Portuguese Air Force

Força Aérea Portuguesa

Last modified: 2024-11-16 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: air force | eagle(yellow) | forã§a aã©rea portuguesa | ex mero motu | coat of arms: eagle (golden) | e nã£o menos por armas que por letras | afa |
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2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 31 July 2002

2:3 image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024

• Flag
• Vertical Variant
• Coat of Arms
• Air Force General Staff
• Former Flag and badge (1960-1978)
• Former Rank Flags (1960-1978)
• Secretary of State of Aeronautics
• Air Force Chief of Staff
• Air Force Vice Chief of Staff
• Air Force Director of Services
• Commandant of an Air Region/Air Zone
• Air Force Academy
• 50th Jubilee Commemorative Flag

• Portuguese Military Aircraft Markings
• Portugal

Flag

During the commemorations 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 the motto scroll (see left image above). I never seen that flag before — it may be or may be not an official flag. During the commemorative period (June 2002) it was 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 Lisboa)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 31 July 2002

A variant is slightly different (see right image above), the eagle emblem in the centre at one third from the hoist.
Sources: here and here
Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024

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 Colour, here added with an additional motto scroll.)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 31 July 2002

Coat of Arms

The emblem of the air force is a golden eagle (with wings spread) in a blue field.
João Madureira, 4 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-Tuválkin, 31 July 2002

Air Force General Staff

Flag gyronny of eight of yellow and blue with broad bordure in counterchanged tinctures, on centre a shield gyronny embowed of 16 of yellow and blue in a white annulet with inscription in black initials "ENTENDER OS ENEMIGOS E ENGANA-LOS" (= understand the enemies and outsmart them). On every corner a black inscription "EMFA" on a white square, on three edges fringes of golden and blue.
Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 Nov 2024
heraldry page of the staff

Former Flag and Badge(1960-1978)

It is a dark blue square flag with a badge in its centre. Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Mar 2009

Badge(1960-1978)

It is the shield of the national coat of arms, surrounded by a leafy garland, probably of laurel and topped by a golden eagle upon a golden armillary sphere, spreading his wings.
Source: Pedersen 1979; p. 191
Klaus-Michael Schneider and António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 Mar 2009

Former Rank Flags (1960-1978)

The rank flags came in two sizes, 0.50m x 0.60m or 0.25m x 0.30m, except for that of the Commandant of an Air Region/Air Zone, which were 0.50m x 0.50m or 0.25m x 0.25m.
Source: J. Sobral´s blog Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Secretary of State of Aeronautics

Blue field, with a golden flying eagle at the centre, surrounded by five "silver" (de facto white) five-pointed stars.It had been the flag of the Subsecretary of State of Aeronautics from 1960 to 1961.
Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Air Force Chief of Staff

Blue field, with a golden flying eagle at the centre, above four "silver" (de facto white) five-pointed stars forming an arc.
Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff

White saltire on blue field, with a golden flying eagle at the centre, above (in case of a general) three "silver" (de facto white) five-pointed stars forming an arc, or (in case of a brigadier) two stars arranged horizontally.
Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Air Force Director of Services

Blue saltire on white field, with a golden flying eagle at the centre, above (in case of a general) three "silver" (de facto white) five-pointed stars forming an arc, or (in case of a brigadier) two stars arranged horizontally.
Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Commandant of an Air Region/Air Zone

A square version of the standard of a specific Air Region or Air Zone, with one to three "silver" (de facto white) five-pointed stars in the canton according to rank.
Miles Li, 25 Aug 2010

Air Force Academy

Guidon of the Portuguese Air Force Academy, a higher education institution where future officers are trained.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 June 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

50th Jubilee Commemorative 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 Lisboa), or hoisted bellow the very big national flag in the Vasco da Gama Tower (in Lisboa).
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-Tuválkin, 31 July 2002

back to Portuguese military flags click here