Monday 20 October, at the hall “De Bernardis” of Pratica di Mare Airport, the handover ceremony took place Castle Aquila eleven new pilots of the Italian Air Force, at the end of the training course conducted at the Air Transport Training School. Among those awarded patents is an attendee who completed the course at the’Transport Aviation School of Avord (France), within the framework of international cooperation programmes between the two Air Forces.
The ceremony, a moment of particular significance for the new pilots and for the entire Armed Force, marked the conclusion of an intensive training period that will lead the young officers to operate in Air Force Flight Squadrons, in missions supporting the community and the defence of the country. Family members of the attendees and representatives from local schools in Pomezia attended the event.
In his speech, the Colonel Pasquale Savino, Commander of S.A.T.A., wished to fondly remember the Air Brigadier General Simone Mettini and the’Officer Cadet Pilot Lorenzo Nucheli, tragically lost on 1st October. Then, addressing the newly qualified pilots, he stressed: “You have reached an important milestone, perhaps the most important one yet achieved, in your young life. Perhaps, even, one of the most important, if not the most important, most significant of your entire life.”. He then continued: “Now more than ever, at this historic moment, immersed in increasingly changing and complex scenarios, you will face challenges and make decisions, often with little information and even less time available., but I am sure you will be able to do it, because you have amply demonstrated that you have the means to do so, as pilots, as soldiers, as men and women of our beloved country.”
The ceremony was presided over by Air Force General Francesco Vestito, Commander of the Air Force Schools and of the 3rd Air Region, who expressed his appreciation for the work done by the school's personnel and addressed a message to the new pilots: “The bestowal of the Crested Eagle represents for you not just the culmination of a demanding training journey, but above all the beginning of a great responsibility. From today, you become a full member of the great family of the Italian Air Force pilots, ready to serve the country with dedication and competence, in any operational context. Delicate tasks of the highest human value await you: from urgent medical transport to humanitarian missions, from the transfer of vital organs to supporting people in imminent danger of death. In each of these missions, you will be called upon to put your skills at the service of the community, with a spirit of sacrifice, a sense of duty, and profound selflessness. This is the spirit that has always animated the Italian Air Force: that of men and women who, in silence and with professionalism, operate every day to guarantee security, hope, and life for our country.”
Among the eleven new pilots, from the courses “Vulcano V”, “Zodiac V” and from 128th Course for Reserve Officer Pilots, the first patented on the new also feature Piaggio P-180 EVO+ (VC-180C), recently introduced to replace the P-180 Avanti I (VC-180A) version. The new aircraft, technologically advanced and fully compliant with the operational standards of the Armed Forces' flight lines, confirms the Italian Air Force's constant focus on innovation and technological evolution.
The Air Transport Training School, it depends on Air Force Schools Command / 3rd Air Region, the High Command responsible for the selection, training and education of Armed Forces personnel. The School's mission is to provide advanced training for Air Force pilots destined for the frontline Multicrew fixed wing component Combat Support, following the most modern dictates and principles applicable to flight Multicrew, as well as current international standards. Furthermore, the School provides this type of training also for pilots from other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps, both Italian and foreign.
