{"id":58680,"date":"2025-02-09T21:43:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T20:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=58680"},"modified":"2026-02-09T01:18:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T00:18:29","slug":"the-day-that-the-pilot-carlos-sainz-flew-in-a-spanish-ef-18b-hornet-fighter-of-the-wing-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/02\/09\/the-day-that-the-pilot-carlos-sainz-flew-in-a-spanish-ef-18b-hornet-fighter-of-the-wing-12\/","title":{"rendered":"The day that the pilot Carlos Sainz flew in a Spanish EF-18B Hornet fighter of the Wing 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next year will mark 40 years since the EF-18 Hornet arrived in Spain, where it first served in Wing 15 in Zaragoza.<\/p>\n

The pre-flight check and cockpit of a Spanish EF-18BM fighter explained by its pilot<\/a><\/rel>
\nA flight of two Spanish EF-18M fighters and a change of habits with Scorpion helmets<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

The EF-18 (the Spanish designation for the F\/A-18, designated C.15 by the Air Force) is now the fighter aircraft that has been in service the longest in Spain<\/strong>, surpassing the Mirage F1 (38 years), the F-4C Phantom II (this fighter version was in service for 28 years), the Mirage III (22 years), the SF-5A (22 years, the last ones being converted into reconnaissance aircraft) and the Eurofighter (which has been in service for 21 years). The first EF-18s arrived in Spain at 19:00 on 10 July 1986<\/strong>, being assigned to Wing 15, created on 16 December 1985 and based in Zaragoza.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
One of the EF-18s upon arrival in Spain on July 10, 1986 (Photo: Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n

On March 28, 1989, Wing 12 of Torrej\u00f3n began to receive its first Hornets,<\/strong> which arrived at that unit to replace the F-4Cs (the reconnaissance RF-4Cs remained active until October 2022 in the 123 Squadron). In 2004, the EF-18A (single-seater) and EF-18B (two-seater) of Wing 12 were the first Spanish Hornets to be modernized<\/strong> through an MLU (Mid-Life Update).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
One of the two-seater EF-18Bs upon its arrival in Spain on July 10, 1986. In the center of the photo we see the then Minister of Defense, Narc\u00eds Serra (Photo: Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n

The EF-18s have had very illustrious crew members,<\/strong> including King Juan Carlos I and the then Prince of Asturias and current King Felipe VI. On November 2, 1990, Wing 12 saw rally pilot Carlos Sainz fly in one of its EF-18Bs.<\/strong> According to the Revista de Aeron\u00e1utica y Astron\u00e1utica<\/a> (Magazine of Aeronautics and Astronautics) of the Spanish Air Force in its December 1990 issue, the flight was carried out in EF-18 12-72 (the CE.15-09, currently assigned to Wing 15 with the number 15-77). Sainz was accompanied by the then Captain Ignacio Bengoechea<\/strong> (today Lieutenant General and father of two fighter pilots<\/a>, one an EF-18 and the other a Eurofighter).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
Carlos Sainz, center, shaking hands with then Captain Ignacio Bengoechea on the day the rally driver flew in an EF-18B of Wing 12 (Photo: Revista de Aeron\u00e1utica y Astron\u00e1utica<\/a>).<\/div>\n

\"The takeoff was tremendous, noisy, exciting.<\/strong> As much as the flight, in which five point nine gees and one point zero six of Mach were reached; and almost as much as touchdown fifty minutes later<\/strong>. The plane was delayed for an indeterminate amount of time from landing until the engines stopped in the parking lot. No doubt to give the newly-trained pilot a break\"<\/em>, the aforementioned magazine noted.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
The EF-18BM CE.15-09, currently 15-77, assigned to the Wing 15 in a magnificent photo taken by Sergio Ruiz Gonz\u00e1lez on March 13, 2017. This is the aircraft in which Carlos Sainz flew in 1990 (Photo: Sergio Ruiz Gonz\u00e1lez \/ Ej\u00e9rcito del Aire<\/a>).<\/div>\n

After the flight, there was a race between an EF-18 and Sainz\u2019s Toyota Celica<\/strong>, a duel won by the fighter thanks to the tremendous thrust of its two General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofan engines. Today, Fly By Wire Aviation<\/a> (a YouTube channel that I recommend you subscribe to) has published a video showing images from the early years of the EF-18s of the Wing 12,<\/strong> including that flight by Carlos Sainz in one of these fighters and some images of the race between the plane and the Celica:<\/p>\n