Technology ShowcaseBrazilian Navy

Person / Era 3

Vice Admiral Protógenes Guimarães

Protógenes Pereira Guimarães

He commanded the Naval Aviation School, Brazil's first military flying school, founded in 1916. As Navy minister from 1931 to 1935, he organized naval aviation.

Born
May 8, 1876, Desterro (atual Florianópolis)/SC
Died
January 6, 1938, Rio de Janeiro/RJ
Field
Naval aviation
Patron
Naval Aviation

Career

The Naval Aviation School, Brazil's first military flying school, was founded on 23 August 1916, under Navy minister Alexandrino Faria de Alencar. Protógenes, then a Lieutenant Commander, was its commanding officer.

In October 1916 he made Naval Aviation's first long-distance flight, in a Curtiss C-2 flying boat, with pilot and mechanic Orton Hoover. They flew from Enxadas Island to Batista das Neves Cove.

He was Navy minister from 1931 to 1935. In office, he created the Navy Aviation Corps, the Naval Air Mail, the Naval Aviators Cadre, the Naval Aviation Medical Service and the Coastal Defence Air Force.

Timeline

  1. 1876Born in Desterro, now Florianópolis, on 8 May.
  2. 1916Commands the newly founded Naval Aviation School.
  3. 1916Makes Naval Aviation's first long-distance flight, in October.
  4. 1931Becomes Navy minister.
  5. 1935Leaves the Navy ministry, having created the Navy Aviation Corps and the Naval Air Mail.
  6. 1938Dies in Rio de Janeiro on 6 January.
  7. 2014Named patron of Naval Aviation.

Legacy

The Navy's Naval Aviation has had him as its patron since 2014 and traces its history to the school he commanded in 1916.

Sources

  1. ROBERTO, E. G. "O centenário da Diretoria de Aeronáutica da Marinha". Revista Marítima Brasileira
  2. Marinha do Brasil, página "Patrono" (captura de 14/08/2026 no Internet Archive)
  3. FGV CPDOC, Dicionário Histórico-Biográfico Brasileiro, verbete "GUIMARÃES, Protógenes"

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