THE beaches of Santiago de la Ribera in San Javier witnessed a breathtaking display of aerial acrobatics as over 180,000 spectators gathered along the Mar Menor for the San Javier Air Festival. The beaches from San Pedro del Pinatar to Santiago de la Ribera were packed with people of all nationalities.
The San Javier Town Council organised the event and it was highly anticipated following the success of previous Air Force exhibitions. This is the first San Javier airshow to be held post-COVID, the previous airshow took place in 2018. John from Leeds one of the spectators commented ‘It is great to have the airshow back, it feels like COVID is well behind us on days like today.’
Aerial Acrobatics Enthrall Thousands
The atmosphere was fantastic on a sunny Sunday afternoon, families set up on the beach and people lined the streets getting a seat wherever they could to get a view of the show. Linda from Manchester said ‘We’ve been here since 9 O’clock this morning, we had our breakfast on the beach and are going to spend the day here. It’s so exciting!’
Patrulla Águila: National Pride Soars
The crowd was stunned by the daring stunts performed by the pilots and the show flowed nicely from 10.30 am until about 2.30 pm with a diverse lineup. The firm favourite on the day was the nationally renowned Patrulla Aguila as the crowds on the beach erupted into applause for their grand finale. They thundered overhead filling the skies with the Spanish colours. Paco from San Javier said ‘What a phenomenal show and an exciting day for San Javier and the surrounding towns!’
A day of highs and lows
Unfortunately, the jubilant mood did not last as sadly one of the pilots involved in the air show Olivier Masurel suffered a fatal accident on the return journey to his aerodrome Matilla de los Caños in Valladolid. It was reported a vulture impacted the cabin of his airplane and caused the fatal accident. The plane crashed in Alcazar de San Juan just minutes from his destination. May he rest in peace.
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