Rosa María García-Malea López (born 1981) became the first female fighter pilot in the

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

after qualifying to fly jet fighter aircraft in 2006.

Early life

Rosa García-Malea López was born in 1981 in

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...

, Spain.

Military service

García-Malea is one of the first female fighter pilots in the

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

qualified to fly

F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...

, With more than 1,250 flight hours and after participating in the Libyan war in 2011, after 15 years service in Spanish air force, she joined

Patrulla Águila (Spanish for "Eagle Patrol"), formed 4 July 1985, is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air and Space Force. It is based at San Javier Air Base at the location of the academy of officers of the Spanish Air and Space Force, near Mar ...

the aerobatic demonstration team as a

Casa C-101 The CASA C-101 Aviojet is a low-wing single engine jet-powered advanced trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). The C-101 was developed in response to a ...

pilot. In 2018 she was awarded the Medalla de Andalucía for her achievements.

References

1981 births Living people Spanish Air and Space Force People from Almería {{Spain-mil-bio-stub Spanish women aviators