School of Army Aviation

The German School of Army Aviation based at Bückeburg, is one of the schools of the German Army and is responsible for the training and development of the German Army Aviation Corps' personnel and equipment. Furthermore, the basic training of helicopter pilots of the other components of the German Armed Forces also takes place at the School of Army Aviation.The School of Army Aviation was founded on 1 July 1959 and based first at Mendig before being transferred on 12 January 1960 to its current location at Bückeburg Air Base, utilising the facilities of RAF Bückeburg, constructed by the Royal Air Force in 1946 and closed in the mid-1950s.In October 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. Due to the reduction of helicopter units within the German Army, some of which are to be disbanded whereas others are to be transferred to the German Air Force, and also in light of the already existing international character of training helicopter pilots, the School of Army Aviation will be renamed to International Helicopter Training Centre. Training of helicopter pilots of the other components of the German Armed Forces at Bückeburg started in 2011.