Lufttransport Staffel 4 (Lt St 4 or Lt 4) is a transport squadron of the Swiss Air Force. The squadron forms part of the Berufsfliegerkorps but hosts also militia pilots. Together with Lufttransport Staffel 3 it is subordinated to Lufttransportgeschwader 3, Which for its part belongs to the airfield command 2 at the Alpnach Air Base. The home base of the Lufttransport Staffel 4 is Dübendorf Air Base. The Lufttransport Staffel 4 carries a white numeral 4 as coat of arms, stylized to form the trunk of a helicopter against a blue background.
History
Super Puma with LT4 logo
The Lufttransport Staffel 4 was founded in 1964. Until 1973 the Lufttransport Staffel 4 also used the Piper Super Cub.
From 1968 to 1992 the Lufttransport Staffel 4 used Alouette II, and Alouette III from 1974 to 2010. After the retirement of the Alouettes, a transition followed to the helicopter types Super Puma, Cougar and EC635.
The main task of the squadron is transport as well as Search and rescue operations. Lufttransport Staffel 4 can be called up by civilian authorities (eg, police operations, firefighting or in the case of evacuations due to natural disaster[1]) The squadron also flies surveillance flights for the Grenzwachtkorps. In the 2014, the Lufttransport Staffel 4 was celebrating its 50th anniversary and a Super Puma was fitted with a white Lufttransport Staffel 4 logo. This helicopter was part of the flying display at the Air14, where among others it was flown in formation with the specially painted F/A-18 J-5014, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Air Force. On September 28, 2016, the Cougar T-338 crashed near the Gotthard Hospice; two militia pilots of the Lufttransport Staffel 4 were killed and the loadmaster seriously injured.
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