“A daydream!”. This was the comment from Alessandro, a student at the “Giulio Douhet” Air Force Military School, after his flight aboard a Tricolour Arrows aircraft.
On Wednesday 17 October, 6 students from the Nadir Course, 3 from the classical studies high school and 3 from the scientific studies high school, who had particularly distinguished themselves for academic and aptitude merits, had the opportunity to experience the thrill of flying in a National Aerobatic Team aircraft. The 6 lucky students also participated in all the pre-flight preparation stages, while their course colleagues followed an informative briefing on the history, organisation and activities of the 313th Aerobatic Training Group, as well as visiting the museum area and maintenance hangars where they could climb aboard an MB339 aircraft on static display.
Immediately afterwards, everyone looked up to watch the Frecce's aerial evolutions with their colleagues on board.
The opportunity arose during the familiarisation visits to the Air Force's organisations and departments in Northern Italy, which the 37 students of the Nadir course undertook from October 14th to 19th. This is an important activity provided for in the School's Educational Offer Plan, aimed at deepening knowledge of the Armed Force, the university world, and employment, to provide the young attendees, who will take their final exams at the end of this academic year, with useful evaluation elements to consciously decide on their future.
The “basic course” began at the 3rd Wing in Villafranca (VR), a centre of excellence for its ability to support aviation components projected in operations both within national territory and abroad. Within the wing, static displays of the main “Combat Service Support (CSS)” capabilities were organised for the occasion, curated by the specialists who operate daily in various theatres of operation. After being welcomed by the Commander of the 3rd Wing, Colonel Francesco De Simone, the trainees visited the various sections of the Wing and in particular the projection logistics assets, which are essential for units deployed in difficult or potentially contaminated environments. Subsequently, they attended a demonstration of “Off-Road Training” and Safe Driving.
The visits to the organisations continued at Istrana Airport (TV), home of the 51st Wing, a flying unit configured as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance wing equipped with AMX and AMX-T aircraft. Here, the students experienced firsthand the operational life of an Air Force wing. Accompanied by the unit's personnel, they were able to admire the aircraft up close and appreciate the work carried out in the hangars and the radar room.
Following this, there was a brief visit to the engine room of the 3rd RMV of Treviso to discover the work carried out by the specialists in the maintenance of the AMX aircraft.
Wednesday 17 October saw the start of the visit to Rivolto military airport (UD), home of the 313th Aerobatic Training Group and the 2nd Wing.
On Friday 19 October, at the same Rivolto site, a visit was made to the 2nd Wing, an entity identified by the Armed Force to perform the function of a missile reference point for the National Air Defence system. After being welcomed by the Wing Commander, Col. Andrea Amadori, the cadets attended a briefing on the institutional and civil community support activities carried out by the Wing. Following a visit to the Spada batteries, the missile group technicians explained and demonstrated in practice the operation of the Surveillance Centre and the firing sections.
With the visit to the 2nd Wing, a very intense week has concluded where the cadets, accompanied by personnel from the Douhet School, were able to see up close and get to know better the Armed Force of which they are part and, whatever path they choose to take in the future, they will always carry an indelible memory with them.
The “Giulio Douhet” Military Aviation School, inaugurated in 2006, is a secondary education institution that offers the final three years of study in both classical and scientific streams, to which admission is granted via public competition. The aim of the Institute is to foster balanced growth in its cadets from a human, cultural, moral, physical, and character perspective, so that they possess the necessary skills to become good citizens and face the challenges of the future, regardless of each cadet's future life choices.
