Joaquín Loriga facts for kids

Joaquín Loriga Taboada (born September 23, 1895, in Lalín – died July 18, 1927, in Cuatro Vientos Airport) was a brave Spanish pilot. He was a pioneer in aviation, meaning he was one of the first to do important things with airplanes.

In 1926, as a Captain, he led a team on an amazing journey. They flew from Madrid, Spain, all the way to Manila in the Philippines. This was a super long flight, over 11,000 miles (about 17,700 km)! It took 128 hours of flying time. They stopped in many places like North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Only Loriga's plane finished the whole trip.

Gallarza and Loriga (on the right) during a stop in Yangon.

Early Flying Days

Joaquín grew up in a big house called Pazo de Liñares in Lalín. In 1920, he joined the army and became a pilot in the Spanish Military Aviation Service.

Flying in the Rif War

In 1922, there was a conflict called the Rif War in North Africa. Loriga was in charge of a group of planes called the 3rd squadron. They flew planes called De Havilland DH-4s. Their job was to help military bases that were surrounded by local rebels. He showed great bravery helping the besieged strongholds of Vélez de la Gomera and Miskrel-la in March and April 1922.

On March 22, 1924, his unit worked with another group of planes. They destroyed the only plane the Republic of the Rif had, which was a Dorand AR.2. It was hidden near Alhucemas. Loriga received a special medal for his bravery during the war. He was then promoted and moved to work at the Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid.

First Autogyro Flight

At the end of 1924, Captain Loriga spent eight months studying in Paris. He then decided to help an engineer named Juan de la Cierva test his new invention, the Autogyro. An Autogyro is a type of aircraft that looks a bit like a helicopter but flies differently.

On December 9, 1924, Loriga made his first practice flight in the Autogyro. He flew up to a record height of 200 meters (about 656 feet)! Two days later, on December 11, he showed off the Autogyro again. Finally, on December 12, he flew 12 kilometers (about 7.4 miles) from Cuatro Vientos airfield to Getafe airfield. This flight took only 8 minutes and 12 seconds. It was a worldwide record for an Autogyro and a very impressive flight for any aircraft with spinning blades at that time.

The Great Flight to the Philippines

Statue of Joaquín Loriga in Lalín, Pontevedra. The statue was made by Francisco Asorey.

In 1924, Loriga, as a squad leader, came up with the idea of flying from Spain to the Philippines. Back then, there was no direct air route between Europe and the Far East. Other countries like France and the UK were also thinking about such a route.

The main reason for this trip was to connect Spain with its old colony, the Philippines. There were still strong business ties and many Spanish people living in Manila. It also brought back memories of the old colonial times.

The Journey Begins

Three Breguet XIX planes left Madrid on April 5, 1926. However, only one plane made it all the way to Manila. The other two planes had problems and had to land. One was left in the North African desert, and the other on the coast of China.

After each stop, the pilots rested while the engineers checked the planes. During the flight between Tripoli and Cairo, one of the planes flown by Rafael Martínez Estévez had to go back to Tunisia because its engine broke down.

Loriga, after flying through countries like Iran, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam, had to make an emergency landing. His plane had a water leak. He landed in Tien-Pack harbor, near Guangzhou, in China. For several days, no one knew where the crew was, and people thought they might have crashed into the ocean.

Finishing the Flight

Loriga, along with pilot Eduardo González-Gallarza, continued flying in the last remaining plane. They faced strong dust storms between Karachi and Agra. They also had to take off in thick fog after Calcutta. Because of this, they had to use only their compass for navigation. This was the first time Spanish aviators relied solely on instruments for such a long flight.

The two explorers landed in Aparri, Philippines, on May 11 at 2:20 in the afternoon. A huge crowd of Filipinos, who the pilots described as "frantic with enthusiasm," gathered around them. They were so excited that they carried the Spaniards on their shoulders!

The pilots later wrote about their feelings: "We must confess our emotions on stepping on that land, our temples pulsated violently, our hearts beat madly and childish tears flowed from our eyes."

The final part of their flight was on the morning of May 13. Gallarza and Loriga said goodbye to the people of Aparri. As they flew, they dropped small Spanish flags over Tuguegarao, Iligan, and Echague to salute the towns below.

When they were halfway to Manila, 12 airplanes from the United States Army met them and flew alongside them. At 11:20 in the morning, the two pilots successfully completed their amazing mission.

On May 27, Loriga traveled to Macao to meet his engineer. They took the plane apart and packed it to be shipped back to Spain on the steamship Claudio López.

First Landing in Galicia

Loriga is also famous for being the first pilot to land an airplane in Galicia, his home region. This happened on July 23, 1927, on Monte do Toxo in Lalín.

A Sad End

Sadly, on the very same day he returned to Cuatro Vientos, Loriga died in an accident. His aircraft crashed during a landing at Cuatro Vientos Airport outside Madrid. To honor him, his fellow villagers raised money for a monument. It was made by Francisco Asorey and was unveiled in the village in 1933.

Images for kids

• 

  Gallarza and Loriga (on the right) during a stop in Yangon.

• 

  Statue of Joaquín Loriga in Lalín, Pontevedra. The statue was made by Francisco Asorey.