It was held this morning, Friday the 15th of September, at the military airport of Guidonia Montecelio, The dedication ceremony of the 60th Stormtrooper Squadron Gold Medal for Aviation Value, T. Col. pilot Arturo Ferrarin, one of the pioneers of the Italian military aviation and among the most important figures in the century-old history of the Italian Air Force.
The event was presided over by Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti, And he saw the participation of the Commander of the Schools/3rd Air Region, Gen. S.A. Silvano Frigerio, of the civil, military and religious authorities of the Lazio town, as well as the pleasant presence of the son of the aviator and aeronautical designer, Carlo Ferrarin (for example, he designed the Calif, the glider used for years by the Italian Air Force), and of his grandson, Roberto.
A strong bond, that between Guidonia and the great aviator of Venetian origins, that today’s event helps to further strengthen, as a testament to the established relationship of closeness and collaboration that exist between the city, its population and the Armed Forces. It was right at Guidonia Montecelio Airport in 1941 that, Arturo Ferrarin He lost his life while testing an experimental aircraft; and it was always Guidonia, with his Experimental Center that of the newly formed Royal Air Force – at the turn of the 20th and 30th centuries – that was the flagship and true driving force for the development of the aircraft, that embodies and represents the core of the pioneering activities of the great Vicenatial aviator.
In July 1928, in fact, Ferrari conquered the world record for distance traveled in a straight line without stopping (7,188 km) Taking off from the Montecelio airport and landing in Touros, Brazil. An achievement that, along with another important record achieved that same year together with Maggiore Carlo Del Prete – the flight duration in a closed circuit (7666 km in 58 hours and 37 minutes) – earned him the decoration of the Gold medal for aeronautical value, numerous foreign honors and further fame and international prestige after that achieved with The Rome-Tokyo Raid of 1920, Completed with Lieutenant Guido Masiero aboard S.V.A.9 aircraft of the Royal Army, covering over 18,000 km in stages in 109 hours of flight.
Originally from Thiene, Ferrarin was fascinated by the “heaviest of air” from a young age, joining the Air Force to take part in the First World War as a gunner, and later becoming a Sub-Lieutenant Pilot. He served in several units, including the 91st Squadron, the so-called “Assi” squadron, where he came into contact with the most famous aviators in our history: Baracca, Ruffo di Calabria, Olivari.
“The enterprises carried out by ‘Moro’ – this is his nickname for everyone – they testify to the uncommon audacity, courage, and dexterity of these men“, he stressed Colonel Michele Cesario, Commander of the 60th Air Wing, in his speech. “But these achievements are also the result of a great deal of preparation, study, setbacks and victories, involving all the aeronautical professionals, from the research and development components to the logistics of adherence and support. These very same values, this very same modus operandi, are the true treasure that the 60th Air Wing can now safeguard and, above all, pass on to the young as a flying school and ambassadors of aeronautical culture.“.
It Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squadrone General Luca Goretti, In taking the floor at the conclusion of the ceremony, he wanted to remember Ferrarin as “It was and is undoubtedly an important element of our Armed Forces for its human and character qualities, as well as for its technical and professional capabilities. With its achievements, it made an essential contribution to the development of the aircraft, which for the first time asserted itself as an element of union between distant territories and peoples, but also an important engine for technological development. The name of Arturo Ferrarin carries with it indelible lessons of attachment to the Homeland, courage, honesty, audacity, a spirit of sacrifice, elements that unite us and inspire us in our daily actions, allowing us to rise, even in moments of difficulty, towards ideals that must be part of the heritage of those who chose to serve the country in uniform.“.
“The epic feat of the Raid Rome – Tokyo, in particular – added General Goretti- It is the result of the Italian capacity for imagination, made possible by the combination of significant organizational and logistical efforts with the iron determination of the personnel involved. And, taking a leap of more than a hundred years, I would like to emphasize what happened at the beginning of August, when four of our F-35s landed at the Japanese base of Komatsu for a joint exercise. Beyond today’s technological capabilities, I can assure you that the enthusiasm, participation, and commitment of the Japanese people remain the same as they always have.“.
Alongside the dedication ceremony, a commemorative artifact was also unveiled commemorating the city and the airport’s historical connection to Arturo Ferrarin. The work, “A double meridian for Arturo Ferrarin”, conceived and implemented thanks to a Course for Transversal Competencies and Orientation (PCTO) that involved the students of the’Higher Institute of Science and Technology of Guidonia and with the collaboration of Buzzi Unicem company, The event intends to commemorate the Raid Italy-Brazil, by fixing the exact time of the takeoff from the Montecelio airport, that is, at 18:51 on July 3, 1928.
Before the dedication ceremony, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force laid a wreath at the Monumental Plaque for the Fallen, inside the airport, which commemorates the very place where Arturo Ferrarin lost his life aboard his aircraft.“This historic day – he emphasized General Goretti in his speech during the ceremony – He wants to pay tribute to the sweat and blood of those who served the Tricolour with honor to the utmost sacrifice. Among them, once again with us, are Colonel Giuseppe Cipriano and Lieutenant Colonel Marco Meneghello“Pilots of the Volo a Vela Group of the 60th Wing, who recently disappeared in a tragic plane crash.
The 60th Wing, the “cradle” of the Armed Forces’ history, with the recent opening of a historical reenactment route of what was the Higher Directorate of Studies and Experiences, wants to reconnect with a historical period dating back to the early days of flight, where Italy, with its aviators and engineers, marked what were, in fact, milestones, record after record, in the history of world aviation.
