The 7th Operational Conversion Course for Pilots and Navigators destined for the A-200A “TORNADO” line was completed in Ghedi. The event was presided over by Air Division General Nicola Lanza de Cristoforis, Commander of the Combat Forces, in the presence of Air Brigade General Paolo Mazzi, Deputy Commander and Head of the Operations Preparation Department at the Air Operations Command of Poggio Renatico, Colonel Andrea Di Pietro, Commander of the 6th Squadron, Colonel Giorgio Foltran, Commander of the 50th Squadron from Piacenza, as well as the Group Commanders, the Service Chiefs and the “New graduates”The course is structured into a considerable number of lessons and flight missions at the end of which the three pilots and three navigators obtained the qualification “Limited combat readiness”(Limited Readiness for Combat). Starting tomorrow, the six military personnel will be deployed to the flight groups of the 6th and 50th Air Wings, as a culmination of a hard journey that, as the Commander of the 102nd Group emphasized, “It represents an important milestone born of sacrifice, sweat and hard work, a testament to an immense passion for a unique profession.”.
The Commander of the 6th Air Wing, Colonel Di Pietro, in highlighting the commitment, professionalism and determination demonstrated by the “New graduates of operational flight”He delivered a precise message to them: “The work we are called to carry out is delicate and of great individual and collective responsibility, towards our Armed Forces and the country; in order to carry it out with awareness and a sense of duty, we must live our interpersonal relationships with a sense of deep and continuous motivation, a sense of balance and great humility.”.
General Mazzi, former Commander of the 102nd Group in the years 1993-1994 and exceptional Godfather of the ceremony, reiterated the importance of the support provided by the families of the attendees. “… towards whom you owe an incalculable debt of gratitude for the very reason that they made you the women and men you are today…” he wanted to emphasize the value of continuing the training process through which “You will help to make the Armed Forces great, based on the highest values that underpin our work and a professional ethic that must be nurtured and exercised with authority.”The ceremony was then attended by General Lanza de Cristoforis, who, in thanking the families of the attendees for participating in the event, emphasized the importance of the just achieved goal as “The result of a team effort composed of elements from all levels of our organization: 102nd Flight Group, 6th Stormtrooper Wing, Combat Force Command, and Air Force Command”He finally concluded his remarks by addressing the newly patented individuals directly: “The choice made at the time was to serve the Nation, not just to be pilots or navigators; your professional skills will see you play a leading role in making the military instrument excellent, using the resources made available by the country.”As usual, this year too, the award of “best performer”A recognition for the frequent flyer who has distinguished himself particularly for the skills demonstrated during the flight activity and for the results of the study and testing phase. The “Silver Plate”The silver plate with the effigies of the 102nd Flight Group was delivered by General Paolo Mazzi to Lieutenant Caterina Furlanis. The 6th Air Wing, equipped with Tornado IDS (Inter-diction Strike) aircraft, has the mission of maintaining the Combat Readiness (Speed to Combat) of the flight crews, to cooperate with the civil authorities in case of natural disasters and to ensure the operational conversion and standardization activities for the flight crews assigned to the Tornado line for their subsequent insertion into the Operational Departments. It is structured on three Flight Groups, two ’operational“, the 154th and the 156th, and one ”training“, the 102nd. Starting from September 1998, with the closure of TTTE (Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment) of Cottesmore (England), the 102nd Flight Group has taken on the role of “Operational Conversion Unit”Thus began the training and education of pilots and navigators from the flight schools who were assigned to the Tornado aircraft.”.
