Ramón Torres Guasch was more than a pilot: he was a true adventurer, an engineer with the soul of an explorer who wrote one of the most daring pages in Spanish aviation. In November 1934, he took off from Barcelona in a small aircraft equipped with an extra fuel tank and set out to cross the vast Sahara Desert to reach Gao, on the banks of the Niger River. On this epic journey of more than 11,000 km, he became the first Spanish pilot to fly across the Sahara, marking a milestone in aviation history.

His route was neither simple nor comfortable. He flew over cities, the African coastline, and scorching desert dunes. He passed through Tangier, Dakar, Timbuktu and several other stops, making technical landings where every litre of fuel had to be precisely calculated. On 22 November 1934, he departed in his modified Potez 43 aircraft, and one month later—after 88 hours of accumulated flight time—he returned triumphantly to Barcelona. Surprisingly, part of the journey took place with an unexpected companion: a lion cub he had been gifted in Senegal, a symbol of his wild and courageous spirit.

For his achievement, he received the prestigious Harmon Trophy, one of the most important distinctions awarded by the International League of Aviators to the world’s most exceptional pilots. He became known as “the desert pilot”, and his name remains forever linked to the legend of aviation pioneers.

Torres Guasch’s life was also shaped by the Spanish Civil War, where he served with the Republic. As an aviation captain, he flew a French twin-engine Breguet 460 in defence missions. However, his story met a tragic end in 1937 when his aircraft crashed near the Catalan coast. Despite his early death, his legacy endures as a symbol of courage, passion and exploration.

At Europair, figures like Ramón Torres Guasch inspire our mission: connecting places, cultures and people through aviation, overcoming borders and challenges with vision and bravery. His feat reminds us that flying is not only about travelling—it is also about dreaming, discovering, and honouring those who once made the sky their home.