Emblem

Icarus, representing the new trainee,
is distinguished for his courage and energy.
Call Sign: MISTRAS

Location

120 Air Training Wing – Kalamata Air Base

Established

1963

Aircraft served

• Cessna T-37B/C Tweety Bird

Aircraft serving

• T-6A Texan II

Mission

The 361 Air Training Squadron’s mission is to implement Initial II and Basic II Phase of Flight Training Program of Hellenic Air Force’s Academy (HAFA) Air Cadets.

• Initial Phase II: The aim of this phase is trainee’s pilots to improve their skills in maneuvers and aircrafts’ system management, compliance with safety rules and decision making, in all flight conditions, in combination with human physiology.
• Basic Phase II: The aim of this phase is to enhance the trainee’s prior knowledge, competences and skills, to develop leadership skills, team-building, to improve the team spirit, to deal with information management and situational competence, setting the foundations for aviation consciousness.

In addition to its main mission, 361 Air Training Squadron is also responsible for the training of T-6A “Daedalus” Air Demo Team pilots.

History

On September 1963, 9th, the 360 Jet Training Squadron was formed at the 112 Combat Wing (CW) at Elefsina Air Base. At first, the Squadron received sixteen (16) T-37C aircraft, which arrived at 112 CW in two phases, in 1963 and 1964.

The Officers that successfully graduated the training became the instructors of the first training series (38th Flying Class) of 12 students (5 Greeks and 7 Libyans).

The 360 Jet Training Squadron operated at 112 CW until the end of 1970. In January 1971 relocated to 120 Air Training Combat Group, at Kalamata Air Base. The Combat Group gained five (5) more T-37C Aircraft.

In 1974, 360 Jet Training Squadron was renamed to 361 Basic Training Squadron (BTS).

In September 1978, eight (8) T-37B were received by the United States Air Force (USAF). In 1984, the Squadron’s T-37 aircraft had a total of twenty-six (26) aircraft, eighteen (18) T-37C and eight (8) T-37B. In 1988, Squadron strength was enhanced by ten (10) T-37B training aircraft from the Royal Jordanian Air Force reserves.

In the 1990s implementing the plan of aviation training upgrade, it was decided to replace the T-37B / C with forty-five (45) T-6A Texan II. On July 2000, 31th the first T-6A landed at Kalamata Air Base.

Due to the continuous flow of Basic Stage training and the smooth transition to the new type of airplane, it was decided to temporarily split 361BTS into two Squadrons, 361BTS / T-37 and 361BTS / T-6. The second one, began its formal operation on August 21th, 2000, by training 14 aircraft pilots mainly from the T-37s. After the completion of the new instructors training, on September 17th, 2001, the Basic Stage of the 76th aircraft pilot flight series’ training began.

The next was the first year that Doctors were trained as Flying Doctors. The training of four (4) Doctors began at June 2002, 6th until July 2002, 17th.

The 75th Flying Class was the last that trained with T-37B/C aircraft, as the 361BTS / T-37 ended its operation in October 2002, 7th.

In May the 361 Squadron received the first female cadets for training.

In 2004, 361 Squadron participated in the Athens Olympics Protection Operations and for this reason all of its instructors were trained by the School of Tactical Weapons on Air-Air Missions, Air-Ground and against Slow Moving Targets. T-6A aircraft operated over the city of Athens during both the Olympic and Special Olympic Athens Games from dawn to dusk.

In 2005, the T-6A Aircraft Demonstration Team was established, continuing the tradition of 60’s and 70’s acrobatic flocks. The team has taken part in air shows both in Greece and abroad, receiving favorable commentary on Hellenic Air Force and leaving spectators with excellent impressions.

In 2006, as part of the standardization of Training Squadron’s names, Squadron changed its name to 361 Air Training Squadron. At the same time, the Hellenic Air Force’s flight training program was changed and Squadron now provides training in the Primary and Basic Air Training Stages. In the same year, 364 Air Training Squadron was established.

In April 2012, as part of the training of 361 Air Training Squadron instructors, three T-6A Texan II planes flew to Cyprus for the first time and landed at Paphos Airport.

In addition, almost every year the Squadron hosts 1st Lieutenant Doctors who participate in Squadron flights within the School of Aviation Medicine.