Tributes are being paid to the Spanish-French acrobatic pilot, Olivier Masurel, who died on Sunday after taking part in the San Javier Air Show.
The accident occurred during his return trip to the Matilla de los Caños airfield (Valladolid), when a vulture hit his cabin, causing him to crash his small plane near Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real), where it caught fire upon impact with the ground.
The event organisers said that they were “devastated” by the news, in a statement in which they also expressed their condolences: “We join with his family and friends as we all share this heartfelt loss, Flying has been his passion and this fatal accident has taken his life; Fly high, dear Olivier.”
Masurel, with an innate passion for flight from an early age, had perfected the art over the years, becoming one of the most recognised names on the international aerobatic scene.
At 42 years of age, he was the Spanish Open champion in the Spanish Aerobatic Flight Championship, held last July at the La Caminera airfield (Torrenueva, Ciudad Real). In that same competition he came second place in the Freestyle category.
He was also part of the National Aerobatic Flying Team and was one of the three pilots who represented Spain in the 31st World Aerobatic Flying Championship (FAI WAC 2022), where they won the Team Silver Medal.
His aircraft was an Extra 300 manufactured by the Extra Aircraft company in Germany, an aircraft that is characterised by its light structure, its powerful engine and its ability to perform extreme manoeuvres. It was a very appropriate model for the “bold” style of Masurel, who in addition to competing was a “very sought after” exhibition pilot, according to the Spanish Aeronautical Cultural Association, who also highlighted his “ability to challenge the limits of gravity and his passion for flight”, two factors that made him “an inspiration for pilots and aviation enthusiasts.”
