The was concluded with great success first edition of the “Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup”, which took place from 11 to 13 October at the San Damiano military airport, home of the Piacenza Air Force Detachment. The awards and closing ceremony celebrated not only the winners but also the incredible turnout of attendees.
During the three days, over 30,000 people The event was crowded, with peak attendance on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the exciting gas and hot air balloon races, which involved 10 international pilot teams, there were also 1,500 visitors they had the opportunity to experience the thrill of flight thanks to the tied ascensions, and even more enthusiastic participants took part in the creative workshops, creating 1,100 mini hot air balloons e 1,200 kites.
One initiative promoted by the Ministry of Defence and organised by Difesa Servizi in collaboration with the Air Force, the’Pavullo Aero Club and the Aeronord hot air balloon technical support.
The event officially kicked off on Friday afternoon with the opening ceremony, hosted by journalist Benedetta Delogu, who guided the audience through a series of relevant speeches. The Lieutenant Colonel Salvatore Occini, Commander of the Airport Detachment in Piacenza together with the Mayor of San Giorgio Piacentino, Donatella Alberoni, they stressed the importance of events like the Balloon Cup for strengthening the ties between the armed forces and the local community.
The’Chief Executive Officer of Difesa Servizi, Luca Andreoli, at the opening ceremony, he stressed: “Difesa Servizi believes in these initiatives, which are intended for and designed for the community. We want to tell the story and emotions of flight through hot air balloons, the first tool with which man explored the third dimension. We do this by looking to the future, which is already present: the stratosphere. In addition to participating in the event's initiatives, visitors will be able to admire the beauty of Italy from a different perspective: from the sky. This is part of a pathway that Difesa Servizi has undertaken together with stakeholders such as Agenzia del Demanio, the Ministry of Tourism, and Enit – the national tourism agency, called “Valore Paese Italia,” through which we tell and promote all the beauty of our country.“
It Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squadrone General Luca Goretti, highlighted how the “Initiatives like this help to make the Air Force and its daily service to the country known to the general public. If we are here today to appreciate this beautiful spectacle, it is also because the Air Force and Defence are there every day to defend one of the fundamental values: freedom. General Goretti went on to say: “We have made the Piacenza military airport available, an important facility for the Air Force, also in order to valorise the Armed Force's historical heritage. By appreciating what we have been, we can best face the challenges of the future. We see it here; hot air balloons represent the dawn of flight. From that flight, we have grown and have reached today with human space flight to the ISS. We are proud to promote events like this. We want to be known, especially by young people, who represent the future of this country. We invite them to be curious and to ask every member of the Air Force what their job is each day. You will be thrilled and discover that it is one of the most beautiful professions there is – those linked to the world of flight."”.
Numerous initiatives were taking place throughout the three-day event dedicated to the world of flight, which saw the’Italian Air Force leads the wayfrom the playful simulators of the Frecce Tricolori aircraft and the Eurofighter to the oculus, visors that allowed visitors to take advantage of various flight-related content in the virtual reality environment, passing through the aircraft in the static exhibition such as the T-346A, Eurofighter, Tornado, HH-212, HH-139, the mock up of the MB339PAN, and the historical re-enactment of the Campo 100. The flyovers of the Tornado and F-35A aircraft of the 6th Wing, the Eurofighter of the 51st Wing, the Legend formation, and the exhibition of the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic programme thrilled and enchanted the audience present. Also arousing great interest was the meeting with the astronauts of the AX-3 mission with Colonel Walter Villadei, who spoke with his colleagues about their activities in orbit aboard the International Space Station. There was great participation on the final day for the performance of the Fanfare of the Air Squadron Command and 1st Air Region Milan and the meeting with the Farfalle azzurre, the rhythmic gymnastics team that brought home a bronze medal at the last Paris Olympics.
It Air Commodore Urbano Floreani, Head of the Air Force Communications Department, conveyed the greetings and satisfaction for the success of the event expressed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti, highlighting the importance of initiatives like the Balloon Cup in promoting aeronautical culture and the bond between the Air Force and the local area.
A special welcome also to the crews of the HH-139 from the 15th Wing of Cervia present at the event, along with the personnel from the 118 [Emergency Ambulance Service], who provided a valuable contribution in rescuing the population of Emilia-Romagna, recently hit by a violent flood.
An event that also highlighted the public's generosity towards the Buzzi Foundation, thanks to donations that have transformed the flight of many hot air balloons into a concrete contribution towards the creation of a new Shock Room at the Buzzi Paediatric Hospital.
The appointment is for the second edition of the “Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup”from the hot air balloon to the stratosphere 2025.
