Patrulla Águila
Encyclopedia
Patrulla Águila is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air Force
, based at San Javier airbase near La Manga
, in the Murcia
region of Spain. Flying 7 Casa C-101 Aviojets, they are the only team to use yellow smoke, and are also known for their formation
landings.
The team was formed on 4 July 1985.
The 4 June 1985, the Eagle Patrol made its first training whose pilots were selected among the teachers of the Air Force Academy and equipped with the new built Casa C-101 Aviojet.
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
, based at San Javier airbase near La Manga
La Manga
La Manga , or La Manga del Mar Menor is a seaside spit in the Region of Murcia, Spain.The strip is 22 km long and 100 metres wide , separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Mar Menor lagoon, from Cabo de Palos to the Punta del Mojón.Historically, it was known by the Romans as Palus and...
, in the Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
region of Spain. Flying 7 Casa C-101 Aviojets, they are the only team to use yellow smoke, and are also known for their formation
Formation flying
Formation flying is the disciplined flight of two or more aircraft under the command of a flight leader.Military pilots use formations for mutual defense and concentration of firepower....
landings.
The team was formed on 4 July 1985.
History
During the 50s and 60s Spain had various Aerobatic teams which preceded the creation foundation of the Eagle Patrol. These were:- Basic Air School of MatacánSalamanca AirportSalamanca-Matacán Airport is the airport serving the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León.It is located in the municipalities of Machacón, Calvarrasa de Abajo y Villagonzalo de Tormes; and it is 15 km from Salamanca city....
(SalamancaSalamancaSalamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
) Patrol, founded in 1954 with 6 T-6 TexanT-6 TexanThe North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
aircraft. - Jet Training Air School Patrol, Talavera la Real Air BaseBadajoz AirportBadajoz Airport is an airport located east of Badajoz, a city in Extremadura, Spain.The airport shares its runway and control tower with the Talavera la Real Air Base , an air base of the Spanish Air Force, named for the nearby municipality of Talavera la Real.- Airlines and destinations :-...
(BadajozBadajozBadajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
), established in 1955 with T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
s planes. - Ascua Patrol Manises Air BaseValencia AirportValencia Airport in Manises , also known as Manises Airport, is the 8th busiest Spanish airport in terms of passengers and second in the region after Alicante. It is situated west of the city of Valencia. The airport has flight connections to about 15 European countries and 4.9 million passengers...
(Valencia) established in 1956 (officially in 1958 became the Patrulla Ascua) equipped with F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
. - Los LlanosAlbacete AirportAlbacete Airport is an airport located at the Los Llanos Air Base, about four miles south of the city of Albacete, Spain. The airport is served by road CM-3203. It began operation as a civilian airport on 1 July 2003. The first flight was flown by Hola Airlines to the Balearic Islands...
Air Base Patrol (AlbaceteAlbaceteAlbacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
) in 1980 with Mirage F-1.
The 4 June 1985, the Eagle Patrol made its first training whose pilots were selected among the teachers of the Air Force Academy and equipped with the new built Casa C-101 Aviojet.