As part of the 90th anniversary celebrations, the Italian Air Force participated in the most important moped fair. In doing so, the Armed Force wished to contribute and convey the message that accompanied it throughout 2013, on the occasion of its 90th anniversary celebrations: “Proudly among the people“.
Welcoming the visitors, alongside the staff of the Italian Air Force General Office for Communication, were also the boys of the Honour Guard, the pilots of the Frecce Tricolori, Major Stefano Centioni and Captain Mattia Bortoluzzi, and 1st Airman Matteo Tagliariol, Gold Medalist at the Beijing Olympics, the simulator and the cockpit of the MB-339PAN aircraft, to give visitors the sensation of flying like the Frecce Tricolori pilots.
The public was thus able to admire the F104 aircraft seat and to climb on an MV Agusta F4 motorcycle in the National Aerobatic Team livery, prepared by the famous Italian company to celebrate the Group's 50th anniversary. The week was marked by the presence of numerous young people and enthusiasts, and during the weekend, meetings and interviews with the PAN pilots took place, with significant moments including the presence at the blue stand of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hon. Maurizio Lupi, and the President of Confindustria, Giorgio Squinzi.
Other important guests have had the pleasure of visiting the Air Force's exhibition space, such as the President of EICMA, Dr. Antonello Montale, and the President of MV Agusta, Giovanni Castiglioni, who experienced the sensations of a simulated flight inside the cockpit of the MB339.
As a testament to the event's importance, the figures that have cemented the show among the most significant in the sector: 551,404 visitors, 1,408 exhibitors from 38 countries, and 600 pilots and two-wheeled “artists”. The A.M. (Italian Air Force) area saw over 2,000 visits per day, with a notable increase over the weekend, and 300 virtual flights were carried out inside the MB339 cockpit, with over 635 on the mechanical simulator. For years, the Italian Air Force has been operating in service of the community: air traffic control, meteorological services, urgent transport, and air rescue are just some of the activities carried out, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in addition, of course, to the air defence of national borders.
