LUCA IS BACK...

Major Luca Parmitano, test pilot/experimenter of the A.M. and ESA astronaut, has returned to Pozzuoli, the headquarters of the Air Academy. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Pasquale Preziosa, on the occasion of the event wanted to emphasize that “The Air Force has always been an Armed Force that looks to the future, because it is “obliged” to do so, with the goal of being a solid support for the Italian citizens and for their safety, representing a qualified part of over a century of progress in flight in Italy that went far beyond military use to become a driving force for the country’s social, cultural, industrial and economic development. The Air Force looks to Space with ever-increasing interest, as the aerospace dimension is the natural evolution of the Armed Force, which must continue to evolve and modernize.“.
Always General Preziosa continued to emphasize that “The human flight represents a unique dimension in its own right, offering the possibility of acquiring skills in multiple aspects; above all, it once again combines the human and technological dimensions. The Italian Air Force has been collaborating with the Italian and European Space Agency for about 10 years, and I am certain that in the future we will continue to work to ensure that all the valuable expertise acquired by the country’s system can be best utilized.“.
To welcome the astronauts, Air Force General Fernando Giancotti emphasized the values of the Air Academy, an institution where several officers have been trained who have operated and will continue to operate at the highest levels, bringing aerospace training and expertise into space.
Subsequently, he praised Major Parmitano, an example for all the young attendees who attended the conference, but even before that, a student of the Institute, a symbol of the beginning and renewal of challenges and adventures, “one of us!”; for this reason he was chosen as the ambassador of the Italian presidency of the European Council.
The moderator of the conference was the Chief of the General Office for Communication, Brigadier General Claudio Salerno, accompanied by Colonel Marco Nardini of the 3rd Department of the Major General rank.
At the end of the event, the Mayor of Pozzuoli, Vincenzo Figliolia, presented a prize to Maggiore Parmitano on behalf of the entire city of Pozzuoli. Rai3 – TgR Campania of April 17, 2014 at 19:30