The Princess of Asturias has reached a new milestone in her military training. The Heiress has successfully completed the 'suelta', the first solo flight as a pilot of the Air and Space Force. According to information provided by Zarzuela, the 20-year-old young woman carried out this exercise this week at the Air Academy in San Javier, Murcia.
The Royal House has distributed two snapshots from December 18, the day Leonor passed the test of flying alone a Pilatus C-21 aircraft, the turboprop training aircraft that replaced the Casa C-101 this year.
During this semester, the Princess of Asturias, as shown in the images, has undergone intensive training to acquire aeronautical knowledge and familiarize herself with the aircraft model she is training and flying on (Pilatus PC-21 (E.27)), as well as to understand other aspects that improve her knowledge of the organization and structure of the Air and Space Force.
To be able to fly solo, Princess Leonor has completed the theoretical training and the simulator and real flight sessions in Pilatus required to acquire the necessary competencies that allowed her to carry out "la suelta" with safety.
Zarzuela has chosen to accompany these images of the Princess's first flight with a set of snapshots from the past months, showing photographs and videos of flight preparation, pre-flight briefing, signing the aircraft logbook, pre-flight check, as well as other scenes of training flights and simulator training.
They also include photographs of other instructional and training activities such as survival at sea, the moment of equipping with the anti-g suit, and moments of the traditional flag swearing ceremony at the General Air and Space Academy (AGA) on the feast day of the patron saint of aviators, the Virgin of Loreto, celebrated this same month.
The Princess of Asturias has been in San Javier since September 1, where she is attending her third military training course at the General Air Academy. The Heiress to the Throne, who will begin her vacation on Friday until January 8, like all students in Spain, successfully completed her training with the Army and the Navy.
Precisely, the first two courses were characterized by a significant media exposure of the Princess. A trend that has now been 'curbed'. Thus, Zarzuela distributed photos of the Heiress's admission to the Academy, but during this semester, they have avoided her exposure to allow her to focus on her studies.
Doña Leonor publicly wore the gala uniform of the Air and Space Force during the reception on October 12. She will wear it again at the Military Easter celebration on January 6. Her training in Murcia will end in June, when the young woman will conclude her military phase and move on to civilian training.
It is still unknown what Doña Leonor will study, but following in her father's footsteps, it is most likely that she will attend a Spanish university and have knowledge in Law, Political Science, and International Relations.
Leonor, who is known for her adaptability and sense of responsibility, is passing all the tests corresponding to her military training plan. In fact, before finding out if she could fly, the Princess of Asturias had to undergo a thorough medical examination that took place in the last quarter of last year when she was a student at the Naval School in Marín.
Obtaining the 'fit' certificate is essential to become a pilot, which is not the only specialization in the Air and Space Force, but the most famous one. Doña Leonor passed cardiac and vision tests, as any heart or visual acuity defect would have prevented her from achieving the feat of the 'suelta' that the Princess completed last Wednesday.