TAM - Transporte Aereo Militar
Encyclopedia
TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar (Military Air Transport) is an airline
based in La Paz
, Bolivia
. It is the civilian wing of the Bolivian Air Force
, operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia.
A similar airline serving the Beni Department
with small planes is Línea Aérea Amaszonas
, using smaller planes than TAM.
. In 1955, the squadron of the Bolivian Air Transport normed TAM to begin activities with commercial character.
The original name (from 1944) was "El Escuadrón de Transporte Aéreo" (ETA). In 1953 the name was changed to Transporte Aéreo Militar. This heritage is reflected in the words "Grupo Aéreo 71" appearing as part of the TAM logo.
and Santa Cruz
(in eastern Bolivia) to many towns in the Beni Department
and between towns in the Beni area. Major destinations include Trinidad
(capital of the Beni Department
) and Rurrenabaque
(on the Beni River
). In Santa Cruz TAM uses both airports of Santa Cruz: El Trompillo Airport and Viru Viru International Airport.
With its Fokker F27
(with 44 seats) and other smaller planes TAM supports the connection between the small towns and villages in the Departamentos Beni
and Pando
. The runway
s of those towns are grass- and mud-fields that are unsuitable for larger aircraft. For example Boeing 727
s, used by AeroSur (Bolivia)
, are not able to land or take off from these fields.
As an example TAM's focus is on Rurrenabaque
(popularly known as Rurre and a popular tourist destination) indirectly serving Reyes
(close to Rurre by road) and San Borja
("within reach" by road from Rurre). Itineraries from the TAM timetable of 2006/2007 include:
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It is the civilian wing of the Bolivian Air Force
Bolivian Air Force
The Bolivian Air Force is part of the Military of Bolivia.-History:By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft , and about 300 staff; the officers were...
, operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia.
A similar airline serving the Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
with small planes is Línea Aérea Amaszonas
Amaszonas
Línea Aérea Amaszonas, often shortened to Amaszonas, is an airline in Bolivia, operating scheduled and chartered short-haul, low-volume passenger flights throughout the Northern and North Eastern regions of the country. The company was founded in 2000...
, using smaller planes than TAM.
History
TAM begins operations on June 15, 1945 with the acquisition of new planes Douglas C-47sC-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
. In 1955, the squadron of the Bolivian Air Transport normed TAM to begin activities with commercial character.
"El Grupo Aéreo "71" (the Air group "71") known by the civil populace as Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM), is an essential part of the structure of the Bolivian Air Force and the fundamental element for the development and integration of the populations in the distant parts of the national territory."
—TAM website, Historical summary/review.
The original name (from 1944) was "El Escuadrón de Transporte Aéreo" (ETA). In 1953 the name was changed to Transporte Aéreo Militar. This heritage is reflected in the words "Grupo Aéreo 71" appearing as part of the TAM logo.
Routes
TAM has services from La PazLa Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
(in eastern Bolivia) to many towns in the Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
and between towns in the Beni area. Major destinations include Trinidad
Trinidad, Bolivia
Trinidad, officially La Santísima Trinidad , is a city in Bolivia, capital of the department of Beni. The population is 130,000 ....
(capital of the Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
) and Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
(on the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
). In Santa Cruz TAM uses both airports of Santa Cruz: El Trompillo Airport and Viru Viru International Airport.
With its Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
(with 44 seats) and other smaller planes TAM supports the connection between the small towns and villages in the Departamentos Beni
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
and Pando
Pando Department
Pando is a department of Bolivia, with an area of , adjoining the border with Brazil. Pando has a population 66,689 . Its capital is the city of Cobija....
. The runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s of those towns are grass- and mud-fields that are unsuitable for larger aircraft. For example Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s, used by AeroSur (Bolivia)
AeroSur
AeroSur is a cargo airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia.- Fleet :The AeroSur fleet consists of the following aircraft . Note that aircraft are rented from other Colombian carriers: An-32s belong to SAEP and B727 and B737 belong to Aerosucre:* 1 Boeing B727-200* 1...
