Alex Trelinski
KING Felipe will be the guest of honour at the annual air show and display at the Spanish Air Force base in San Javier, Murcia.
‘Aire 25’ is the biggest and most spectacular air event in Spain and will this year celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Patrulla Aguila(Eagle Patrol) aerobatic team.
The Spanish Air Force is suggesting that up to half-a-million people will position themselves around the Mar Menor lagoon to enjoy the entertainment on Sunday.
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The weekend is split into two, with the General Air Academy building open to the public on Saturday between 10am and 6pm for a static display of around 70 aircraft.
It will be a unique opportunity to get close to a mixture of military and civilian planes
King Felipe will visit the exhibition along with the Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, accompanied by senior Air Force officials.
The monarch will stay in the area overnight to enjoy the spectacular air display around the Mar Menor on Sunday.
Top aerobatic teams from across Europe will join the Patrulla Aguilla including the world-famous Red Arrows from the UK, the Frecce Tricolori from Italy, plus the Patrouille de France, and the Patrouille Suisse.
The squadrons will paint the sky with the distinctive coloured-smoke of their national flags after showing off their skill and precision.
There will also be demonstrations from the Spanish helicopter unit, the Aspa Patrol, and the Air Force Parachute Acrobatic Patrol.
In addition there will be fly-pasts of various aircraft including an F-18 and a Eurofighter.
The entertainment will run in the skies from 10am to 5pm, with the section between 12pm and 2pm being televised by La 1.
With the annual huge influx of cars expected, San Javier council has once again put together a parking plan with around 25,000 spaces between San Pedro del Pinatar to Los Alcazares.
Just over 14,000 spots are in San Javier itself, with the closest parking areas to the event on the esplanade of Avenida de la Patrulla Aguila, in San Blas, on Calle Cabo Huertas and on Calle Muñoz Alonso.
Shuttle bus services have been arranged linking more outlying car parks, plus two field hospitals will be erected along with 100 temporary toilets.
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