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Friday 30 June, at the 60° Wing in Guidonia (RM), the flight familiarisation course dedicated to the students of the Course has ended “Ursa” of the Italian Air Force Military School “Giulio Douhet” of Florence.
The two-week activity gave the boys and girls from the Military Aeronautics high school the chance to experience the thrill of gliding. “G103 Twin Astir” supplied with Gliding Club.
The course was split into two phases: a theoretical phase and a flight practice phase. During the theoretical phase, the students acquired some basic knowledge of radio phraseology, glider flight aerodynamics and the flight instruments present on the glider. At the end of the theoretical lessons, they began the flying phase during which they had the opportunity to pilot a glider in all phases of flight together with a pilot instructor from the 60th Wing.
The glider flight familiarisation course represents the first phase of the project “Young Eagles” a programme set out in the School's Educational Offer Plan which, through a series of aviation-themed activities, aims to increase and consolidate the young students' passion for flight.
The second phase – scheduled for the second year of attendance at the School – consists of flight familiarisation activities aboard motor-powered aircraft U-208A. In their final year, however, Douhet students have the opportunity to undertake a series of motivational flights at one or more Italian Air Force Wings.
The Military Aeronautics School “Giulio Douhet”, Inaugurated in 2006, it is a upper secondary school that offers the final three years of study in Classical and Scientific streams, access to which is granted by public competition. The Institute's aim is to foster balanced growth in its pupils 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 tomorrow, irrespective of each pupil's future life choices.
The 60th Wing of Guidonia is under the direct command of the Italian Air Force Schools Command and, among its institutional duties, it has that of glider flight training which is carried out for the students of the “Giulio Douhet” Military School, the Student Pilot Officers of the Air Force Academy, the Supplementary Student Pilot Officers as well as for pilots of other Armed Forces and Armed Corps.
Glider endorsement, maintenance activity, and advanced mountain flying endorsement have, for some years now, been an integral part of the training process for obtaining a military pilot licence for the Air Force Academy's cadet pilots. The Wing is also involved in Air Force propaganda activities through the organisation and management of Aviation Culture Courses, which take place annually in some Italian cities and are aimed at students in the final three years of secondary school.
