The Italian Air Force Helicopter School awards the Turreted Eagle to three Officers. On Wednesday 19th December, the ceremony for the awarding of the “Turreted Eagles”, the badge that Italian Air Force officers receive upon obtaining their military pilot's wings, took place at the 72nd Wing in Frosinone. This significant event marks the culmination of a long and intensive training period, during which the newly qualified Officers completed an initial flight phase on the TH-500B helicopter and subsequently transitioned to the AW139 to acquire the capability to manage a multi-engine aircraft with multiple operational configurations, including for Search and Rescue (SAR). During the ceremony, Colonel Alberino, Commander of the 72nd Wing, emphasised that “completing the course means being spiritually ready for a life that can be both difficult and glorious”. Brigadier General Degni, Commander of the Air Force Academy, stressed that “from the respect of rules and principles of flight safety and from a mature sense of responsibility, on which you must found your future commitment as military pilots and experts of aerospace power, capable of giving ever greater authority and assertiveness to our reason for being as an Armed Force.”.
The 72nd Wing, the sole Flight School in the rotary-wing sector, reporting to the Schools Command/3rd Air Region of Bari, is the unit that trains helicopter pilots for the Air Force and all other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps. The Flight School also qualifies and licenses helicopter flight instructors and examiners, as well as specialist personnel from the Armed Forces and State Armed Corps. These courses are all conducted in English as well and are held for personnel from other countries. The Wing also participates in the FA's operational activities and, upon request, can provide support with its personnel and assets for Civil Protection and SAR (Search and Rescue) operations.
