When this picture was made in 1986 the Spanish Air Force was equipped with 2 wings flying with the F-5, Ala 21 based at Moron de la Frontera and Ala 73 at Talavera la Real, both in the South of Spain. Ala 21 had to fulfil the fighter/ground attack assets while Ala 73 was in charge of the conversion of starting fighter pilots. Ala 21 operated with the SF-5A, the SF-5B and the SRF-5A all painted in camo.
 
 
 
 
 

To train the shooting skills of the pilots, Ala 21 equipped the F-5 with this silvercoloured dart. Only very occasionally F-5s were flying in this configuration.
 
 

A strange squadronbadge is the cock of Ala-21. This wing was in 1986 divided in Escuadrón 211 and 212. Both squadrons had the same badge, except the background, which was green or blue. 1986 was the last year that the spanish Air Force used the three digit code, which made it easy to find out for what squadron the aircraft was operating. After 1986 211 and 212 squadroncodes changed to 21 wingcode.
 
 

Ala 73 was also divided in 2 squadrons, Escuadrón 731 and 732. The SF-5Bs of Ala 73 were easy to recognize because of their silver colour scheme instead of the camo painting of the Ala 21 F-5s. In 1987 they were changing from a three digit code to a two digit code, explaining the existance of F-5s with 73, 731 and 732 code.
 
 
 

After a big reorganization, around 1990-1992, Ala 21 stopped flying the F-5 because of airframe problems. To keep their pilots trained Ala 21 used C-101's from other squadrons, awaiting the ex USNavy F/A-18 Hornet. All F-5's were modernized and designated to Ala 23, the former Ala 73. The SF-5Bs received a grey/grey scheme and the 23 code.
 
 
 
 
 

Currently Ala 23 is the only wing in Spain operating the F-5. The main type is the SF-5B, but a few SF-5A and SRF-5A models are still in use and painted in a camo pattern. The main task of Ala 23 is advanced fighter training.

4 SF-5Bs are waiting on the runway of Talavera la Real for take off clearance.
 
 
 

 
 
 
This SF-5B returns from a training mission. The  Spanish Air Force wants to operate with the SF-5B until 2010.