Hellenic Air Force Academy

Hellenic Air Force Academy
Hellenic Air Force Academy logo, with its official badge in the centre
Active	1919 – present
Country	Greece
Branch	Hellenic Air Force
Type	Military and Academic Training
Role	Training of commissioned officers (pilots, engineers and air defence controllers)
Part of	Hellenic Air Force Training Command
Motto(s)	Άμμες δε γ' εσσόμεθα πολλώ κάρρονες "We shall become much better than you"
Commanders
Current commander	Air Vice-Marshal Vasileios Andresakis

The Hellenic Air Force Academy (Greek: Σχολή Ικάρων, abbr. ΣΙ (SI)) is a military academy responsible for supplying the Hellenic Air Force with pilots, aeronautical engineers and air traffic / air defence controllers. It was founded in 1919 as the Military Academy of Aviation (Στρατιωτική Σχολή Αεροπλοΐας) and renamed in 1967 as the Icarus School in reference to the figure of Icarus in ancient Greek mythology. The figure of Icarus forms the centrepiece of the academy's badge.

The Hellenic Air Force Academy is a member of the European Air Force Academies (EUAFA).

Many decades have passed since the founding of the Air Force Academy. Since then, from the academy have graduated at least 2600 pilots, 1200 aircraft engineers and other specializations according to the Air Force needs. It was founded in 1919 as the Military School of Aeronautics (Greek: Στρατιωτική Σχολή Αεροπλοΐας). The Icarus School is actually the successor of the Air Force School, founded in 1931 at the airport of Dekeleia, Tatoi in Athens.

The first 11 trainees entered the academy on 2 November 1931 and their training was initially performed by Avro 621-Tutor and Avro 626-Prefect type aircraft. Training in the academy was common for both the Air Force and the Navy Aviation. The academy could be attended only by high school graduates and attendance was for 3 years.

In 1935 a second branch was introduced in the academy, the branch of "Junior Lieutenant Pilots", and attendance was for 2 years. In 1938 a third branch was introduced, that of Aircraft Engineers. Most graduates of those years gave their life in the air battles of World War II, like 2nd Lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis.

On October 1940 the academy was transferred to the city of Argos. In April 1941, due to the German invasion of Greece, the academy was again transferred to the Middle East and later on to Southern Rhodesia, where it operated normally from September 1941 until the summer of 1946. Training of Greek pilots during the war was performed by British units in Middle East and Southern Rhodesia.