This year's event was marked by a fly-past by the Frecce Tricolori. On Sunday 16th September, the 2018 edition of the “Balloons Festival”, the traditional hot air balloon event in Ferrara, drew to a close.
In this edition too, the Italian Air Force and the Air Operations Command (COA) of Poggio Renatico have collaborated with local institutions to set up an A.M. stand, providing numerous contributions and specialised personnel.
The very large audience in attendance was thus able to see live the assets that the Armed Force has made available: the TH-500 helicopter from the 15th Wing of Cervia, the mock-up of the MQ9 Predator from the 32nd Wing of Amendola (FG), and the cockpit of the F-104 Starfighter from the 1st Aircraft Maintenance Department of Cameri (NO).
The 3rd Wing at Villafranca di Verona, as is now customary, participated with numerous ground vehicles and equipment used in operations outside national borders and in cases of public disaster. This year, among the prominent new additions, was the AFIS Mobile Tower, a mobile control tower that is normally deployed at airports or airfields that lack one to ensure air traffic control services. Among other equipment, the always-appreciated “VERAGON”, which extracts potable water from ambient humidity, the robotic mine clearance and personnel search systems, and the equipped tents for command and control activities, have aroused public interest.
An entire sector, curated by staff from the 4th Telecommunications Brigade in Borgo Piave (Latina), has been dedicated to meteorology. The weather support provided by the COA staff to the hot air balloon crews for safe flying during the ten days of the event is particularly noteworthy.
The 2018 edition was also characterised by the presence of a promotional stand on the theme of “100 years of aviation at Poggio Renatico”, a series of events organised by the COA as part of the celebrations that this year mark the Centenary of the Italian victory in the First World War.
The Festival was inaugurated on Friday 6th September in the presence of city authorities, General D.A. Antonio Conserva, Commander of the COA, and the Italian Air Force testimonials, Senior Aircraftwoman Pia Carmen Maria Lionetti, a highly decorated archer with gold medals at various world championships and Olympic participations in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and Senior Aircraftman First Class Alberto Busnari, a former national champion in Artistic Gymnastics/Overall Competition.
The highlight, as the President of Ferrara Fiere, the Festival's organiser, publicly commented, was reached on Friday morning, the 14th, when the Frecce Tricolori painted that long tricolour in the Ferrara sky which always gives us emotions and fills our hearts with pride in being Italian.
