Good color photo!!, it appears to be Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca (FAG) 312, 336 and 342, that were painted in a kind of Thunderbirds fashion in the 60s. They were painted in this way because they were part of an FAG aerobatic team that made demonstration in the countries of the region. The place appear to be the main base of the FAG in Guatemala city.

A portion of this photo is on page 8 of the book "North American F-51 Mustangs In Latin American Air Force Service(Aerofax Datagraph 1)".It lists them as the Guatemalan Air Force aerobatic team which apparently operated from the mid 60's till the early 70's when a midair collision of three of the Mustangs put an end to their displays. It does not list a date for the photograph.

The guatamalan AF aerobatic team...does anyone have any film of the team??? Team ended January 12 1972 when three mustangs collided in Costa Rica during a show. Two of the pictured mustangs were lost with FAG 342 not being involved. They must have been fantastic as the last frontline aerobatic mustang team...

I don't have a definitive answer for you but I do remember reading in one of my mustang books that the Guatemalan air force had an aerobatics team that did include P-51's. I can't read the caption in your photo but it sure looks like Spanish to me. Also, Guatemalan mustangs did carry 3 digit id numbers.

WHO 131 is part of the FAG demo flight team, FAG306, FAG312 and FAG342, taken most likely at La Aurora Airport, Guatemala City. I have a copy of the same photo.

Guatemalan AF, Escuadrilla "Los Machitos" taking off from La Aurora AB during 1956.

This is one cool shot: would make a great poster. I can't vouch for the exact date or location, but the dramatically-painted Mustang trio are three of the Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca aerobatic team aircraft; the approximate time would be the mid-sixties, and the location could well be the main FAG fighter base, La Aurora, near Guatemala City. I can, actually, make out the words "La Aurora" at the end of the tiny caption at the bottom of the pic, but that could simply refer to the fact that these 51s were based there, which they would have been. The DC-2? 3? and the very interesting B-18 in the background might be of use in pinning down the location for sure.

Hi from Guatemala, hopping help with this topic related the early FAG acrobatic team. after some research in FAG documents, I add some points:

1. The called acrobatic team (escuadrilla acrobatica) was formed around octuber 1956 and was painted based in the colours used by the party/movenment flag CIA supported in 1954, as noted by the FAG comander Luis Urrutia. the original team listed the F-51 # 312, 309, 318 and 342. 306 as a back up

2. It hasn´t a official name, just acrobatic squadron, a unofficial name "PIRATAS" was given by the leader Cpt Rene Sarmiento in an interview after return from Nicaragua in february 1957. Other names listed was people given but no official.

3. the photo is B/W and was "hand painted" for the backcover of the FAG magazine edited december 1956. the team weren´t full white painted. photo taken date were the octuber-december 1956 periodod

4. May 10th 1957 the F-51 # 318 was lost during training routine over the pacific ocean. Tte Haroldo Melgar perished.

5. September 15th 1957 two F-51 # 312 & 309 collided during formation flight and were full lost. pilots jumped without injuries (Ricardo Valladares and Rene Sarmiento). after that the serials #315 and 321 were painted and integrated into the squadron.

6. The acrobatic team continues with the presentations and was dissolved around april 1958 and the planes repainted.

Maybe more information could be found into the future to illustrate more this theme. questions are welcomed.