During the event, we recalled the 80th anniversary of the Pontina Flight School and the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Stormo to the “Valore Militare” Gold Medal (M.O.V.M.) ’Gen. S. A. Giulio Cesare Graziani“ On Thursday, June 27, at the hangar of the 70th Stormo Flight School, the celebrations of two important milestones reached by the Pontina Flight School were held: the achievement of 50,000 flight hours flown with the training aircraft SF 260 EA, the 80th anniversary of the foundation as a training and training entity of the Italian Air Force, and the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Stormo to the ”Gen. S.A. Giulio Cesare Graziani“ M.O.V.M. The event took place in the presence of the Prefect of Latina, Dr. Maria Rosa Trio, the President of the Province, Dr. Ing. Carlo Medici, the Commander of the 4th Telecommunications and Aerial Defense Systems Brigade and Flight Support of Borgo Piave, Gen. Brig. Vincenzo Falzarano, and the Provincial Commander. of the Carabinieri Col. Gabriele Vitagliano, and of the civil and military authorities of the Province of Latina as well as of numerous guests who came to demonstrate, with their participation, the deep bond that unites the local community with the Flight School. It was on August 3, 2005 that the first two Aermacchi SF260 EA trainer aircraft were assigned to the 70th Squadron; these differed from the previous version, the SF 260 AM, which entered service in 1976, for new technologies such as electric trim, digital instrumentation, and updated avionics, which made it suitable for instrument flight as an IFR certified aircraft. The event also saw the participation of some national-level industries and local entities that, within the hangar, set up their exhibition stands, while, on the adjacent parking lots, the 4th BTS-DA/AV’s TSM305D integrated communications system, the aircraft sent for the occasion by the other flight schools of the Air Force School Command, such as the SIAI 208, the NH500 helicopter, the Piaggio P-180, the MB339, the latest generation training aircraft MB346, as well as the SF 260 EA and P-2006A aircraft in use at the 70th Stormo. To enrich the celebrations, a formation of 9 SF 260 EA aircraft and 2 P-2006A aircraft was flown over by the leader of the formation, the SF 260 EA aircraft with the ”special color“ livery flown by the Commander of the 70th Stormo, Col. Francesco Maresca. At the end of the celebrations, in the presence of the authorities and the guests who attended, the ”Commemorative Plaque” was unveiled, made of marble by a local company and depicting the important milestones reached.
The 70th Stormo, which is subordinate to the Air Force Schools Command and the 3rd Air Region and is based in Bari, has been selecting and training future military pilots of the Air Force, the other Armed Forces and the State’s Armed Forces, as well as cadets from other nations for over sixty years. Since its foundation to the present day, the Latin Flight School has issued over 15,000 pilot certificates, accumulating a total of approximately 500,000 flight hours, performed on the following aircraft: Douglas C-47 Dakota, Beechcraft C-45, Piaggio P-166M, Piaggio P-148, SIAI Marchetti Sf-260AM, Cessna L-19, Dornier 228, Piaggio P-68, Piaggio P-166 Dl3, Alenia Aermacchi Sf-260EA, Alenia Aermacchi S-208, Piaggio P-166 Dp1 E Tecnam T-2006A.
