jump to navigation

50th Anniversary AWTI - Decimomannu - 25.09.09 October 8, 2009

Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , add a comment

On Sept. 25, Decimomannu airbase in Sardinia, Italy, hosted the 50th Anniversary of the AWTI (Air Weapons Training Installation) that was established the NATO partnership of Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Canada. The AWTI exploits an ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation) range where air-to-air missions and DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) are remotely monitored and recorded, and an air-to-ground bombing range at Capo Frasca, where pilots can train dropping both dumb and smart weaponry. Currently, the base is mainly used by the aircraft belonging to the Italian and German Air Force that renewed the agreement for another 3 years even if it often hosts aircraft of other air forces involved in training campaigns and multinational exercises. The following pictures (including a sort of GAF F-4 walkaround) were taken by Giovanni Maduli on Sept. 24 (rehearsals) and Sept. 25.
































































































































Trapani - 08.06.09 September 9, 2009

Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force , add a comment

On Jun. 8, the 37° Stormo of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) presented two F-16 ADF (MM7240 and MM7249) painted in special colour schemes to celebrate the 1000 Flight Hours achieved by both commanders of the 10° and 18° Gruppo, Maj. Salvatore “Cheero” Ferrara and Maj. Maurizio “Masa” De Angelis. The two “specials” performed an interesting air display that involved also other 7 aircraft of both Squadrons, comprising MM7239 that is a sort of semi-special having the tail painted with the colours of the 10° Gruppo on the right hand side and the ones of the 18° Gruppo on the left hand side: MM7253, 7257, 7241, 7260, 7250, 7267, 7239, 7240, 7249.
Following is the first selection of pictures taken during the event, which comprised 9 ship flypasts, and aerobatic maneuvers (schneider, looping, rollover, etc) of the two Specials.
































Rome International Air Show (Ostia Air Show): 30-31.05.09 June 1, 2009

Posted by David Cenciotti in : Aviation , add a comment

Here are the pictures I took on 30.05.09 (rehearsals) and on 31.05.09 during the Rome International Air Show held in Ostia. For more information about the airshow, click here or here.




































5° Stormo - Cervia - February 2004 March 28, 2009

Posted by David Cenciotti in : Italian Air Force, Military Aviation , add a comment

A few months ago, I published a photostory, named “A day in the life of the 9° Stormo of Grazzanise“, an article to provide a snapshot about the 9° Stormo and Grazzanise airbase in a day of 2003. The story contained almost all the pics I shot on that day, not just a selection of the most significant ones. The following one is a day spent in Cervia at the beginning of 2004, a few months after the first F-16 of the 23° Gruppo / 5° Stormo arrived in Italy, for a report that was published by Rivista Aeronautica (that, you can read in Italian, here: “Il 5° Stormo….la tana delle Vipere”).