Romanian Airforce Chiefs of Staff, Communist Era

Does somebody have a list or a link to the list (partial is good too) of the Chiefs of Staff of the Romanian Airforce 1955-1989?

Thanks in advance.

Before 1989, the air force commander was not the chief of staff (as it is today). They were different positions.

I have asked my grandfather, who served in the air force until the late 70s. In the time frame you are interested in, there were 5 commanders:

general Constantin Sandru
general Ion Tau
general Aurel Niculescu
general Gheroghe Zarnescu
general Iosif Rus

Niculescu from 1970 to 1977
Iosif Rus from 1986 to 1990

I just finished to write a book with and about general Aurel Niculescu. I hope it will be published in october-november. BTW, in 1981-1982 was the commander of the Romanian Group called ,,Sirius'' who established a flzing school in Angola, at Negage.

Excelent! Can you please provide more details?
Are there any pictures (or at least written details) about the aircraft operated in Angola (insignia, paint scheme, serials)?
All that is known about them is types and numbers: 12 IAR-823, 6 BN-2 Islander, 6 IAR-316B.

Thank you very much! I was actually beginning to lose hope. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time,Victor.I personally came up empty.

EDIT : One last request.Do you have pictures,no matter how small,of Constantin Sandru,Ion Tau and Gheorghe Zarnescu?

This post has been edited by IAR80 on July 28, 2008 10:53 pm

I have pictures with them but I don't know how to post it.

Image Attachment Guide

01.07.1948 - 03.08.1950 Mihail Romanescu

03.08.1950 - 17.12.1953 Nicolae Fulga

17.12.1953 - 10.12.1955 Mihail Burca

21.02.1956 - 21.11.1956 Ion Ionita

18.09.1957 - 12.11.1957 Constantin Sandru

26.12.1957 - 30.06.1958 Mihail Burca

01.07.1958 - 22.04.1961 Constantin Sandru

22.04.1961 - 06.07.1970 Ioan Tau

06.07.1970 - 01.09.1977 Aurel Niculescu

21.10.1977 - 09.08.1986 Gheorghe Zarnescu

General Aurel Niculescu

Sorry a mistake. Now is general Niculescu

Gen. Zarnescu, now very ill

"Before 1989, the air force commander was not the chief of staff (as it is today). They were different positions."

That's partially correct. The reader should be aware as well that between 1956 and 1977 the Air Force was not a stand alone HQ ("Comandament" in Romanian). The AF was integrated together with the ground based air defence system (AAA, ground to air missiles, radar). As far as I know, in this structure the highest position "the commander" was not accessible to Air Force staff.

The Air Force got a stand alone status in '77 when the "Military Aviation HQ" was created (this is a translation of the original Ro nomenclature i.e. Comandamentul Aviatiei Militare, abreviated C. Av. M - pronounced "ce av me" in Ro). The other three components continued in the same body, namely Air Defence HQ (Comandamentul Apararii Antiaeriene a Teritoriului, C.A.A.T - ce a a te). The two HQs were colocated, sharing a number of buildings in the same perimeter. The Air Force got not only its own identity but its own color for uniform back. As I understood it was not the same grey tone from the pre-commie era but it definitly was a color closer to the sky's .

Therefore the staff listed and introduced earlier by one of the forum collegues can not be not entirely a list of "commanders". The ones in function between '56 and '77 could only be deputies. That only if the listed staff was "blue" (aviators) and not "green". I can only confirm few of the names of the more recent era Tau, Niculescu, Zarnescu as "blues" while about Ion Ionita I think it may be the one that became at one time the Ro Minister of ND (and if that's the person he was a "green".) In this respect it would be nice if ciinele would confirm positively that all staff on his list are aviators.

As of today, the four components of air defence are back together, all dressed in blue, under the same hat. Which as the recent history shows may be worn only by an aviator.

Sorin