The Kyrgyz Air Force is the official air force of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. Its current commander is Colonel Kylychbek Aidaraliev. The official holiday of the air forces is Aviation Day on August 18.
Border Guards Day, also known as Frontier Guards Day is a former Soviet holiday that celebrates the border guard services of Russia and former Soviet republics. It is currently observed in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on 28 May - the anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Border Troops in 1918.
Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation is a Russian thematic museum and exhibition complex located on the territory of the 43rd Air Force Flight Training and Retraining Center at Dyagilevo air base, Ryazan. Exposition of the complex combines a large number of objects related to the history of the development and use of military aviation in the USSR and the Russian Federation. It includes domestic combat aircraft, samples of their weapons and equipment, military uniforms, equipment, personal belongings and awards to outstanding pilots. It also includes documents, maps, photographs, etc. Over the years the museum has conducted more than 6,000 tours, and the number of visitors has exceeded 120,000 people.