The XVI Festival Aéreo Internacional de Motril is not far away - just 58 days; ié. on the 19th of June, putting Motril on the map once again.

“If last year’s show attracted 150,000 spectators, it is expected that the number will reach 200,000 this year,” said José Miguel Pérez Juárez, Chairman of the Asociación Aeronáutica Andaluza ORIÓN, which is the organising entity behind this annual event.

Of course, with military aircraft participating, not to mention the use of the Spanish Air Force station in Granada, a military coordinator is needed, who will be the Commanding Officer of the Base Aérea de Armilla, Colonel José Molino.

So far there are 17 aircraft in the display with more confirmations on the way. The three arms of the Spanish Armed Forces, navy, army and air force, will have representatives participating, as well as military aircraft from France and many civilian aircraft, both fixed and rotary wing ones.

The control tower will be installed on Playa de Poniente next to the Chiringuito El Espeto. From there up to Chiringuito El Hoyo 19 will be the area for spectator; i.e., where the participating aircraft will perform at their closes point to the crowds.

Three more airfields/aerodromes might also be used besides the air base in Armilla: the Aeródromo de la Axarquía, La Base Aérea de Málaga and the Aeropuerto de Granada.

Providing the aerobatic displays will be an AV-8B Harrier II (which always delights the crowd by flying backwards), La Patrulla PAPEA (Army parachute display team), Patrulla ASPA (helicopter aerobatics team), a Eurofighter Typhoon, an NH 90 CAIMAN helicopter belonging to the Spanish Army, the 28 Tigre attack helicopter (valued at 31m USD so best not to dent it) the A-400 M Tactical Display, (derived from the Hercules C-130 and C-160) which is in common use within other European armed forces.

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Armilla Air Base, by the way.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)