summary
- The Motril Air Show is Spain’s largest military air show, held every June and featuring various aerobatic demonstration teams.
- Motril Air Show participants include the Patrula Aguila, Mustang X-Ray, Spanish Air Force, Belgian Air Force, Patrulla ASPA, and Meleny Astles.
- The Torre del Mar Air Show is another popular air show in Spain, held every September and attended by Patrouille Suisse and others.
Unlike the United States, where the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels appear at numerous air shows across the country during the summer, military air shows in Spain are limited.
Although many military air show displays in Spain have not yet been finalized for 2024, one that always takes place in June each year is the June Motril Air Show (Festival Aereo de Motril). The Motril Air Show, located on the Mediterranean coast of Granda, is Spain’s largest military air show.
motril air show
The Motril Air Show exhibit takes place above Motril’s Playa del Poniente Beach and attracts tens of thousands of spectators. This year (2024) is scheduled to take place on June 9th, and Motril Air Show organizers have already confirmed the following participants:
Patulla Aguila
Patulla Aguila (Spanish for “Eagle Patrol”), based at San Javier Air Base in southeastern Murcia, is the Spanish Air Force’s aerobatic demonstration team. Like the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, Patulla Aguila performs at air shows around the world. Patulla Aguila was formed in 1985, but its origins go back to his 1950s and his 1960s Spanish aerobatic teams. Patulla Aguila, famous for his formation landings, will perform using his Spanish-made CASA C-101 Aviojet trainer aircraft.
mustang x-ray
Formed in 2021, Mustang X-Ray is a tactical demonstration team for the French Air Force and Space Force. Unlike many other military exhibition teams in the world that have large fleets of jet aircraft, Mustang X-Ray will fly his two Swiss-made Pilatus PC-21 advanced single-engine turboprop trainer aircraft.
spanish air force
At the Motril Air Show, the Spanish Air Force will perform with one of the European multinational twin-engine C.16 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighters.
Belgian Air Force
Senior Capt. Steven de Vries performs a flight in the General Dynamics single-engine supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The Patrula ASPA
Patrula ASPA is the Spanish Air Force’s helicopter aerobatic exhibition team. The team, based at Granada’s Amira Air Base, uses five of his Eurocopter EC-120 Colibri helicopters for the show.
Melanie Astles
Reigning French aerobatic champion Mélanie Astles will appear at the Motril Air Show, putting on a show using the Red Bull team’s racing aircraft.
In addition to the aforementioned participants, several other pilots will perform using their private planes.
Torre del Mar Air Show
Every September, the Costa del Sol town of Torre del Sol hosts the annual Festival Aereo Internacional Torre del Mar Air Show. Thousands of Velez Málaga residents and vacationers flock to the beach to watch the aerobatics of amazing pilots. This year’s participants have not yet been announced, but more than 40 aircraft will be on display in 2023.
Patrouille Suisse was the star of the 2023 show
A highlight of last year’s show was the Swiss Air Force Patrouil Suisse, which displayed six Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter jets for the first time in Spain.
Also scheduled to participate is Spain’s Patrula Aguila, who will be riding a CASA C-101 Aviojet trainer. The Spanish Air Force Patrolula ASPA will also be displaying a Eurocopter EC-120 Colibri helicopter, as well as helicopters by the Police National and Guardia Civil, who will be operating Eurocopter EC135 helicopters.