On 10 September, at the SEA Hangar at Guidonia Airport, the Change of command ceremony between Colonel Pilot Michele Cesario Exiting and Colonel Pilot Antonio Angelo Russo (incoming). The ceremony, presided over by Air Force General Silvano Frigerio, Commander of the Air Force Schools / 3rd Air Region of Bari, was attended by the highest civil, military, and religious authorities of the territory.
Colonel Michele Cesario, after greeting the authorities and guests, in the course of his farewell speech, thanked the Commander of the Schools and of the 3rd R.A. for their trust and invaluable guidance. In his speech, he placed particular emphasis on thanking all the personnel of the 60th Wing, recalling that “two years ago I took command aware of the enormous potential of the unit entrusted to me. Dreams, passion and the future were the directives along which to move. We started with the restoration of our flag square, to arrive at the 60th which imperiously stands between the two runways. Gliding activities and the promotion and running of Aeronautical Culture Courses, the naming of the Wing after Arturo Ferrarin and the reopening of the 202nd Flight Group which enhances and completes the work of the then Gliding Flight Group. Our Military Leadership always believed in us and the Centenary year saw us as protagonists with the inauguration of the D.S.S.E. Exhibition Area. After decades of decline, the heart of Guidonia Airport and the city has returned to beat.”.
During his speech, the incoming commander, Colonel Antonio Angelo Russo, after thanking the authorities present and the outgoing commander, Colonel Cesario, addressed the Wing's personnel, telling them that “taking command of the Wing represents a highest honour for me, which is not a finishing point but the beginning of an intense experience that will require deep commitment and maximum dedication.” He then stressed that “from this moment on, I have the task of guiding each of you, with the conviction that my greatest success – in the two years that follow – will be to make you satisfied with the work we will carry out daily to fulfil the mission that the Italian Air Force has assigned and will assign to this prestigious Department.”
It Air Force Corps General Silvano Frigerio, addressing the outgoing Commander, expressed his satisfaction for the excellent teamwork carried out with the men and women of the Wing with commitment and passion for the fulfilment of the assigned mission. He added that “the change of command, while upholding continuity and shared values which are the pillars of our Armed Force, also guarantees renewed vigour and energy, the result of the different lives and experiences of successive commanders. Col. Russo, to whom the command insignia and traditions of the Wing have been handed over – with the symbolic passing of the Flag – is now called upon to make his contribution and I am certain that he will carry out his command effectively.”.
It 60° Wing, As a direct subordinate unit of the Italian Air Force Command Schools/3rd Air Region, it is the only unit in the Armed Force equipped with gliders. Flying activity on the G-103 Twin Astir glider is an integral part of the training process for obtaining the Military Pilot licence for students of the Air Force Academy. Glider flight training is also aimed at pilot trainees from other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps, as well as students from the “Giulio Douhet” Military School, who, as part of their academic training, also undergo a familiarisation phase on a U-208A motor-powered aircraft. A further institutional task of the 60th Wing is represented by its Aeronautical Culture Courses – one of the communication activities of the Italian Air Force – which are held annually in various Italian cities and are aimed at high school students.
