Portuguese Air Force

Força Aérea Portuguesa

Last modified: 2005-11-26 by antonio martins
Keywords: air force | eagle (yellow) | força aérea portuguesa | ex mero motu | coat of arms: eagle (golden) | e não menos por armas que por letras | afa |
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• Flag
• Coat of arms
• 50th jubillee comemorative flag
• Air Force Academy

• Portuguese aircraft fuselage markings
• Military flags of Portugal
• Portugal

Flag

During the commemeorations of the 50th jubilee of the Portuguese Air Force was seen a medium blue flag charged in the top hoist with the main charge of the Portuguese Air Force coat of arms and it’s motto scroll. I never seen that flag before — it may be or may be not an offcial flag. During the commemorative period (June 2002) it shown in many “civilian” situations — displayed alternately with the national flag and the commemorative flag all round some plazas (f.i., Praça do Relógio, in Lisbon)
António Martins, 31 Jul 2002

Vertical variant

A vertical variant of this flag is visible in the background of a parade on this photo at the FAP website. (In this photo is also visible a portuguese military color, here added with an additional motto scroll.)
António Martins, 31 Jul 2002

Coat of arms

The emblem of the air force is a golden eagle (with wings spread) in a blue field.
João Madureira, 04 May 1998

The Portuguese Air Force coat of arms is azure an eagle displayed or armed gules, portuguese aviation crown (golden with two visible Christ Knight’s crosses, alternated with three visible golden wing pairs), and white scroll with black motto «Ex mero motu» («by its own motion»?).
António Martins, 31 Jul 2002

50th jubillee comemorative flag

Recently, in June this year, the Portuguese Air Force completed 50 years and a commemorative logo was extensively used, i.a. in a logo-on-bedsheet flag, often used in “civilian” situations — displayed alternately with the national flag and the Portuguese Air Force flag all round some plazas (f.i., Praça do Relógio, in Lisbon), or hoisted bellow the very big national flag in the Vasco da Gama Tower (in Lisbon).

The commemorative logo is inscribed in a circle, with a medium blue contour showing three thrusting fighter planes and the figure 50, plus counterchanged letterings «Força Aérea Portuguesa», «anos» and «1952-2002»; centered overall, on a white disc, the Christ Knight’s cross, which is also the Portuguese Air Force roundel marking.

António Martins, 31 Jul 2002

Air Force Academy

Guidon of the portuguese Air Force Academy, a higher education institution where future officers are bread.
António Martins, 26 Jun 2004

The flag is in blue, gold, and black, with the arms of the Academy (the air force golden eagle with spread wings plus two open books in gold in the chief), surrounded by a white circle bearing the motto «E não menos por armas que por letras» — roughly meaning «And not less by weapons as by books», and the initals "AFA" in white and black in each of the four corners.
João Madureira, 23 Apr 2003