From 19th to 22nd May, the cadets of the ‘Dardo’ course at the ‘G. Douhet’ Air Force Military School visited the Air Force Academy and the Pratica di Mare military airport. During their stay at the Academy, the cadets had the opportunity to visit the facilities and the numerous study rooms that the professors from the ‘Federico II’ University of Naples use to conduct degree courses for the attending Officer Cadets, and to gain a direct insight into a typical day at the highest training institute, starting with the Flag-Raising ceremony.
The three days spent at the Pozzuoli headquarters allowed the students of the ‘Douhet’ School to undertake cultural visits to some of the most significant tourist destinations, of which the Phlegraean Fields and Naples are notoriously rich. The excursions to the excavations of Pompeii, the Solfatara Volcano of Pozzuoli, and the visit to the museum of the Royal Palace of Capodimonte (Naples) were very interesting and particularly appreciated. During their free time, some students continued their exploration of the city of Naples by organising themselves into small groups and walking through the characteristic streets of the historic centre, including the famous ‘Spaccanapoli’, and visiting well-known districts such as Vomero and Posillipo, from where it is possible to appreciate the enchanting and unique panorama of the entire Neapolitan gulf. A much-appreciated destination that further invigorated the aeronautical spirit of the young students was the military airport of Pratica di Mare (Rome), where they were received by the Commander, Air Brigadier General Roberto Quattrociocchi, already the Godfather of the course, who presented the students with the Squadron's crest. The students thanked him for the attention received and the warm hospitality shown to them, and they presented General Quattrociocchi with a commemorative plaque of the ‘Dardo’. During the day, the students were able to visit the Flight Experimental Department (RSV), watching a flying demonstration of an AM-X fighter and a static display of some aircraft in service, such as the Eurofighter ‘Typhoon’, Tornado, and MB-339A fighter jets.
In the afternoon, before the guided tour of the Air Force Departments concluded with the course's return to the Florence School, there was an opportunity to experience a few more hours of operational life at the 14th Wing, where the trainees were able to appreciate the operational capabilities of the Department and get to know the P-180 aircraft and the new B-767 ‘tanker' aircraft up close.
