The little-known inspection flights of radio aids by the Spanish Air Force

Air forces are primarily known for their fighter and transport aircraft, and in Spain for their firefighters.

A report on the little-known Cessna Citation V of the Spanish Air Force
The CLAEX of the Spanish Air Force receives its two Pilatus PC-21s for testing

However, there are little-known missions of an air force that are very important to guarantee the safety of air navigation, an issue that not only involves the maintenance of the facilities and runways on which the aircraft operate, but also of the signals used to orient themselves during their flights.

In the Spanish Air Force, the 403 Squadron is responsible for the inspection and calibration of radio navigation aids. This unit, based in Getafe (Madrid) and serving the Cartographic and Photographic Center (CECAF), operates three Cessna 560 Citation V aircraft, designated TR.20 by the Air Force. As we saw here in 2024, two of them are equipped with WILD RC-30 cameras for aerial photography missions. The squadron's third aircraft, the TR.20-03 (403-21), does not carry cameras but is equipped with a radio aid calibration console.

The TR.20-03 was built in May 1992, serial number 183. Its first operator was Universal Enterprises Inc. of Ontario, Ohio, with the U.S. civil registration N82RE. In April 2008, it was acquired by Van Ness Plastic Holding of Clifton, New Jersey. The Spanish Air Force purchased it in August 2009. Like the other two aircraft of the 403 Squadron, it is painted in a two-tone scheme: white on top and gray on the bottom.

The CECAF TR.20-03 is used to calibrate the radio navigation aids of the Spanish Air Force itself, as well as those operated by the Army and Navy ships, in addition to some belonging to Enaire, the Spanish civil air navigation service provider, as explained by one of the members of the 403 Squadron in an interesting video published today by Fly By Wire Aviation (a YouTube channel I recommend you subscribe to), in which we see a radio navigation aid inspection flight at Morón Air Base in Seville (the video is in Spanish; you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):

Once again, congratulations to Fly By Wire Aviation for the interesting reports they publish. This channel showcases some lesser-known Air Force units, such as CECAF and CLAEX, which are very important.
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Main image: Ejército del Aire. The Cessna 560 Citation V TR.20-03 (403-21) aircraft used by the 403 Squadron for radio aid inspection.