Princess Leonor has already flown solo. In December, she successfully completed one of her major challenges during her training at the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier, Murcia, where she serves as an officer cadet.
It wasn’t just a symbolic gesture or a pretty photo; she completed theoretical training, simulator exercises, and real flight time in the Pilatus PC-21, the advanced training aircraft currently used by the academy’s students.
The Palacio de la Zarzuela confirmed this in detail, adding that Leonor “pilots jets just like her peers.” No privileges, no shortcuts.
Now, the next step is to Granada. The Armilla base, home to the Army Helicopter School, would be the next stop in her training.
Zarzuela has not confirmed any dates or details, only that they will report “significant developments.” However, sources close to the Air Academy, consulted by the publication ‘Monarquía Confidencial,’ confirm that this rotational flight course is indeed planned and is considered “essential” for the heiress to gain firsthand experience of the operations of each branch of the military before assuming greater responsibilities.
The comparison to his father is inevitable. Felipe VI completed this exact training at the time, and he still occasionally takes the helm today.
Leonor’s training is tailored to the Air Force’s current needs, and the context has changed significantly since Felipe VI underwent the same stages. It’s not a replica; it’s an updated version.
What is clear is that this is not about institutional posturing. Leonor’s training has a specific goal: to ensure she knows exactly what she is talking about when the time comes to assume supreme command of the Armed Forces.
After Armilla, she will begin her university studies, although nothing has been confirmed about that chapter yet.