The visit to the Galatina Flight School is part of the annual program of refresher events organized by the Arma Aeronautica Association. After the welcoming words of the Chief of the Command Office, Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Vantaggiato, on behalf of the Commander of the Wing and all the personnel of the Department, the guests watched a short film about the history of the Salento air base. Following this, the Tuscan delegation was able to witness the efficiency, quality, and characteristics of the various operational, technical, logistical, and maintenance sectors of the airport, visiting the flight simulators, the equipment room, the MB339 A and CD aircraft on static display inside the GEA hangar, and the weather office. At the end of the visit, the Chief Operations Officer of the “Sessantunesimo”, Major Luca Restelli, on behalf of Colonel Sergio Cavuoti, Commander of the Flight School, presented the “crest” of the Department, as a symbol of the intense day spent by the aeronautical community at the Galatina Base. The 61st Wing is a Flight School whose primary mission is to provide training and flight instruction on aerobatics aircraft:
-of trainee pilots until the achievement of the Military Pilot Certificate (phases II and III);
-of military pilots who must obtain the “pre-operational” certificate (Lead In-to Fighter Training), a prerequisite for being deployed on the tactical aircraft (phase IV);
-of military pilots who must perform the duties of “flight instructor”.
Always a focal point in the professional training of a military pilot, the Department is projecting itself towards a prestigious international future. Austrian, Greek, Singaporean and Kuwaiti trainees are currently being trained at the Reparto di Volo Salentino. The Arma Aeronautica Association is an association that brings together retired and active military personnel of the Air Force, but is also open to civilians and more generally to supporters of the Armed Forces. Created with the aim of preserving and passing on aeronautical culture, it was founded in Turin on February 29, 1952 and declared a Moral Entity with Presidential Decree No. 575 of 1955. The national headquarters is in Rome, but there are also branches in all of Italy and in many foreign countries. Among the various activities, annual refresher visits to the airports and facilities of the Air Force and its Institutes are scheduled, as well as visits to the various agencies of the Italian Army and the Naval Force.
