The official confirmation of Felipe VI. as president of the institutional events planned for the 100th anniversary of the Plus-Ultra flight, according to the Palos de la Frontera City Council, took place during an event at the headquarters of the Provincial Council of Huelva. This support, considered a key milestone by the Council, supports the national dimension of the celebrations that take place not only in Palos de la Frontera but throughout the province of Huelva.
As reported by the City Council in statements collected by various media, the participation of the Head of State in the main event scheduled for January 22nd is aimed at strengthening the collective memory of the unique achievement of Plus Ultra and also underlining the historical identity of the municipality. According to the local administration, the organization of the anniversary is due to the active cooperation of the provincial administration, which is realized through political and institutional support at all levels. In this context, Mayor Milagros Romero invited the entire province to participate in the activities, in the truest sense “to keep alive the historical heritage of our community and to highlight the Plus Ultra Flight”.
The commemorative program published by the City Council of Palos de la Frontera takes place throughout the year and includes official events, honors, meetings and educational proposals intended to involve both the school population and the general public. The central aim, as the municipality explained, is to spread the magnitude of the episode committed in 1926 by the crew of the Plus Ultra seaplane, the first aircraft to connect Spain and South America by air. The feat, which began on January 22, 1926 at the Calzadilla pier in Palos de la Frontera and ended the following February 10 in Buenos Aires, placed Spanish aviators Ramón Franco, Julio Ruiz de Alda, Juan Manuel Durán and Pablo Rada at the center of the national and international recognition that the community wants to regain.
The notice published by the city council and picked up by local media highlights the importance of support from bodies such as the Huelva Provincial Council. The Vice President of the Provincial Council, José Manuel Zamora, particularly appreciated the Council’s work in promoting the program and obtaining the presence of the Monarch at the events. Zamora mentioned the special character of Palos de la Frontera in terms of its role in historical episodes of great importance, linking the event to the tradition of discovery and the great milestones of the province in the history of Spain. According to the Provincial Vice-President, the anniversary allows us to reassess the role of the municipality as a starting point for initiatives of international importance.
The program of activities, according to the city council, includes a wide range of proposals, including tributes to the crew of the Plus Ultra, participatory activities, educational workshops and spaces for reflection focusing on the importance of the connections between Spain and America. The Council explained that these events serve not only to pay tribute to the protagonists, but also to consolidate in local and provincial society a historical awareness of the contribution of Palos de la Frontera to aviation and transatlantic relations.
In recent years, the Plus-Ultra Flight has gained increasing attention in the city, making it an annual event that does not want to lose its validity and that involves new generations through educational content and informative initiatives. This was expressed by the city authorities, as they believe that the celebration of the 100th anniversary provides an opportunity to involve the population in the knowledge of the technological achievements and historical heritage that the region values.
In the communications distributed by the City Council, emphasis is placed on strengthening the internal and external projection of Palos de la Frontera by highlighting the historical episodes that link it to discoveries and explorations. The authorities emphasized the purpose of consolidating the municipality as a reference for Spanish aviation and as a center of initiatives impacting national historical memory, in line with the restoration of the legacy left by the crew of the Plus Ultra almost a century ago.
The social and educational relevance of the events, supported by the participation of Felipe VI, contributes, according to the city council, to strengthening the cohesion and identity of the residents of Huelva and strengthening the recognition of the province as a key space in the great milestones of the history of Spain.
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