Show Aéreo Ilopango en la Historia

The Ilopango airport and military base in San Salvador, El Salvador, has been for the past 7 years the headquarters of Central America's largest air show and the most important Civil Air Show in Latin America.

The Ilopango Air Show takes place every year on the last weekend of January. This is to take advantage of the dry season, which means no rain, blue skies and a moderate temperature for about 6 months of the year. Additionally, this month is the middle of the winter season in the U.S. and there are no aerial event scheduled, making it even more attractive to our international guests.

San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador, the smallest of  7 Central American countries. It is 900 m south of Miami, and is has beautiful beaches, crystal clear lakes and majestic volcanoes. The Salvadorans are great people and any visit is comfortable and pleasant. Many of our visitors come to our show with their family and stay to see the wonders of Central America. This region is extremely rich in culture and natural beauty. Mayan ruins abound, there are beautiful beaches everywhere and opportunities to experience volcano climbing and eco-tourism is can be on the agenda.

Ilopango 1997: This dream was born 13 years ago with a group of Salvadoran pilots, members of the Aero Club, with a deep passion for aviation and a great vision. This  started to go a long way towards putting into the air the Ilopango Air Show 97. Carlos Panama and Federico Batlle were the managers of this project. Going door to door they gained support from major companies within the country bringing this adventure to life.
That year the show included the participation of Salvadoran pilots, both civilian and military aerobatic team as well as the Canadian Northern Lights. This became an instant success since its appearing in our skies.

Ilopango 1998: By 1998 the Air Show went from a somewhat experimental stage to become an Aeroclub sponsored institutional event. The participation of U.S. pilots Greg Koontz, Gene Soucy, both acrobatics champion who flew alone and then together with Teresa Stokes, an exceptinal wing walker that delighted us with their expertise, gaining the respect and admiration of the public. The Northern Light, for the second consecutive year, were part of the event with synchronized acrobatics that were done to the greatest perfection in its five planes.

Ilopango 1999: The Air Show Ilopango began to echo throughout the Central American region achieving prestige and admiration.  This strengthened the commitment to make the show even better. That year our Air Show was attended by a large number of international acrobats, among which included: Bill Leff with his night show in an AT-6, Tom Righetii with his L-39 Albatros, the Northem Lights, Paratroopers, the Navy Seals "Leap Frogs", Grep Koontz with his Decathlon and for the first time Richard Gibson`s Incredible Pyro show "bombing" Ilopango Airport. Also perfroming were Salvadoran pilots: Eduardo Poma, Carlos Dardano, Team Salvadoran Air Force, Robert Corleto, Adrian Panameno Tony Remuda, Rogelio Peña and Archie Baldocchi.

Ilopango 2000: With the arrival of the new millennium brought new challenges for our organization, however Ilopango 2000 brought together the greatest names of aerobatics in the world. The first to appear were the Navy Seals "Leap Frogs" from the U.S. This team of military jumping experts surprised the public with an "attack" to the airport while performing amazing figures with smoke trails. But this was only the begining of what was to come. A face to face air duel featuring Grep Poe in his Edge 540 and Jim Leroy in his Pitts S25, Loos, hammerheads, Cuban Eights, Low Pass and countless maneuvers were part of that duel. Tempers flared further when Jim Leroy performed a ribbon cutting at only 6 feet above the ground, the public could not believed what they saw before their eyes.
Then a silent show with Steve Coan (5 times world champion) in his glider making a 10 minute air dance with amazing stunts that stole the hearts of young and old. There was not enough time as another star was in the air. "The flight over who could not walk" Dan Buchanan used this motto in his Delta Wing demonstrated why ICAS recognized him as "Performer of the Year 99". His amazing ability to plan for the Delta wing was the ultimate test of their professional quality.

 
To everyones surprise the earth began to shake, with a carefully planned series of blasts by the expert Richard Gibson. An attack on the Ilopango base took shape. The  Salvadoran Air Force CUSCATLECA squadron defended its territory with Eduardo Poma and his Fouga Magister being the enemy to defeat. Among giant flames and deafening explosions came the shows peak. The night belonged to Bill Leff who in his AT-6 conducted an amazing routine with pyrotechnic lights.

Ilopango 2001: The planning for Ilopango 2001 began many months in advance. Local and foreign pilots had confirmed their participation, and was ready, just waiting for the event date. On January 13, 2001, El Salvador experineced an ordeal that change our lives forever. For more than 42 seconds a devastating earthquake measuring 7.9 degrees on the Richter scale shook El Salvador and several neighboring countries. The Salvadorans tireless nature, persistent and always fighting began the reconstruction period. Respectful of this effort, the members of the Board and the Air Show Organizing Committee, decide to make the event in benefit of the victims. However the following month, on Feb. 13th, another quake struck and the show was cancelled.

Ilopango 2002: This edition brought many surprises, including the presentation of one of the planes used by the U.S. Navy during World War II, a PBY Catalina. Also present over the sky the Pepsi National Team, made up of American pilots Steve Oliver, his wife Suzzane Asbury-Oliver and Bill Hammond, all highly experienced in aerobatics. Flying their Skydancer airplanes (deHavilland Chipmunk originally designed to serve as training machines for the Royal Canadian Air Force), these pilots demonstrated their ability to 'write' words with smoke. It reminded us of one of the Salvadoran Aviation pioneers Colonel Aviation Milton Andrade (who passed away a few days earlier while practicing prior to show) writing in the sky "Olaf" as he was commonly known. Another great attraction of the event was the "Swift Magic Team, formed in 1991 by pilots Lowell Sterchi, Dewayne Upton and Michael Kennedy. Their control and concentration allowed them to perform risky move at high speed.