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F-4 low passage after take off - October 2004 April 3, 2009

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):

Air-to-air with the F-104s of the 9° Stormo - May 2003 April 2, 2009

In May 2003, I had the opportunity to fly a mission on board an MB-339A of the locally based 609^ Squadriglia Collegamenti to take some air-to-air pictures of the F-104 Starfighter belonging to the 10° Gruppo of the 9° Stormo and to the 18° Gruppo of the 37° Stormo, that were both based in Grazzanise. The 18° Gruppo had been the second Gruppo to end the operations with the F-104 after the 23° Gruppo at Cervia. On Apr. 22, 2003 the final four operative F-104 and 10 pilots flew to Grazzanise to continue operating with the F-104 from Grazzanise airbase while Trapani began the work needed to accommodate the F-16s (delivered on Jun 28). Pilots of the 18th Gruppo temporarily deployed to Grazzanise were “absorbed” by the 9° Stormo. The 18° Gruppo lived parallel lives: some of the pilots were at Grazzanise with the F-104; others were at Trapani flying with the first 12 F-16 delivered; the remaining are at Tucson, attending the Arizona ANG courses on the Viper.
The photo session was part of a 5 days visit to Grazzanise to prepare a report about the 9° Stormo that was published later that year on Aeronautica & Difesa (that you can read in Italian language here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/il-9%c2%b0-stormo/).

36° Stormo - Gioia del Colle - Sept. 2004 March 30, 2009

The following pictures were taken at Gioia del Colle in Sept. 2004 during a 2 day visit I made to prepare an article that was published on Rivista Aeronautica (that you can read here in Italian). They are interesting because in that period, the local based 36° Stormo was made of 2 Gruppi on 3 aircraft types: the 156° Gruppo, equipped with the Tornado IDS, and the 12° Gruppo, that was returning the Tornado F.3 leased by the Royal Air Force (but was still flying them) and was converting to the SMI (Slow Movers Interceptor) role with the MB-339CD, “on loan” from the 61° Stormo (212° Gruppo).

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

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”).

Flying with the Frecce Tricolori March 21, 2009

In Jan. 2006 I went to Rivolto airbase to visit the Frecce Tricolori and to report about the Winter Season and the training activities performed by the pilots of the display team. Here’s the full article (in Italian) that I wrote for Rivista Aeronautica: Alla scoperta delle Frecce Tricolori. During the visit, I had the possibility to fly with Col. Tarantino (who was “Pony 0″, the Commander of the team) an acrobatic 2 ships training mission. During the flight I had the possibility to pilot the MB.339, performing formation looping, roll over, etc. and then I was showed by Tarantino some famous maneuvers, like the Lomcovak and the Tail Slide. During the orientation mission, flying with Maj. Cavelli in the other aircraft was the photographer of the Frecce who took the following interesting pictures of my experience with the Italian display team.
To read the full article, click the following link: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/flying-with-the-frecce-tricolori-in-the-training-season/

In flight with the Italian Air Force B707 tanker March 16, 2009

On Apr. 3 2008, the last of 4 Italian Air Force B.707TT of the 8th Gruppo made its last operative flight during the build up phase of the Spring Flag Exercise. The aircraft, serialled MM62151, using c/s I-2151 with 67 people on board carried to Decimomannu 4 pallets of material and equipment. 23.000 FH have been flown in the last 16 years all around the World in both air-to-air refueling (AAR) missions and transportation. The aircraft, originally purchased from the TAP airlines, will be replaced by the KC-767A, a military version based on the Boeing 767-200ER version, that the ITAF has bought in 4 examples. The delay in the delivery of the new tanker (initially scheduled to be delivered in 2006) compelled the ItAF to extend the operative life of 2 of its B707 for another 2 years (the other B707s were sold to the Omega Air), with the Boeing company paying for the cost of the maintenance of the aircraft. The KC-767A, that has recently lost the KC-X competition with the KC-30 (based on the Airbus A-330) for replacement of the USAF KC-135 and KC-10, should be delivered to the 14th Stormo at the beginning of the 2009; in the meanwhile the Italian crews will train on a B767 provided by Boeing (an aircraft that not having any AAR capability) that will allow the 8th Gruppo pilots to acquire a basic training on the new type.

