From 5 to 15 May, it took place in Gorizia, a city designated together with Nova Gorica (Slovenia) as European Capital of Culture 2025, the second Aviation Culture Course from 2025 organised by the Armed Force in collaboration with the Regional School Office of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and is aimed at secondary school students.
The Aviation Culture Course (CCA) saw the participation, voluntarily and free of charge, of approximately 140 students from various educational institutions in the provinces of Gorizia, Udine e Trieste including the Cossar-Da Vinci, the Brignoli-Einaudi-Marconi, the Malignani, and the Galvani.
The CCA kicked off on Monday the 5th with a cycle of theoretical lessons held at the Galileo Galilei Technical Institute in Gorizia and dedicated to topics such as the principles of’aerodynamics, the Flight safety, the Meteorology and the Air traffic control. At the end of this first phase, the young attendees underwent a test to assess the skills acquired during the lessons, the score of which was useful for planning subsequent flight activities. From the second week onwards, the course truly got underway, giving all participants the chance to board, as co-pilot or passenger, of the SIAI U-208 propeller aircraft del 60° Wing in Guidonia Montecelio (RM), accompanied on this extraordinary experience by Italian Air Force instructor pilots. This second practical phase took place at the historic airport Amedeo, Duke of Aosta of Gorizia, a place of significant importance for having been the headquarters of the glorious 4th Fighter Wing.
The course closing ceremony, which was held on 15 May at the Fogar Auditorium of the Gorizia Multifunctional Centre (seat of the University of Udine), was presided over by Air Brigadier General Urbano Floreani., Head of the 5th Communications Department of the Air Force General Staff, and the participation of numerous local authorities including the Prefect of Gorizia, Dr. Ester Fedullo, the Deputy Mayor of Gorizia,Dr Chiara Gatta, and the Head of the Territorial Area Office of Gorizia, Dr. Mauro Pantanali.
In his speech, the General Floreani He strongly wanted to thank the many young people for having joined the initiative proposed by the Air Force and carried out in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Merit, stressing with these words the importance of the choice they made: “As will happen many other times in your lives, this choice has represented for all of you a great opportunity to get excited, to get to know yourselves, to challenge yourselves, to compare yourselves on neutral ground, on a subject of study different from all the others you are used to.. Keep making choices! continued – Whatever choice you make, make it with passion! The same passion that brought the Air Force here to Gorizia. If we've managed to get this across to you, we've achieved our goal.
On the occasion of the end-of-course ceremony, all participants were awarded attendance certificates, considered merits that grant additional points in case of participation in competitions recruitment opportunities in the Italian Air Force. The top two candidates will also be able to attend a summer internship at the 60° Wing during which they will once again have the opportunity to fly and take on the role of pilot, this time at the controls of Twin Astir, the glider, which constitutes a fundamental training step in the process Pilot training of the Italian Air Force.
I Aeronautical Culture Courses These are initiatives that the Armed Forces have been organising for over 60 years throughout the country. The CCA are aimed at students of secondary schools, aged between 16 and 20, and are part of the activities that the Air Force carries out with the aim of informing and guiding younger people, offering them new knowledge and opportunities for growth. At the end of the course, a ranking is drawn up based on the level of learning of the theoretical lessons and the aptitude for flying demonstrated.
The next two editions of the 2025 Aeronautical Culture Courses will take place in the cities of Crotone e Brescia.
