I suppose that almost all of you know so well that Alfonso, or Ali, was the first military flyer in Spain. He was raised up between Spain, France and England, received a good education and studied Philosophy at the Heidelberg University. When he had twenty years, he passed through the military academy situated at Toledo. A few later, there were two great events of his life: the engagedment with Beatrice of Coburg, a princess he had met at the wedding of his cousin king Alfonso with Ena, and the discovery of his passion for the aviation when he attended to the famous exhibitions at Le Mans and Pau.
Ali could admirate the exhibitions of the Wright´s brothers, Voisin, Bleriot...and others. So, he determined to attend a pilot´s curse in a school situated near to Reims. The school of pilots had been created by Voisin brothers, and was directed by the great aviator Hubert Latham. Ali became an excellent pilot before the return to Spain when the king "forgive him" for the wedding with Beatrice of Coburg. In 1913, Ali was a member of the first expeditionary squadron sent to Africa, and he played his role in a large number of air warfare missions. In 1925, he was given command of the Fokker squadrons stationed at Tetuan. When the Alhucemas campaign was finished, the prince aviator was promoted to major and led the Los Alcázares Gunnery and Bombardment School.
In 1931, he had gone to exile with his cousin the king Alfonso. He lived, I believe, in London when he obtained permission of the General Franco to join his forces in the Spanish Civil War. From my point of view, this was the great shadow over the infante Ali´s story...
