The first pilots in southern Chile (on the Pacific coast, south of Puerto Montt) faced a different set of challenges from those operating in Argentine Patagonia: great distances, limited landing possibilities, and minimal surface access. In early years, the Air Force used seaplanes, which were re-fuelled from ships located at designated sheltered bays.

Powerful winds were an ever-present danger, claiming the lives of several early aviators. Scheduled civil aviation between central Chile and Magallanes did not arrive until 1947.