FMA IA 63 Pampa marks 42 years since its first flight in Argentina

Published: October 6, 2026

1 source

Occurred: 42y ago

First reported by: Vintage Aviation News

Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA)Fabrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA)DornierArgentine Air ForceLockheed MartinHoneywell TFE731T-6 Texan IICórdoba, ArgentinaDassault/Dornier Alpha Jet

In brief

Vintage Aviation News marks the 42nd anniversary of the FMA IA 63 Pampa's first flight on 6 October 1984, tracing Argentina's Dornier-assisted jet trainer from prototype to Pampa III.

Sources disagree

Factual claims where reporting sources diverge. Treat with care until confirmed by the primary investigator or regulator.

The Pampa is described as having twin TFE731 turbofan engines, while other sources describe a single TFE731.
GrokipediaVintage Aviation NewsAll AeroMilitary Wiki
The number of aircraft built or ordered ranges from about 100 ordered to 32 built, 27 procured and 18 in the first production batch.
Airforce TechnologyGlobal MilitaryMilitary FactoryGrokipedia
Work on the design is said to have begun in 1978 by some sources and in 1979 by others.
Vintage Aviation NewsWikipediaAirforce TechnologyAll AeroGrokipedia
The Pampa III's first flight is dated 29 March 2016 in one source and given only as 2016 in others.
Military FactoryWikipedia

On 6 October 1984 the first FMA IA 63 Pampa took to the air in Argentina, opening the flight-test programme of the country's first indigenous jet trainer. Forty-two years later to the day, Vintage Aviation News published a commemorative entry in its Today in Aviation History series describing how the Fábrica Militar de Aviones, working with technical assistance from Germany's Dornier, created a compact advanced trainer with a secondary light-attack capability for the Argentine Air Force.

The item is a retrospective rather than a news event. No accident, order announcement, airworthiness…

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