“Mix 153, Grosseto Tower, line up and wait runway 03”. It is November 27th 2000, I’m strapped in the backseat of the TF-104G-M MM54558 “4-48” of the 20th Gruppo piloted by Capt. Andrea Truppo, an Instructor pilot (IP) of the 4th Stormo. I tighten my oxygen mask, lower the dark visor of my HGU-55G helmet and give a final check to the camera that I hold in my right hand. The aircraft passes the arresting cable of the RWY 03 and stops on the left wing of another Starfighter, the MM54553 “4-44” piloted by Col. Germano Quattrociocchi (former Cdr of the 4th Stormo) and Capt. Daniele Locatelli, another IP with almost 2000 hours on the F-104. We start the engine run and give a quick glance at the instruments. Everything is running smoothly, we are ready for departure. Weather is just fine. Scattered clouds in the vicinity of the airport but mostly clear skies in the Grosseto CTR. We will perform a low level navigation towards the Northern edge of the control zone, then we will head to the coastline proceeding again southbound. Finally we will reach the Scansano area that we will engage for about 10 minutes to perform some acrobatic maneuvers in formation. “Tower, Mix 153 is ready for take off” is radioed by the leading aircraft. “153, cleared for take-off, wind is calm”…..
To read the rest of the story, click here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/flying-the-tf-104g-m/
On Apr. 6, 2009, at 03.33AM LT, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the Abruzzo region, in central Italy, killing more than 200 people, causing entire buildings to collapse and leaving 17.000 people homeless.
Reconnaissance missions were performed by an AMX of the 51° Stormo from Istrana and by one of the last P.166DL3 APH belonging to the Pratica di Mare-based 14° Stormo. The DL3, that can be fitted with Leica RC-20 and RC-30 (modified in order to mitigate the effects of the movement) performed an aerophotogrammetric mission aimed to the photographic survey of the areas hit by the earthquake. In the last years, as the following images (displayed by the 71° Gruppo in 2004 during the celebrations for the 20.000 hours on the “Piaggione”) show, the aircraft was often involved in missions aimed to the update of the land cartography or to the photographic survey of a portion of territory as a result of natural calamities, even if they have also been employed in reconnaissance missions in support of the Police or for the survey of building abuses. Following are pictures of the P.166DL3 of the 71° Gr that I took on Jul. 7, 2004, when the Squadron celebrated the 20.000 hours on the type.
An article on the missions of the 71° Stormo (2007 – 2008) can be read here: “71° Gruppo: Master of many tasks”.
A few days ago I’ve published a dramatic picture of a Tornado ECR perfoming a low level passage after take off from Cameri at the following address: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/low-level-tornado-ecr/. Those who commented the picture have different opinions: some believe that maneuver was suicidal or at least too risky; others thinks that things like that are extremely funny. I too believe that kind of low passage is spectacular but that kind of +45° left turn performed a few meters above the tarmac after take off, is too dangerous. The turn is made towards a crowd that is watching and filming the show and this makes the maneuver even more risky.
I witnessed something perhaps less spectacular but safer in October 2004, when the Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantoms were deployed to Grazzanise for Ex. Destined Glory. The following “postcard” shows a low passage, performed along the runway 24 centerline, immediately after take off by one the HAF F-4s.
Click on the following image to open a high-rez version of the picture (3000×319 px):
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