The handover ceremony between Colonel Gianluca Gaetano Piccolomini and Lieutenant Colonel Michele Minonne. For his work and total dedication to the military flight training development process, for Colonel Piccolomini, the process for the conferral of the highest honour by the USAF, the Legion of Merit, has been activated. Lieutenant Colonel Minonne thanked the leadership of the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Force Region for the trust placed in him by assigning him the role of Head of RAMI Sheppard and his predecessor for the excellent level of efficiency of the Department handed over to him. Addressing the RAMI personnel, he then urged everyone to continue to operate with their usual dedication and commitment to maintain RAMI at the unanimously recognised levels of excellence. Lieutenant Colonel Minonne was born in Marittima di Diso (LE) on 27 July 1967.
Enlisted in the Air Force Academy on 2 September 1988 with the “Ibis IV” Course, he obtained his Military Pilot Wings on a T-38 aircraft on 11 June 1993 at Reese Air Force Base, Texas.
In 1993, he was assigned to the 60th Air Brigade, or rather to the 13th Flying Group of the 32nd Wing at Amendola, and in 1997 to the 61st Wing. In 2001, he was transferred to the United States to Sheppard Air Force Base. Upon returning to Italy, in 2004 he was reassigned to the 61st Wing.
He has held the following positions:
Commander of the 77th Squadron of the 13th Flying Group of Amendola;
Commander of the 404th Squadron of the 213th Flying Group in Lecce;
Head of Instructor Training Section, 214th Professional Training Group;
89FTS E-flight Scheduler and C-flight Assistant Flight Commander, 89FTS Chief of Check Section, 88FTS PIT Z-Flight SELO and Safety Officer at Sheppard;
Head of Training and Programmes Section and Head of Plans and Operations Section of the Operations Office;
Head of Operations, 61st Wing;
Commander of the 213th Flight Group;
From April 2008 to 2011, he was Head of the Flying Schools Standardisation Section (SSSV) at the Schools Command.
Among the main courses attended are:
62nd Normal Course and 8th Command Course at ISMA, Florence;
Joint Combat Operations in Germania;
NATO Joint Service Introductory in Germany;
25th Air Cooperation Course;
16th Production Test Pilot Course;
35th Flight Safety Course;
Crew Resource Management Instructor in the USA.
Skydiving Course.
Lt Col Minonne is qualified on the SF-260AM, SF-260EA, SIAI 208, T-37, T-38, AMX, AMX-T, MB-339A and MB-339CD aircraft. He holds Combat Readiness qualifications on the AMX aircraft, Section Leader and Formation Leader on the MB-339 aircraft, Flight Instructor and Examiner on the MB-339 and T-37 aircraft, Instructor on the T-38 aircraft, Pre-Operational Instructor, CRM Instructor and Production Test Pilot for the MB-339.
He is awarded the following honours:
Long Service Medal for Air Navigation in Gold;
25 Year Service Medal;
National Medal for Peace Operations;
Medal for Kosovo Operations.
He has over 4,000 hours of jet flight time. He holds a degree in Aeronautical Sciences.
Lieutenant Colonel Minonne is married and has two children.
