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The history of military aircraft in the region was first and foremost written in Santiago de la Ribera on the Costa Calida. Since 1927, when a training base for pilots was established there, the presence of aircraft has been a common thread throughout history. An airport, regular international air shows and a museum dedicated to aviation in the town all bear witness to this.
It therefore came as a surprise when Guardamar of all places caught the attention of aircraft enthusiasts in 2018 with the unveiling of a special monument. Anyone who enters the town from the north side will almost immediately see an aircraft looming. Placed on a plinth in a park next to a roundabout, this model of an A PA 28 Warrior Bonanza looks as if it has just taken off. The reason why Guardamar, a town with a very modest aircraft history, has a monument that pays tribute to aviation in Spain is largely coincidental.
It is thanks to enthusiastic members of the local model builders' association. They heard that like-minded people in Alicante had acquired a small plane that had crashed and was in very poor condition. When they wanted to take the plane that had been used by the Spanish Air Force to the scrap heap, the association in Guardamar decided to buy the wreck.
Their meticulous restoration work now adorns the streets of Guardamar. Incidentally, there is still a local link with the monument. During the official unveiling ceremony, tributes were also paid to a local Air Force pilot who died in a plane crash in 2003.
