Aviation Photography by Piet Luijken

Online Article:

Lebanese Air Force/Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Lubnania

Starting an Air Force from scratch is never easy, especially if you only have some refurbished UH-1H Huey helicopters and a lot of stored planes in dire need of costly maintenance. However, this was the starting point for the LAF in 2005. With all available assets and staff, pilots and ground crew were trained again to operate the Huey and to start executing operational missions, like border patrol, crop spraying, forest fire suppression and Search-And-Rescue. Pilot training was improved, also for cost reasons, by introducing the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters for training purposes in 2006. All airplanes acquired in the 70s and 80s have been stored for years now, awaiting maintenance checks and overhauls made difficult by a lack of maintenance logs. However, without the necessary budget, the LAF will have to rely on the improvisation and dedication of its personnel to turn the LAF into a modern, well-equipped air force, ready for its task.

Lebanon

2005 - 2006

Beirut Air Base
Kleyate Air Base
Rayak Air Base

With the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005, Lebanon finally got its sovereignty back. Many years of war and foreign interference had paid a heavy toll to the country. A start was made with reconstruc-tion, including for Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Lubnania or Lebanese Air Force (LAF) who actually had to start from scratch.

During my multiple visits I was welcomed by the Air Force Commander, Brigadier General Pilot Zebian, and its staff, including interviews. Also I was allowed to visit all three air bases in Lebanon and the Air Force Museum.

A 13-page article was published in Scramble 324 - May 2006.