Created 100 years ago, during the Great War, Naval Aviation, the Portuguese Navy's air branch, developed an intense activity throughout its existence, providing relevant services to the country, having also contributed to Portugal's recognition in the annals of the most important aeronautical achievements in world history.
The Navy Aviation Service and Academy was created on 28 September 1917, and began operating on 14 December of that same year at the Bom Sucesso Dock - the first aeronautical base of the Portuguese Navy and the point of departure for some of the most important and heroic air raids in the History of Aviation.
The first air crossing of the South Atlantic, which linked Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro in 1922, completed by Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho, was one of those milestones in world aeronautics.
Today, the Helicopter Squadron is the heir to the legacy and tradition of Naval Aviation. After 24 years of operation and with some 22,000 hours flown safely, the Helicopter Squadron is a success story and a unit that has already reached its maturity.