Cross of Aeronautical Merit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cross of Aeronautical Merit
Template of the Cross Aeronautical Merit decorations
Type	Decoration of merit (formerly order of merit) (formerly Order of Aeronautical Merit)
Eligibility	Military personnel, Guardia Civil, civilian personnel
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	30 November 1945
Precedence
Next (higher)	Medalla Aérea
Equivalent	Cross of Military Merit Cross of Naval Merit
Next (lower)	Distinguished Service Award (Without Insignia) Mention in Dispatches (Without Insignia) Royal and Military Order of St Hermenegild

The Cross of Aeronautical Merit (Spanish: Cruces del Mérito Aeronáutico) is Spain's military award for gallantry or merit in the air. The award can be made in war or at times of peace. It is awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians.

Insignia and ribbons

The decoration has the form of a Greek cross with the arms enameled red in the Red Decoration category and white in the remaining categories. The Blue Decoration and Yellow Decoration badges have an additional narrow bar in blue or yellow across the lower arm. The upper arm is surmounted by a Spanish royal crown and has a tablet to engrave the date of bestowal. The round central shield of the obverse bears the coat of arms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre and Granada (until 2003 only alternate coats of arms of Castile and León); in the middle there is a blue oval shield (escutcheon) of the House of Bourbon-Anjou. The central shield has gold wings extended to the lateral arms of the cross and is surmounted by a royal crown. On the reverse there are letters "MA" (Mérito Aeronáutico) on red background. The cross is worn on a ribbon on the left side of chest. Each subsequent award is denoted by a bar with the date of bestowal on the ribbon.

The Grand Cross has the same form as the cross described above but is worn on a sash over the right shoulder.

The star added to the class of Grand Cross is gilt, eight-pointed, with the cross superimposed on it; currently between the arms of the cross there are alternate towers (Castile) and lions (León).

Grand Cross - Red Decoration	Grand Cross - Blue Decoration	Grand Cross - Yellow Decoration	Grand Cross - White Decoration
Cross - Red Decoration	Cross - Blue Decoration	Cross - Yellow Decoration	Cross- White Decoration

Recipients

• Alfonso XIII
• Felipe VI of Spain
• Antonio Ibáñez Freire
• Asghar Khan
• Francisco Franco
• Michael E. Ryan

See also

In Spanish: Cruces del Mérito Aeronáutico para niños

• Cross of Military Merit (Spain)
• Cross of Naval Merit (Spain)