, are not able to land or take off from these fields.
As an example TAM's focus is on Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
(popularly known as Rurre and a popular tourist destination) indirectly serving Reyes
Reyes, Bolivia
Reyes is the city capital of the José Ballivián Province in the Beni Department of northern Bolivia and as well as of the Reyes Municipality..Reyes is located 32 kilometres from Rurrenabaque south west on the Beni River, and flights to Rurrenabaque may then be diverted to Reyes. Nuvia Montenegro,...
(close to Rurre by road) and San Borja
San Borja, Bolivia
- Location :San Borja is the seat of the San Borja Municipality, the second municipal section of the José Ballivián Province. The town is located at an elevation of 197 m on the left bank of Río Maniqui, a tributary of Río Rapulo which flows into Río Mamoré....
("within reach" by road from Rurre). Itineraries from the TAM timetable of 2006/2007 include:
- Monday: LP La Paz - RQ Rurrenabaque - SB San Borja - LP La Paz
- Wednesday: CZ Santa Cruz - TR Trinidad - RQ Rurrenabaque - TR *Trinidad
- Wednesday: LP La Paz - RQ Rurrenabaque - LP La Paz
- Thursday: TR Trinidad - SR Santa Rosa - RY Reyes - SB San Borja - TR Trinidad
- Friday: LP La Paz - RQ Rurrenabaque - LP La Paz
Fleet
The TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar fleet (NOV/2008) consists of:- 2 Xian MA60Xian MA60|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
(FAB-96, FAB-97) - 1 Beechcraft 1900Beechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
(FAB-43) - 4 BAE 146-200ABAe 146The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
(FAB-100, FAB-101, FAB-102, FAB-103) - 1 Casa 212 (FAB-86)
- 1 Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan (FAB-74)
- 1 Boeing 727-200 (Flights shared with Lloyd Aéreo BolivianoLloyd Aéreo BolivianoLloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A. was an airline serving as flag carrier of Bolivia. It operated domestic and international flights, aiming at passenger as well as cargo transport. LAB was active for more than 80 years, having been based in Cochabamba most of the time, with Cochabamba Airport being an...
) - 6 Fokker F-27 (FAB-90, FAB-91, FAB-92, FAB-93, FAB-94, FAB-95)
Accidents and incidents
- On 12 February 1970, Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
TAM-11 crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Laja Airport. The aircraft was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight. All five people on board survived. - On 14 July 1970, Douglas DC-3 TAM-17 was damaged beyond repair in an accident at El Alto International AirportEl Alto International AirportEl Alto International Airport is an international airport located south west of La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia.The airport is located in the city of El Alto and has served since the first half of the 20th century, but was modernized in the late 1960s, when its runway was lengthened and a new...
, La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. - On 4 May 1971, Douglas C-47 TAM-22 crashed shortly after take-off from El Alto Airport, La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
on a cargo flight to El Jovi Airport. - On 25 September 1972, Douglas C-47A TAM-24 was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Caranavi Airport.
- On 19 January 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-30 was damaged beyond economic repair in a wheels-up landing at Laia.
- On 11 November 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-34 crashed near the Sorato Mountain.
- On 27 October 1975 , a CV-440 crashed into the Cerro Colorado volcano during takeoff, killing all 4 crew and 63 passengers on board. The aircraft was carrying military officers and their families.
- On March 18, 2011, a Xian MA60Xian MA60|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
(with Bolivian registration FAB-96) with 33 passengers and crew aboard, performed an emergency landing without locked nose landing gear in the airport of the touristic Amazonian village of Rurrenabaque, on arrival from La Paz. No injuries were reported.
External links
- www.tam.bo Página Oficial de Transporte Aéreo Militar. (In Spanish)
- Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (The website of the FAB, the Bolivian Air Force).