{"id":59851,"date":"2025-06-09T22:13:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T20:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=59851"},"modified":"2025-06-15T22:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T20:08:12","slug":"raaf-roulettes-an-example-of-what-the-future-patrulla-aguila-will-look-like-with-pc-21-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/06\/09\/raaf-roulettes-an-example-of-what-the-future-patrulla-aguila-will-look-like-with-pc-21-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"RAAF Roulettes, an example of what the future Patrulla \u00c1guila will look like with PC-21 aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next weekend, the Spanish Air Force's Patrulla \u00c1guila will bid farewell to its aging CASA C-101 Aviojet aircraft.<\/p>\n

The smoke generators of the new Pilatus PC-21 aircraft of the Patrulla \u00c1guila<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft of the Spanish Air Force seen up close<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

The farewell will be in style, with the Aire 25 air show<\/a> which will take place in San Javier (Murcia), home of the General Air Academy (AGA) and the aforementioned fixed-wing acrobatic patrol.<\/p>\n

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After this air show, the Patrulla \u00c1guila will begin a transition period to its new aircraft, the Pilatus PC-21<\/strong> (below), which has already replaced the C-101 Aviojet (above) and the T-35 Pill\u00e1n in the training of new pilots at the AGA.<\/p>\n

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The Patrulla \u00c1guila will not be the first aerobatic team to make this transition<\/strong> from a jet to a turboprop aircraft, a step that has not been well received by many, as the Spanish aerobatic team has lost not only a jet aircraft, but also a domestically manufactured one, in favor of a Swiss turboprop. These are the consequences of insufficient investment in defense<\/strong> and poor planning when replacing existing aircraft.<\/p>\n

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As we saw here in February, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Roulettes aerobatic team already made that transition in 1989<\/a>, leaving behind their Aermacchi MB-326s (above) to fly the Pilatus PC-9s (below).<\/p>\n

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In 2019, the Roulettes replaced their PC-9s with the PC-21s<\/strong> (below), the new aircraft acquired by the RAAF for the training of its future pilots.<\/p>\n

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The Australian team flies with six PC-21s, one less than the Patrulla \u00c1guila<\/strong> in its current C-101 configuration.<\/p>\n

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Since they are aircraft that cannot generate contrails with their engine exhaust, the Roulettes' PC-21s use smoke generators placed under the wings<\/strong>, like the Sanders Smoke Technologies SCSG-5s that the Patrulla \u00c1guila will use (we saw them here two months ago)<\/a>. As I noted then, these smoke generators are fueled by a tank of 7.57 liters of 100-octane aviation gasoline<\/strong> and 37.85 liters of smoke oil, capable of operating for about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

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Obviously, I don't expect you to be content with just a few photos. You can see the Roulettes' PC-21s in action here in a video released by the RAAF four years ago:<\/p>\n