{"id":58537,"date":"2025-01-27T23:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T22:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=58537"},"modified":"2026-01-27T04:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:30:51","slug":"two-former-spanish-pilots-talk-about-the-mirage-iii-and-mirage-f1-fighters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/01\/27\/two-former-spanish-pilots-talk-about-the-mirage-iii-and-mirage-f1-fighters\/","title":{"rendered":"Two former Spanish pilots talk about the Mirage III and Mirage F1 fighters"},"content":{"rendered":"

For several decades, the Spanish Air Force operated two notable French-made supersonic fighter aircraft.<\/p>\n

Supersonic 'Planchetas': an old film of the Mirage III of the Ala 11 of the Spanish Air Force<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe new life of some old Spanish Mirage F1 fighters as aggressors in the United States<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

The Dassault Mirage III<\/big><\/p>\n

The first of these was the Dassault Mirage III<\/strong>, known as the \"Plancheta\" (Planchette) by its Spanish pilots due to its distinctive delta-wing design. Spain operated 30 aircraft of this type<\/strong> (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.<\/strong> The aircraft were divided equally between two squadrons, 111 and 113, each with 12 C.11s and 3 CE.11s.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
A row of Spanish Mirage IIIs at Manises Air Base (Photo: Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n

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

<\/div>\n
Several Spanish Mirage IIIs from Squadron 111 at Manises Air Base. In the foreground we see several Mirage IIIDE two-seaters (Photo: Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n

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<\/a> published the testimony of Luis Manso, one of the former Spanish pilots of the Mirage III<\/strong>, 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):<\/p>\n