Patrulla Águila

Patrulla Águila (Eagle Patrol) is the official aerobatic team of the Spanish Air and Space Force, formed in 1985 at the Academia General del Aire (AGA), San Javier Air Base (Murcia). Team pilots are active instructor pilots who fly public displays alongside their day-job training duties.

Famous for painting the Spanish flag in the sky with white, yellow and red smoke and for their rare formation landing, Patrulla Águila traditionally flew the Spanish-built CASA C-101 Aviojet (designation E.25) in a seven-ship routine tailored to European venues.

Milestone: the team gave its final public display on the C-101 during the Aire 25 festival over the Mar Menor on 15 June 2025. They are now transitioning to the Pilatus PC-21 (designation E.27) for future displays while remaining the service’s national aerobatic ambassadors.

CASA C-101 Aviojet (E.25): Spanish low-wing, single-engine jet trainer developed by CASA with international partners; first flight 1977, in Spanish service from 1980. Compact, economical and aerobatics-friendly, it became both a training backbone and Patrulla Águila’s display mount for four decades.

Pilatus PC-21 (E.27): Next-generation turboprop trainer adopted by Spain for the AGA. Its digital cockpit, high-energy performance and reliability reduce training cost while simulating fast-jet profiles. The team is transitioning its display to the PC-21 after closing the C-101 era.

Display hallmarks: close-formation loops/rolls, tricolour smoke drawing of the national flag, and a signature formation landing rarely attempted by jet teams.

1985–1986: Team formed at AGA San Javier, debuting the Spanish-designed C-101 Aviojet and establishing a seven-ship European display profile.

1990s–2010s: Appearances across Europe, frequent participation in Spain’s Día de la Hispanidad flypast over Madrid, adoption of tricolour smoke flag-drawing, and the crowd-favourite formation landing.

2021–2024: Spain fields the PC-21 (E.27) for training; Águila continues to display on C-101 while the service transitions the training pipeline.

15 June 2025: Final public C-101 display at the AGA’s Aire 25 festival over the Mar Menor. Thereafter the team moves towards a PC-21 display era, maintaining its role as Spain’s national aerobatic representative.

• Team pilots use callsigns Águila 1–7 and are active AGA instructor pilots.
• They often paint the Spanish flag in smoke during Madrid’s National Day flypast.
• Formation landing is a Patrulla Águila signature and a rarity among jet teams.
• Their traditional mount was the CASA C-101 (E.25); future displays are on the PC-21 (E.27).
• Smoke colours are white, yellow and red—mirroring Spain’s national flag.