On 23 March last, a conference on the theme “The Regia Aeronautica: the era of records and aerial operations” was held in the Great Hall of the former Aeronautical College of Forlì, organised by the Associazione Arma Aeronautica – Aviatori d’Italia with the contribution of the 2nd Motor Vehicle Maintenance Group.
A venue, the one used for the conference, that was not chosen by chance, given that from 1937 to 1941 the building was home to the Aeronautical College and, subsequently, the Aeronautical Academy, attended in 1943 by the cadets of the first Zodiaco Course and the Aquila II Course.
The conference, part of a broader project entitled “100 years of the Air Force's commitment in the service of Italy” structured into 14 conferences in various Italian cities and organised by the Associazione Arma Aeronautica – Aviatori d'Italia, is included as part of the celebrations for the centenary of the establishment of the Armed Force.
In the presence of the city’s highest authorities, Chief Inspector General (ret.) Nazzareno Cardinali opened the conference, which was moderated by Prof. Francesca De Crescenzio of the University of Bologna. The conference was divided into two sessions: a thematic one on the history of the Italian Air Force, from its roots to the most modern challenges in terms of technology and experimentation, which concluded with a speech by the Commander of the 15th Wing, Colonel Giacomo Zanetti, on the fundamental contribution of the Italian Air Force to air rescue operations at national level; the second session, on the other hand, was dedicated to the synergy between the industrial sector and the Italian Air Force, featuring a lecture by Dr Gaetano Bergami, President of the Emilia Romagna Aerospace District, followed by speeches by Engineer Paolo Bellomi, Technical Director of AVIO, Dr Giacomo P. Sciortino of the Italian Space Agency, and representatives of the General Secretariat of Defence and the Air Force General Staff.
The conference strengthens the deep bond that has united the Forlì area with the Italian Air Force since its foundation and opens a fascinating path of celebrations for the Air Force's centenary which, until 28 March 2023, will also actively involve the 2nd M.A. Group.
The 2nd M.A. Group, in addition to providing technical and logistical support to the organisers and speakers, contributed to the setting up of two information and promotional stands with the exhibition of historical memorabilia and the screening of promotional videos of the Italian Air Force that attracted the curiosity of the young students from Forlì who were present.
