In addition to Air Force officers, a contingent of foreign students and personnel from other Armed Forces, Armed Corps and State organisations also received their flight brevets.
With a ceremony that was held this late afternoon in the centre of Galatina, in the province of Lecce, were Pilot's licences awarded to 49 attendees so, after a training period of about a year, they have concluded the Pilot training at the Italian Air Force Flying Schools of the 61st Wing, which is based right in the Salento town, of the 72nd Wing in Frosinone and of the MultiCrew Crew Training Centre at Pratica di Mare.
Among those patented, twenty-six I am Royal Air Force officers, which together with two Hellenic Air Force personnel and one from the Royal Saudi Air Force they have received the Military pilot's licence, while Seven attendees from the Army, four from the Carabinieri, five from the Guardia di Finanza, two from the State Police, and two from the National Fire Corps have achieved their helicopter pilot's licence..
At the ceremony, organised by the Air Force Schools Command / 3rd Air Region of Bari (which has the three flight departments reporting to it) in collaboration with the’Galatina Town Hall, took part Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Squadrone General Luca Goretti, regional and municipal authorities, the families of the young qualified pilots, along with the many citizens of the Salento town centre who crowded Piazza Dante Alighieri for the occasion.
following the salutation of Mayor of Galatina, Fabio Vergine, the floor was taken by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Force General Luca Goretti, who wanted to highlight the importance of the “a spirit of sharing and collaboration between institutions, which sees the Air Force, an organisation now a century old, make its natural and undisputed expertise in the aerospace sector available to those who aspire to operate in the third dimension“. Addressing the newly qualified young people, he urged them never to forget “the importance of operating with unity of purpose, with the desire to work together. That teamwork – the General recalled – which, as a famous American writer said, is the fuel that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. In this sense, all of us are a small cog in a larger mechanism that allows us every day to ‘get off the ground’ and fulfil the noble task of defending the skies of our Italy, protecting our people, allied and friendly countries.“.
After the presentation of the diplomas and pilot wings to all the young attendees, a moment sealed by Flypast of a formation of four MB 339 training aircraft of the 61st Wing., the floor was taken by the Secretary of Defence Guido Crosetto. “Today's - The Minister said – it is a fundamental stage in your lives, a stage on a doubly difficult journey: because you have chosen to serve the country, in uniform and flying. It is a great responsibility, because behind every uniform there is the State, of which you are a precious part. Thanks to all of you, and to your families who have supported you, for having made the choice to defend the country and to help it evolve daily thanks to your skills“.
Following the meeting between the authorities and the young patent holders, a [event] was held in the same location as the ceremony. Concert by the Band of the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region in Bari open to the public, an event that – particularly in the centenary year of the Italian Air Force – aimed to underline and strengthen the very close The link between the city of Galatina and the Salento military airport, one of the excellent national and international institutions in the field of military flight training. The air base is, among other things, named after a heroic Galatina pilot, Fortunato Cesari, who died in the East African War during a flying mission.
