What did CASA do with the C-101's first flight for safety?

Short answer

CASA kept it deliberately simple: on 27 June 1977 the P1 only had to check the controls' response, and for extra safety its landing gear was not even retracted. Two Saeta aircraft from the 406th Squadron escorted it in flight.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What did CASA do with the C-101's first flight for safety?

CASA C-101 of the Patrulla Águila and Pilatus PC-21 of the future Formación Mirlo flying together at the Aire 25 festivalRB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons

Before the roll-out

The aircraft was shown to the public before it ever flew: on 28 May 1977, at CASA's Getafe plant, the first C-101 rolled off the assembly line. On 27 June, in the afternoon, Colonel Gabriel de la Cruz took it into the sky for the first time. The P1 took off four days ahead of the scheduled date for that first flight. It was the first of four prototypes, and with it the type made its maiden flight in June 1977.

A flight with the gear down

The exercise was limited to checking the controls' response and, for extra safety, the landing gear was not even retracted. The flight test phase, which included vibration, flutter and spin trials, did not begin until 17 April 1978, even though the first flight had taken place on 27 June 1977.

A hard-pressed escort

Two Saeta aircraft from the 406th Squadron accompanied the prototype as escort planes and had a hard time keeping up with the C-101 in turns. At that time the Spanish units operated more than 100 Hispano Aviación HA-200 Saeta, HA-220 Súper Saeta aircraft, as well as the well-known Lockheed T-33s.