The “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” from El Salvador’s Air Force. Here is the story on how it started with the CM-170 Fouga Magister:
(free-translation)
In 1978, Guatemala’s Air Force (FAG) asked El Salvador’s Air Force (FAS) participation with an aerobatic team in the celebrations taking place in December 10th, “National Aviation Day”. Since El Salvador would have the same celebration, the FAG decided to celebrate it on December 8 and thats how in the month of October, the commander of the Combat Group, Mayor Juan Rafael Bustillo received the orders to put together such team.
The advanced training was given in the CM-170 Fouga Magisters and it was told to Lieutenant José Ricardo Castro Aguirre, who was an instructur in such aircraft, to select the pilots that would conform the team.
Lieutenant Castro Aguirre selected two of his old students, who outstanded in the flight training phase and in that moment they were making the flight instructor course of the CM-170 Fouga Magister. The selected pilots were 2nd Lieutenant Peña Merlos and Quiñonez Robles, who started the rehersals with Lieutenant Castro Aguirre and baptized the team as “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan”.
On December 7, 1978 they departed to Aurora airport in Guatemala in three CM-170 Fouga Magister (tail numbers 501, 503 and 504) also an IAI-201 Arava left with them as support aircraft.
The “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” also visited Guatemala on the same occasion in December, 1980 with their CM-170 Fouga Magister. You can read about this in LAAHS (Latin American Aviation Historical Society) were some people got confused and thought that the Fougas were part of FAG inventory: The BombRun: Guatemalan Fougas?
The “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” was set aside, as El Salvador got into a 12 year war from 1980 to 1992. Then in 1989 it was brought back but this time with the A-37B Dragonfly since the Fougas werent used anymore. By this time, my father was Leader and flew with them everytime he had the chance. By 1999 he became FAS Commander and didnt have all the time in the world but he managed to fly with “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” in every Air Show.
By this time i must tell you that none of the Fougas or Dagonflies ever used a special scheme nor their pilots were commited to the team only. The aircraft were/are part of the Fighter and Bomber Group, also the pilots flew/fly in the “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” and in the Fighter and Bomber Group.
But, the story of the Fougas didnt end there. Back in 1999-2000 two of the Fougas were brought back to flying condition after 15 years stored at the Second Air Brigade that is home of the Fighter and Bomber Group.
The Fougas were tail numbers 509 and 510, they were painted as the ‘Torogoz’ (El Salvador’s national bird).
Only one Fouga survives (tail number 510) as 509 was lost in a fatal accident in January 16, 2002 as my father was rehersing for the anual Ilopango Air Show. In this accident my father died when he was El Salvador’s Air Force Commander.
For an article about the two Fougas check LAAHS (Latin American Aviation Historical Society): El Salvador Air Force: The Return of the Mystic
The “Escuadrilla Cuscatlan” started using the A-37s in 1988 and still does. They fly 5 A-37s, 4 in formation plus a Solo flown, since 1989 until now, by Colonel Salvador Palacios (actual FAS Commander).
Finally in last year’s Ilopango Air Show, they at least got painted a Dragon on their bellys: http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5703080
Saludos.
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