Latest news with #SpanishAirandSpaceForce
India Today
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Watch: Fighter jet performs evasive move to avoid clash with birds at Spanish air show
At a busy air show in Spain, a fighter jet made "evasive manoeuvre" to avoid hitting a flock of birds. The quick action by the pilot amazed the crowd watching the the Gijon Air Festival, held over the weekend, an F-18 jet from the Spanish Air and Space Force was flying low near the shore when it suddenly spotted a flock of birds in its path. The pilot quickly reacted by twisting the plane and dropping altitude, then swiftly climbing back up. This fast move helped the jet avoid a shared by people on social media showed the jet making a nearly somersault-like turn around the birds, thrilling the audience with the pilot's skill and Air Force says its F-18 jet made an evasive maneuver after detecting a flock of birds during the Gijn pilot followed standard safety protocol, reacted instantly, and avoided any danger without disrupting the show. Clash Report (@clashreport) July 28, 2025 The festival is a popular event in Spain and has been held every year since 2006. It features multiple category of planes, including military, civilian, and institutional aircraft. This year, about a dozen planes took part in the three-day AIR FORCE PRAISES PILOT'S RESPONSEAfter many questions from the public about the sudden move, the Spanish Air and Space Force shared a message on social media explaining what said, "As you can see, one of our F-18s carried out an evasive maneuver upon detecting a flock of birds in its trajectory. This action was part of a standard protocol that preserved the integrity of the pilot just as it did the safety of the public."The Air Force also highlighted how their pilots train to react in just milliseconds to unexpected events like this. They praised the pilot for showing "exemplary speed and professionalism" by avoiding the birds without stopping the rest of the show."Safety is and will continue to be our highest priority in each and every aerial demonstration. Thanks to all attendees for their enthusiasm and trust," the agency added. "Let's keep flying together."- Ends
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch jet dive to narrowly avoid a flock of birds at Spanish air show
A Spanish aircraft narrowly avoided contact with a flock of birds by performing an "evasive maneuver" in the middle of an air show. Onlookers were in awe at the sight of an F-18 whizzing past, almost somersaulting its way around a flock of birds during the Gijon Air Festival over the weekend. The aircraft, piloted by a member of the Spanish Air and Space Force, was one of a dozen airplanes participating in the three-day event that's been held annually in Gijon, Spain, since 2006. According to the event website, it is "currently the most representative air festival in Spain" and the lineup includes "civilian, military and institutional" aircraft. Footage captured by an attendee shows the F-18 rotating slightly, quickly dropping altitude and approaching the shore before swooping back up skyborne. Watch Spanish jet avoid bird-on-plane casualty at air show The Spanish Air and Space Force addressed the incident on social media, after a flurry of questions from the public about what prompted the pilot to take such dramatic action. "As you can see, one of our F-18s carried out an evasive maneuver upon detecting a flock of birds in its trajectory," the agency wrote in a July 28 post. "This action was part of a standard protocol that preserved the integrity of the pilot just as it did the safety of the public." The agency noted that its pilots, including the one seen flying in the clip, are trained to react to any unforeseen event in a matter of milliseconds. The Spanish Air and Space Force applauded its pilot, who it said showed "exemplary speed and professionalism" by avoiding a possible collision without compromising the rest of the show. "Safety is and will continue to be our highest priority in each and every aerial demonstration. Thanks to all attendees for their enthusiasm and trust," the agency said. "Let's keep flying together."
Euronews
29-07-2025
- General
- Euronews
Flock of birds nearly cause Spanish jet to crash on beach amid airshow
A flock of birds nearly caused a Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornet fighter jet to crash on a crowded beach during a major airshow. During the Gijón Air Festival — which was held over the weekend in Asturias in northern Spain — the jet was performing a low-altitude display when it suddenly pulled off an evasive manoeuvre. Videos of the incident show the jet turning upside down, trailing black smoke and hurtling towards the sea before swooping away at the last minute. People on San Lorenzo Beach were seen filming the near miss on their phones, with some shouting and screaming in shock as the plane narrowly avoided crashing. In a post on X on Monday, the Spanish Air Force said the jet "performed an evasive manoeuvre when it detected a flock of birds in its path". "This action is part of standard protocol to protect both the pilot and the safety of the public. Our pilots are trained to react in milliseconds to any unforeseen event," it said. More than 300,000 people attended the Gijón Air Festival, making it the largest in annual event's history, according to local media. There were displays by the Spanish Air and Space Force, Search and Rescue, Navy and National Police, among other performances. Just last month, a similar incident occurred at the Aire25 airshow in Murcia in southeastern Spain. A Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon was performing a display when a seagull collided with the jet's canopy. The collision broke the canopy and punctured the windshield, forcing the pilot to end the routine and land immediately, aviation media reported. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), at least 270,000 reports of wildlife strikes to aircraft were recorded globally between 2016 and 2021.
