201st Fighter Squadron
| 201st Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Escuadrón 201 | |
| Active | July 24, 1944 – present |
| Country | Mexico |
| Branch | Mexican Air Force |
| Type | Fighter-bomber squadron |
| Role | Air combat |
| Size | 25 P-47D aircraft, 30 pilots, 300 personnel |
| Part of | U.S. Fifth Air Force 58th Fighter Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Cozumel, Quintana Roo |
| Nickname | Aztec Eagles |
| Colors | Purple, yellow |
| Mascot | Pancho Pistolas |
| Engagements | |
The 201st Fighter Squadron "Aztec Eagles" (Spanish: Escuadrón Aéreo de Pelea 201) is a fighter squadron of the Mexican Air Force, and was a part of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force (FAEM) that aided the Allied war effort during World War II. The squadron was known by the nickname Águilas Aztecas or "Aztec Eagles", apparently coined by members of the squadron during training.
The squadron was attached to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during the liberation of the main Philippine island of Luzon in the summer of 1945. The pilots flew Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt single-seat fighter aircraft carrying out tactical air support missions.
A neighborhood of Mexico City and its corresponding Mexico City Metro Line 8 station Metro Escuadrón 201 are both named after the squadron. Escuela Escuadron 201 in Tepoztlan is also named for the unit. It was also the subject of the Mexican film Escuadrón 201, directed by Jaime Salvador and released in 1945. On November 22, 2004, the squadron was awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor, with a rank of Legionnaire, by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The unit, now called Escuadrón 201 is still active in Cozumel, Mexico, it flew the Pilatus PC-7 from the 1990s through the early 2000s, but in 2012 upgraded to the T-6C Texan II trainer.