These supersonic aircraft were used by several fighter units in Spain

Two former Spanish pilots talk about the Mirage III and Mirage F1 fighters

Esp 1·27·2025 · 23:03 0

For several decades, the Spanish Air Force operated two notable French-made supersonic fighter aircraft.

Supersonic 'Planchetas': an old film of the Mirage III of the Ala 11 of the Spanish Air Force
The new life of some old Spanish Mirage F1 fighters as aggressors in the United States

The Dassault Mirage III

The first of these was the Dassault Mirage III, known as the "Plancheta" (Planchette) by its Spanish pilots due to its distinctive delta-wing design. Spain operated 30 aircraft of this type (24 single-seater Mirage IIIEEs, designated C.11s in Spain, and six single-seater Mirage IIIDEs, designated CE.11s). The first eight units arrived in Spain on 12 June 1970. The aircraft were divided equally between two squadrons, 111 and 113, each with 12 C.11s and 3 CE.11s.

A row of Spanish Mirage IIIs at Manises Air Base (Photo: Ejército del Aire).

The Mirage III replaced part of the already obsolete North American F-86F in Spain. These French-made aircraft were based in Manises, Valencia. They made their last flight on September 30, 1992, being replaced by Mirage F1CE.

Several Spanish Mirage IIIs from Squadron 111 at Manises Air Base. In the foreground we see several Mirage IIIDE two-seaters (Photo: Ejército del Aire).

A few days ago, in the interesting series of videos that it is publishing about old Spanish military aircraft, the Association of Friends of the Air Museum published the testimony of Luis Manso, one of the former Spanish pilots of the Mirage III, explaining what this aircraft was like, its missions and its armament (the video is in Spanish, you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):

The Dassault Mirage F1

The Dassault Mirafe F1 arrived in Spain in 1975. The Spanish Air Force came to operate 91 units of this supersonic fighter model, which was used by Wing 11 at Manises Air Base (Valencia), Wing 14 at Los Llanos Air Base (Albacete) and Wing 46 at Gando Air Base (Gran Canaria). This aircraft was retired from service on June 23, 2013, the day on which the Mirage F1s of Wing 11 made their last flight. These aircraft were replaced by Eurofighters (Wings 11 and 14) and by F/A-18A Hornet (Wing 46).

Two Spanish Mirage F1Ms from Wing 14 with the low visibility grey scheme they used at the end of their operational life (Photo: Ejército del Aire).

Unlike the Mirage III, the Mirage F1 had swept wings with negative dihedral, a feature that made it more maneuverable at low altitude. It was a highly appreciated aircraft by its Spanish pilots, especially the Mirage F1EE version, equipped with a refueling probe and inertial navigator. Today, the American company Draken International still operates some old Spanish Mirage F1s as aggressor aircraft to train US military pilots.

A Spanish Mirage F1CE from Wing 11 (Photo: Ejército del Aire).

This Monday, the Association of Friends of the Air Museum has published a video with the testimony of Jorge Clavero, a veteran Mirage F1 pilot of the Air Force, in which he explains the characteristics of this aircraft, its armament and the variants of this model used by Spain (the video is in Spanish, you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):

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Main photo: Salvador Mafé. Two Mirage III of the Air Force

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