A return to North America for the Frecce Tricolori, eagerly anticipated for over 32 years, which took them to the most iconic locations in Canada and the United States with 9 international air shows and 17 flypasts.
With the aircraft landing at Rivolto Air Base, the NAT – North America Tour, a rich programme of performances – 9 Air show international flypasts and 17 flyovers – as reported by the Italian Air Force, with the Frecce Tricolori, over the most iconic locations in Canada and the United States, some never before flown over by the National Aerobatic Team, 32 years after their tour. Columbus from 1992, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.
Having departed at the beginning of June from Bagotville, Quebec, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, an air force with which the Italian Air Force – one year from its own Centenary in 2023 – shares a century-long history of common traditions and values, the North America Tour it represented an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the excellence of Made in Italy and the values of unity, passion, and professionalism that the Italian Air Force, through the Frecce Tricolori and its operational units, acts as an ambassador for worldwide, as well as the capabilities for projecting personnel and air assets thousands of kilometres from home.
So many places and regions in North America were involved in the Tour – from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, to the American states of California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington State and Rhode Island – a real tricolour embrace that united the large Italian-Canadian and Italian-American community under a single flag, delivering unforgettable emotions to the many enthusiasts and American citizens who witnessed the various events. The spectacular images of the performances and flyovers of the most famous locations in North America went around the world, with the Frecce Tricolori flying over unique places and landscapes such as the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, Niagara Falls, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Washington, and the Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
The long journey back for personnel and air assets made an initial stop at the airbase of Bagotville, in Quebec, where the tour had departed at the beginning of June, for the reconfiguration operations of the PAN aircraft for oceanic flight; from there the return continued, after a further stop at the Canadian base of Goose Bay, along stages in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, the Netherlands, until arriving in Italy, at the Rivolto base, home of the 313th Acrobatic Training Group.
“S”truly proud of what the Armed Forces have achieved with this Tour”., stated that the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squadrone General Luca Goretti. “It was a great collective, team effort, an undertaking that was above all organisational and saw various operational and logistical assets and departments of the Air Force work with commitment and passion. Once again – added the Chief of Staff – The National Acrobatic Patrol gave their very best, and the enthusiasm we encountered in all the cities involved in this extraordinary North American tour is confirmation of this. NAT24 was a demonstration of the professionalism and capabilities of the men and women of the Air Force, and an important showcase for the entire Italian Defence sector and for Made in Italy excellence. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who was present on August 21st alongside General D.A. Maurizio Cantiello, Defence and Defence Cooperation Attaché in the USA and Canada, at the “NATO Joint-Power Demonstration” air show in Virginia Beach-Norfolk for the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance, also wished to highlight the importance of being present on this occasion “to ideally represent the entire Defence and the Country and to give a signal of strength, unity and commitment to the Alliance”.
On this occasion, in addition to the Frecce Tricolori, it was possible to admire another piece of Italy and the Air Force: at the air show, a formation of T38C Talon and T6 Texan II aircraft from the ENJJPT (Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training) international flight school in Sheppard also took part. Here, instructor pilots and Air Force personnel are responsible for training Air Force pilots, specifically on the T6 Texan II aircraft. .
“The NAT24 was a rather complex operation, which led us to operate at a great distance from our homeland.”, stressed the Commander of the deployment, Colonel Stefano Pietropaoli. “During the tour, we visited approximately 30 locations in North America – including air shows, flyovers, and technical stops – and all of this was made possible by the commitment of various departments and operational units of the Italian Air Force, the invaluable support of the Italian Embassy and Consulates, and teamwork that made the unit entirely self-sufficient for the entire duration of the tour, from flight operations, to logistics, to maintenance, all the way to administrative support, as well as communication, health, and workplace safety aspects. In particular, two C-130Js from the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa ensured the transport of materials and personnel for the entire tour and oceanic SAR, while KC-767, G550, and P-72 assets were engaged in support of the outbound and return oceanic trails.”.
“To lead the Frecce Tricolori on this historic occasion”, stated that the Group Commander of the 313th Aerobatic Training Group (PAN), Lt Col Massimiliano Salvatore, “è It was an indescribable experience, which I experienced as a great responsibility and with genuine pride. We crossed the Atlantic Ocean, reached the Pacific coast by flying to California, soaring over the most iconic places of an entire continent and showcasing to the public, and in particular to the many Italians and Italian-Americans who came to see us, the acrobatic traditions that have made the Frecce Tricolori unique in the world for over sixty years. All this would not have been possible iffor the collective effort of the entire Department and the fundamental support components of our Air Force. We have written another memorable page for the 313th Aerobatic Training Group and I could not be prouder of what each of my men has achieved.”.
The tour's activities were numerous: from meetings with Italian communities, cultural associations, and Italian Consulates, to the public that packed the exhibition spaces, which were set up by the Italian Air Force at the airshow venues. Unmissable, for both adults and children, was the souvenir photo with Roger, the Italian Air Force's mascot.
