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Shortly after gaining institutional independence, Air Force saw it fit to start celebrating landmarks in their then short-lived history. Starting in 1945 and strengthening this practice in the second half of the Twentieth Century, FAA managed to consolidate three basic regular celebrations marking relevant historical events (service origins in 1912, their first war in 1982, etc.) or attempting to project their social influence to the population: Open days/Air Force weeks, Air Force Day and First Battle anniversaries.

The oldest of such events was first carried out in 1945 in downtown Buenos Aires and was designated "Semana de Aeronáutica y Espacial" (Air & Space Week). As implied in its name, the event was designed to last at least a whole week and was destined to promote Air Force air and space interests to the general public through a variety of cultural, scientific and air show manifestations. Under this or a shortened designation ("Semana Aeronáutica" or Air Week), the event took place more or less regularly through 2002, when approximately 44 such events had been held. Following Western practices, the 1990s saw this event replaced by shorter and more classical "Puertas Abiertas" (open days). Hardly lasting more than a weekend (2 to 3 days), they became a welcomed practice and on occasions managed to get branded with special names such as the 1996 "Córdoba Garrison Air Festival", the 1999 "Air Show South America", the 2009 "Morón Air Show" or the 2010 "Argentina Air Fest".

A-4P Skyhawk C-232 37th Air & Space Week, 1987 (Photo Carlos Ay)	Canberra B.62 B-109 Córdoba Garrison Air Festival, 1996 (Photo Carlos Ay)	A-4AR Fighting Hhawk C-905 Argentina Air Fest, 2010 (Photo Sebastián Fernández Bielkiewicz)	AR-25-235 Pawnee Biplaza PG-433 Morón Air Show, 2009 (Photo Gabriel Luque)

An institutionally more relevant celebration was incorporated in the second half of the Twentieth Century when the service managed to get 10 August designated as "Día de la Fuerza Aérea" (Air Force Day). That way, FAA managed to reach par status with its Navy and Army peers and have it legally established that the service had been born in 1912 with the creation of the Military Aviation School and not in 1945 when it left the Army craddle where it had been born and raised. Lastly, exactly one year after its first "true" war experience in 1982, Air Force adopted its third and historically most relevant anniversary, the "Bautismo de Fuego" (First Battle Day) ceremony honoring those who fought and died in Malvinas air battles. First held on 1 May 1983, the ceremony has rotated through a variety of air bases and other locations relevant to that campaign.

C-130 Hercules and other aircraft 25th First Battle Day, 2008 (Photo Pablo Nápoli)	Sukhoi Su-29 AC-106 and three other Morón Open Day, 2000 (Photo Fernando L. Puppio G.)	Civilian Boeing 737-200s 18th First Battle Day, 2002 (Photo Jorge Albanese)	IAI Fingers 24th First Battle Day, 2006 (Photo Juan C. Cicalesi)

Following is a list of Air & Space Weeks, Air Force Days and First Battle Days identified through research, with other assorted public manifestations added when data was available. Links are additionally included to pages providing detailed data and images on some of those events. Notice that some of the links provided below will get our readers to legacy files in our Pista 18 and Vuelo Rasante archives section.

Aircraft histories index - Dictionary - Bibliography & references - Slide shows - About Aeromilitaria Argentina
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