Thursday 16 June, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squad General Luca Goretti, visited the 70th Wing in Latina.
Following military honours, General Goretti was welcomed by the Commander of the 70th Wing, Colonel Pilot Michele Grassi, who, during a brief briefing held in the “Graziani” hall, illustrated the infrastructural situation of the Base, focusing particularly on the ongoing modernisation works such as the new buildings that will house the 207th Flying Group and the student accommodation, and the works to adapt the single mess hall, planned and carried out with a view to energy efficiency.
During his speech, General Goretti, addressing the Wing's personnel, wanted to underline the importance of the Air Force Schools, which are “Our calling card, the entry point through which young people aspiring to join our Armed Forces take their first steps, and that is why every single man and woman working here at the flying school has a fundamental task, which goes even beyond the Wing's own mission. You have the task of forging these young people with your seriousness and commitment so that you become a clear and positive example for them to follow.”.
The visit then continued to the construction sites and airport infrastructure, particularly the “E-learning Room” where the young attendees, through theoretical “online” training modules designed and produced by “content tutors” from the 70th Wing in collaboration with personnel from the Re.Fo.Di.Ma. (Managerial Didactic Training Department) of the Air Force Institute of Military Sciences in Florence, undertake the initial phase of their instruction. This phase – known as “Ground School” – allows the students to learn basic concepts on subjects such as “Air Traffic”, “Phraseology”, “Aircraft Systems”, “Meteorology”, “Emergencies”, and “Aeronautical Medicine”, which are prerequisites for then commencing flight training on board the T-260B aircraft.
The visit concluded with the traditional signing of the visitors' book by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who addressed the personnel “Our most heartfelt praise for having, over the years, consolidated awareness of the strategic and decisive role that the 70th Wing plays for the Armed Forces, as the entity where everything begins for a pilot.”.
The 70th Wing, subordinate to the Air Force Training Command and the 3rd Air Region of Bari, is based at the “Enrico Comani” Military Airport in Latina and has been the first mandatory step in the professional training of the “military pilot” for over sixty years, as it fulfils the institutional tasks of selecting and training future military pilots of the Air Force, other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps, and cadets from other nations, by issuing the first flying licence, the Aeroplane Pilot Licence (BPA).
