Spanish aerobatics is once again showcasing at the highest level. The 2026 Spanish Aerobatic Championship (CEVA) and its International Open will bring together 31 pilots from 10 countries from 25 to 27 June at the La Caminera Club de Campo in Torrenueva (Ciudad Real).
This year’s event will feature 81 competition flights and a dozen aerobatic aircraft (Sukhois, Extras, RV8, Cap, Edge and Super Decathlon).
Organized by the Club Acrobático Central (CAC) and the Real Federación Aeronáutica Española (RFAE), the championship will bring together pilots from Spain, who will compete in the CEVA, whilst the International Open will feature representatives from Portugal, Germany, Slovakia, Egypt, Switzerland, India, Morocco, the US and Argentina. The competition will include the Classic categories (Unlimited, Advanced, Intermediate, Sport and Elementary) and will culminate on Saturday with the Unlimited and Freestyle finals, the most visually spectacular and demanding discipline of aerobatics.
The program will begin with the arrival of the pilots on Sunday 21 June and will continue with three days of free practice, from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24. Safety flights will take place on Thursday 25, ahead of the official start of the competition on Friday 26, with the competition commencing place first thing in the morning, which can be followed live via the championship’s webcast.
Saturday 27th will be the main day for the public, with access to the venue at La Caminera Club de Campo as of midday and live coverage straight to your device. The program will feature the final in Classic across the five categories and the Freestyle event.
In addition to the official competition, the event will formally announce the members of the National Team and host training sessions for the National Aerobatic Team (ENVA) ahead of the 2026 World Aerobatic Championship (WAC), which will take place in August in Mason City, Iowa (USA).
“This is a sport in which it is not enough to fly fast or perform spectacular maneuvers: you have to execute every maneuver with precision, control and a cool head. The CEVA is not an exhibition: it is pure competition. Each pilot’s result hangs in the balance during flights lasting just a few minutes, with linked maneuvers, enormous pressure, and where you have to fly perfectly to outdo the other competitors,” highlights Cástor Fantoba, president of the Club Acrobático Central.
“We want people to see aerobatics for what it is: a sport of the highest technical and physical standards. The public will see flights where pilots are pushed to the limit, but behind every flight there are many hours of training, engineering, safety and teamwork. The Freestyle will be the most visually striking component, but the entire championship has enormous sporting and entertainment value,” concluded Irene Pasini, Competition Director.
The championship will also feature a Judging line of internationally renowned experts, led by Steve Green and comprising Guy Auger, Nikolai Nikityuk, Brian McCartney, Luca Andragetti, Eladi Lozano and Gonzalo Rodríguez, – these judges are references in the world’s major aerobatic competitions.
Aerobatics, live and from the cockpit
CEVA 2026 will allow spectators to follow the competition from two perspectives: from the runway and from inside the cockpit. Spectators will be able to watch the event judging line and from the viewing areas set up at La Caminera Club de Campo, whilst the live broadcast via www.ceva.aero and the Gear Up channel on YouTube will offer views on-board, aerial shots, real-time rankings and interviews with the pilots.
This coverage has become one of the hallmarks of the championship: every year it provides some of the most striking images of aerobatics and allows viewers to appreciate with particular clarity the tension, concentration and precision required by each maneuver. It is not just about showing the spectacle from the outside, but about bringing the public and the media closer to the real demands of a discipline in which every line, every maneuver and every second counts.
“We remain committed to hosting this competition, which places Ciudad Real on the calendar of a truly unique discipline that combines competition, spectacle and precision. It is an opportunity to introduce the public to an extraordinary sport, one with an enormous capacity to thrill when experienced live, in a setting that is like no other.” says Juan José Martínez, Director of La Caminera Club de Campo.
Aerobatics, sustainable
CEVA 2026 is supported by Air BP, the Royal Spanish Aeroclub, Unlimited Aerobatics, Castilla-La Mancha and Grupo Albión, La Caminera Club de Campo and Grupo Bacardi.
Air BP’s commitment to excellence takes the CEVA to the highest level of performance, and is once again is the official provider of aviation fuel and one of the championship’s most distinguishing features: for the seventh consecutive year, it will power the competition and support the offsetting of CO₂ emissions associated with the aviation fuel used during the competition, reinforcing the event’s commitment to more sustainable aviation.
