Date Published: 06/05/2024

Flying high at the San Javier Air Festival

More than 180,000 people flocked to the shore of Santiago de La Ribera to watch the planes flying at the Air Show on Sunday

It was a packed crowd that flooded down to the beaches and streets of San Javier this weekend to witness the Festival Aéreo de San Javier, the San Javier Air Festival.

This was the first such air show to be organised by San Javier Town Hall after the success of its Air Force displays several years ago, and the response from the public could not have been more enthusiastic.

An estimated 180,000 people were down at Santiago de la Ribera, in San Javier, on Sunday May 5, planted in prime position on the beach and looking up to the skies to see the pilots performing their incredible acrobatics in the air.

Inverted loops, criss-crossing in the sky and spirals of smoke drew cheers from the crowd which filled every available inch of space on the coastline.

Thousands of vehicles parked at the seven car parks made available on the day, bringing spectators who made the most of the sunny weather on the beach and some of whom even took a dip in the water.

Over the course of the weekend, 280,000 people visited the Mar Menor town, according to the official count. The Air Festival is part of the municipality’s project to brand itself as ‘San Javier, City of Air’, which aims to boost the economy, tourism and culture based on the aeronautical tradition of the municipality, which has been home to the General Air Academy for more than 80 years.

Highlights of the weekend included the Air Force Acrobatic Parachute Patrol, the popular PAPEA, flying down with the Spanish flag; the British and international pilots flying their own colours; and the Region of Murcia’s Emergency 112 helicopter team carrying out a water rescue drill.

Also of note was the Saeta, one of the first planes that arrived at the General Air Academy of San Javier in the 1950s and the flight of a technological version of the La Cierva gyroplane.

There were great cheers for the aerobatic pilots Camino Benito and Olivier Masurel, who pushed their aircraft to the limits to perform knife-edge passes, mirror breaks, ultra-fast barrel rolls and free-falls.

There was tragedy after the Air Show finished when Spanish-French pilot Masurel sadly lost his life in a plane crash in the province of Ciudad Real while he was flying back to base in Valladolid. The organisers of the Air Show have sent their deepest condolences to his family.

Meanwhile, the British Team Raven flew in formation over the skies of the Mar Menor with their six synchronised aircraft and the Swiss PC7 Team demonstrated that an aerobatic patrol is possible with the Pilatus turboprops that have replaced the C-101 as the Spanish Army’s training aircraft and which could be the future aircraft of the popular local team, the Patrulla Águila, who were also in attendance, showing off their moves and signing autographs for the crowds.

On-site paramedics had to help 28 people, of whom four had to be transferred to the Hospital Universitario Los Arcos del Mar Menor, most of them due to suffering the effects of the heat and sunshine all weekend long.

As well as the aerial acrobatics, a great number of people were also drawn by the children's Play Zone and the various other activities such as flights simulators, drones and more, while the concerts on the Friday and Saturday nights were attended by more than 2,000 people.

San Javier Town Hall hopes to be able to repeat the success of the Air Show in 2025.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of San Javier Today

Images: Ayuntamiento de San Javier

Address

Calle Padre Juan. Centro Cultural Principe de Asturias 30720 SAN JAVIER

Tel: 968 571 704

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Oficina de Turismo de San Javier

San Javier Tourist Offices The municipality of San Javier has three main offices giving tourist information to visitors, as well as two information points. The tourist offices are located in Santiago de la Ribera, on the ground floor of the town hall in San Javier and at the start of La Manga. There is a tourist information point located in the San Javier Airport, as well as one at kilometre 12-13 of La Manga del Mar Menor.

Due to its location on the fringes of the Mar Menor and Mediterranean, San Javier has a period of intense summer tourism activity during the peak summer months, although it is popular with retirees of all nationalities out of peak season.

Tickets for the annual San Javier Jazz Festival can be purchased at the Festival office in San Javier Town Hall, Plaza de España.

San Javier - Oficina Municipal de Turismo

Municipal Tourism Office

San Javier Tourist Offices Calle Padre Juan. Centro Cultural Príncipe de Asturias (Click for map: Centro Cultural Príncipe de Asturias)
30720 Santiago de la Ribera - SAN JAVIER
Tel: 968 571 704