Alejandro "Álex" Maclean (6 August 1969 – 17 August 2010) was a Spanish TV film producer and

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glid ...

pilot, who competed in the

Red Bull Air Race World Championship The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a ...

under the number 36. Maclean was nicknamed "The Flying Matador". Maclean, whose grandfather was

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

and hence his family name, was fascinated by airplanes as a child. So, he built and collected model airplanes, and later stepped up to remote controlled planes. At the age of 18, he bought his own

Ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

. Soon, he began to try out some basic manoeuvres in his new plane. The aerobatics resulted in his first accident. Maclean later experienced two more serious air accidents during aerobatics flights. In 2005 Maclean became captain of the Spanish aerobatics team. He had a partnership in a TV film production company, enjoyed

skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...

, flying

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

horse-riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

and

waterski Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a Surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a Cable skiing, cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or ...

ing. Maclean was married to Emma. The couple has two sons Alejandro and Eduardo. He died on 17 August 2010, when his plane crashed into the ground, while performing a manoeuvre during a training exercise in Casarrubios del Monte,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Achievements

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an champion in unlimited aerobatics * The winner of 1998

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n Open Aerobatic Championship * Two-time

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

aerobatics champion Legend: * CAN: Cancelled * DNP: Did not participate * DNS: Did not show * DQ: Disqualified * NC: Not classified * TP:Technical Problems

References

External links

Red Bull Air Race World Championship official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, Alejandro 1969 births 2010 deaths Aerobatic pilots Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Spain Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots Spanish air racers Spanish people of Scottish descent Sport deaths in Spain Sportspeople from Madrid Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2010

Achievements

See also

References

External links