Princess Leonor and King Felipe VI completed their first joint training flight at the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio in San Javier, Murcia. The flight was part of Leonor’s preparation as heir to the Spanish throne and her 2025-2026 year of instruction with Spain’s Air and Space Force. Both piloted Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, turboprop trainers used for advanced military pilot training.
During the session, Leonor guided her father through one of the academy’s flight simulators, showing her progress in the program. Before the flight, she checked her equipment alongside the King. Practical instruction also included cockpit exercises, with each flying a separate PC-21.
The San Javier stage is the third part of Leonor’s military education across Spain’s armed services. She entered the Academia General Militar in Zaragoza in 2023, then attended the Escuela Naval Militar in Marín during the 2024-2025 academic year. She moved to the Air and Space Academy for 2025-2026. Her naval training included a period aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano.
The joint flight puts the King’s participation in the context of that broader, multi-year program of cross-service preparation. The academy in San Javier trains officers for the Spanish Air and Space Force, and the PC-21 is used for flight instruction. Leonor completed her passage through the three military training institutions in July 2026, concluding this stage of her preparation.
