Puerto Vallarta surprised locals and visitors on May 31, 2025, by staging its first‐ever skydiving and aerial acrobatics show along the Malecón. In an unprecedented move for the city’s civic commemoration, the Mexican Air Force’s Guerreros Águila free-fall parachute team and the Águilas Aztecas T-6C Texan II aerobatic squadron performed back-to-back demonstrations above the waterfront promenade.
The program kicked off at 5 p.m. with the Guerreros Águila jumping from a military transport aircraft and deploying parachutes over the beach, landing precisely on designated drop zones below the Malecón’s sea wall. At 5:08 p.m., four T-6C Texan II trainers executed synchronized loops, barrel rolls, and formation passes, showcasing pilot skill and military discipline against the late afternoon sky.
“We have achieved a magical spectacle,” said Mayor Luis Munguía González. “Seeing military precision blend with our coastal scenery highlights both the pride we feel for Puerto Vallarta and the importance of working with national institutions.”
Families, tourists, and residents lined the Malecón’s railing, many tracking the parachutists’ descent and the aircraft’s maneuvers on their phones. Although precise attendance figures were not released, local authorities estimated that several thousand spectators turned out for the show—most standing from the Los Arcos del Malecón up to the El Caballito sculpture.
This milestone display was part of a larger schedule of free‐admission events marking Puerto Vallarta’s 107th anniversary as a municipality and its 57th as a city. Earlier in the day, civic ceremonies included a flag-raising at Plaza de Armas, cultural performances, and presentations of historical exhibits. Organizers coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense to ensure that both parachute operations and aerobatic flights complied with aviation safety protocols, concluding the airshow without incident.
Previous anniversaries had focused primarily on musical concerts and traditional dances. This year’s inclusion of military aerial demonstrations signals a new chapter in Puerto Vallarta’s public celebrations—one that blends coastal tourism, civic pride, and national cooperation. As the sun set over Banderas Bay, many agreed that the spectacle would remain in local memory as a defining moment for the city’s civic history.
Puerto Vallarta surprised locals and visitors on May 31, 2025, by staging its first‐ever skydiving and aerial acrobatics show along the Malecón . . .
