{"id":59926,"date":"2025-06-16T23:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T21:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=59926"},"modified":"2025-06-22T22:56:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T20:56:30","slug":"beechcraft-t-34-mentor-the-plane-in-which-two-kings-of-spain-learned-to-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/06\/16\/beechcraft-t-34-mentor-the-plane-in-which-two-kings-of-spain-learned-to-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, the plane in which two Kings of Spain learned to fly"},"content":{"rendered":"

In February 1958, the Spanish Air Force received its first US-made Beechcraft T-34 Mentor training aircraft.<\/p>\n

The nostalgic farewell of the Spanish Air Force to its T-35C Pill\u00e1n after 36 years of service<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe T-6 Texan, an old glory of aviation explained by one of its Spanish pilots<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

This small single-engine aircraft made its first flight on December 2, 1948<\/strong>, based on a popular 1945 aircraft: the Beechcraft Bonanza. Called the E-17 in Spain, the Mentor was part of a trio of American training aircraft that revolutionized pilot training<\/strong> in the Spanish Air Force. The other two were the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet (called the E-15 in Spain) and the North American T-6 Texan (E-16).<\/p>\n

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The T-34 Mentor E.17-16 (791-16) is on display at the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum (Photo: Hugh Llewelyn<\/a>).<\/div>\n

In Spain, the T-34 Mentor provided basic flight training for students at the General Air Academy (AGA)<\/strong>, training them for three decades and becoming a popular and beloved aircraft. Among its most notable students at the AGA were two future Kings of Spain: Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI<\/strong>, who flew the T-34 during the 1958-59 and 1987-88 academic years, respectively.<\/p>\n

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The T-34 Mentor E.17-20 (791-20) flying alongside a T-6 Texan, the E.16-201 (793-19), both owned by the Infante de Orle\u00e1ns Foundation, which keeps them in flying condition (Photo: Ignacio Ferre P\u00e9rez<\/a>).<\/div>\n

In 1988, a new teaching system arrived at the AGA to replace the Mentor: the Enaer T-35 Pill\u00e1n<\/strong>, manufactured in Chile. In December 1988, the last flight of the T-34 Mentor with the Air Force took place. Of the fleet of 25 aircraft operated by Spain, 17 were donated to Uruguay<\/strong>, with four remaining here. One of these aircraft, the E.17-16 (791-16), is preserved at the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum<\/strong> in Madrid. This Monday, the Friends of the Air Museum Association published a video explaining the history of this aircraft, with the help of one of the students who flew it, Francisco Maraver (the video is in Spanish, you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):<\/p>\n