Symbols

PHILIPPINE AIR Blue Background Circle - Represents the official color of

FORCE the Air Force being the guardian of the Philippine skies.
OFFICIAL SEAL
Three Yellow Stars - Represents the three (3) major
islands of the Philippines, namely Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao which the Philippine Air Force is sworn to
defend and protect.

Golden Wing - As gold is a precious metal, rust proof and

with lasting luster, it symbolizes everlasting patience and
deep sense of commitment by brave airmen who love to
reach the infinite skies to attain their goal. The wing is
similar to the original Philippine Air Force seal adopted in
1947 to represent the flying profession.

Diamond of Three Colors - Representing the primary

The PAF Official
colors – red, white and blue of the Philippine flag to which
Seal was adopted
the Philippine Air Force has pledged its allegiance.
effective July 14,
1999. The usual
English inscription Yellow Inner and Outer Bands - Symbolizes unity and
of the Philippine Air quest for perfection.
Force was changed
to corresponding Pilipinas Hukbong Himpapawid - Proportionally
Pilipino words - distributed and divided by the three (3) stars around the
PILIPINAS wing, denotes the distinctive identification of the Philippine
HUKBONG Air Force as a major service of the Armed Forces of the
HIMPAPAWID. Philippines.
PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE
SONG

Lyrics by:
Captain Lauro Ll Abaño

Music by:
Lt Colonel Antonio
Buenaventura

Play

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE

HYMN
Lyrics and Music by:
LTC SAMUEL O
SARMIENTO

Extracted from the

52nd Air Force Anniversary

Souvenir Program

History of the Roundel

PHILIPPINE AIR 1936-1941

FORCE
AIRCRAFT 1LT Basilio B Fernando made the first design. It was
ROUNDEL applied on Stearman 73L-3 primary trainer plane number
36-2, the first aircraft of the Philippine Army Air Corps to
take to the air. The aircraft was test-flown by 1Lt William
Lee over Zablan field on 2 May 1936, ushering the rebirth
of military aviation in the country.

Fernando's design was simple blue diamond framed by a

white lozenge. There were no borders; the contrast of
 color was all that separated the inner and outer diamond
even as it outlined the whole design against the
camouflaged paint scheme of the PAAC aircraft. This
With the outbreak of
insignia was applied on aircraft rudder and on four wing
insurgency and
stations (upper and lower).
secessionist
movements, the
Philippine Air Force Fernando's design immortalized the genesis of aviation in
repainted even fixed the Philippines, for its diamond configuration was derived
wing aircraft from the insignia of the Signal Corps, the first military arm
involved in counter in the islands to experiment in flying aircraft. The insignia
insurgency thus covered the history of military aviation all the way
operations to back to the pioneering days of 1LT Frank P Lahm Jr.
camouflages and/or
fatigue. The Air 1946-1947
Force Roundel is
outlined in black on Following the end of World War II, a modified design was
these aircraft. evolved by the reconstructed Philippine Army Air Corps.
Still retaining Fernando's basic design, a blue border was
added to frame the outer side of the white lozenge. The
words "Phil Army" which was carried in the lower wings of
the pre-war aircraft was now deleted.

1947-1948

Following the elevation of the Philippine Army Air Corps

into a major command and component of the Armed
Forces on 1 July 1947, it was renamed and restructured
as the Philippine Air Force. The PAF subsequently
adopted a new insignia designed by Lt Tomas C Tirona.

Tirona retained the modified diamond of the post-war

period but he added white bars framed in blue outline on
both sides as stylized wings. This design was design was
applied on the wings and Starting 1969 With the outbreak
of insurgency and secessionist movements, the Philippine
Air Force repainted even fixed wing aircraft involved in
counter insurgency operations to camouflages and/or
fatigue. The Air Force insignia is outlined in black on
these aircraft across the vertical tail surfaces of the C-47
Gooney Birds.

1949-present

In 1949, the Philippine Air Force discarded the

camouflaged paint scheme and adopted silver as the
official color of all its aircraft. It also adopted a new logo.
The bars in Tirona's design were reshaped into layered
wings. The outer border of the white lozenge was now
also colored red. The national tri-color thus became
enshrined in the PAF's aircraft insignia.

In 1969, the Air Force received its first orders of UH-1H

helicopters. Fatigue and camouflage became the official
color of the helicopters. The roundel was replaced with
 shade of black on all PAF aircraft involved in counter-
insurgency operations.

(Research data courtesy of Capt. Alberto Anido)

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE Symbols

PILOT GOLD WINGS
The monkey-eating eagle - A distinctive Philippine bird
of prey, symbolizes the flying profession.

The equilateral triangle symbolizes liberty, equality and

fraternity.

The three stars represent the three main island

groupings of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Silver Wings
The gold sun with the Tagalog "K" symbolizes the birth
of freedom (K for Kalayaan), precious as the gold of which
Without star and it is made. The nine rays represent the first eight
laurel - Basic Pilot provinces, which revolted against Spain, and the Muslim
With star - Senior provinces, which heretofore had resisted the presence of
Pilot foreign invaders. (Except for the sun, the rest of the
With star and laurel badge is actually made of silver.)
- Command Pilot
Metal background within the equilateral triangle:

White - represented in plain surface of the upper portions

symbolizes purity.

Red - represented in horizontally lined surface on the left

portion symbolizes courage.

Blue - represented in vertically lined surface on the right

portion symbolizes peace.

The lone star, when present in the badge, indicates a

senior pilot rating.

The sampaguita laurel, when added to the star,

indicates a command pilot rating.