To read the full report of a flight on board a B707 during an air-to-air refueling mission click here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/agip25/

311° Gruppo / Reparto Sperimentale Volo - Pratica di Mare March 14, 2009

On Mar. 11, 2009, I visited the flight line of the 311° Gruppo of the Reparto Sperimentale Volo, the Test unit of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force, ItAF), inside Pratica di Mare, the largest italian military airport. Accompayned by Maj. Igor Bruni, one the RSV pilots (and the MB339CD display pilot in the past two years), I spent a few hours on the “PB” apron of the Sperimentale where I was able to observe the daily flying activity. The flight line had many aircraft parked or being prepared for sorties: MB.339A, MB.339CD, C-27J, C-130J, NH.500E, Tornado IDS, AMX-T ACOL, Tornado ECR, AB-212 . More or less the majority of the aircraft types in service with the ItAF were in the flight line of the squadron. Recovered inside a hangar was also an interesting aircraft I was not allowed to photograph but that is far from being a secret addition to the RSV fleet: read here. A few missions were flown during my stay. In the early morning, the MB.339A CSX 54453/RS-30 departed to perform a flight inside the R-62 area. In the front seat a former 23° Gruppo pilot recently assigned to the 311° Gruppo was performing a sort of “orientation flight” with Maj. Giacomo “Jack” Iannelli on the back seat. Later, the MB.339CD MM55091/RS-32 also departed for a local sortie, followed by the C-27J CSX 62219/46-87. Before noon, both MB.339 (1 CD + 1 A) took off to perform a training mission together.

Air-to-Air with the NH-500E of the 72° Stormo March 13, 2009

The Italian helicopter school, the 72nd Stormo (Wing), is quite an atypical unit in the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF). In fact, despite not being structured like the classic OCU (Operational Convertion Unit), it keeps its training role while undertaking operative missions abroad in Peace Keeping/Enforcing Operations. The 72nd Stormo is equipped with NH-500Es, a platform that can best be described as versatile: it is small, fast, maneuverable and is an easyily maintainable aircraft that can also carry light armament. For all these reasons, the Italian Air Force is studying the possibility of employing it within a mixed force focused in the SMI (Slow Movers Interception) role.
David Cenciotti went to Frosinone to describe the present and future of the only Italian School involved in the so-called out-of-area operations.

Full article: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/72-stormo/

Sonic booms and condensation clouds March 13, 2009

Pictures taken at Axalp arise more or less the same question. People wants to know if the condensation clouds surrounding the aircraft represent some kind of visual manifestation of the “sonic boom” or some other phenomenon tied to the flight at transonic speeds…
Read the rest of the article here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/sonic-booms-and-condensation-clouds-explained/

The Italian Air Force A319CJ March 12, 2009

Have you ever wondered what’s the internal set up of the Italian Air Force One? Have you ever guessed if the seat of the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is comfortable?
On Apr 17, I had the opportunity to sit on that important (and comfortable) chair since I flew in one of the 3 A319CJ of the 31° Stormo, the unit within the Aeronautica Militare undertaking VIP transportation missions (among the important persons carried by the aircraft of the 31 Stormo there’s also Pope Benedict XVI, who often use the SH-3D of the 93° Gruppo). The opportunity was provided by a Media Flight organized by the Italian Air Force Press Office to bring journlists and photographers to Decimomannu to attend the Media Day of the Exercise Spring Flag (for more info and pictures search “Spring Flag” in this site using the search field in the upper right hand column). Along with other media representatives, I boarded the aircraft serialled MM62174 (the other two A319CJ of the ItAF are the MM62209 and MM62243) of the 306° Gruppo, parked in the 31° Stormo apron at Ciampino airport, Rome, and made two flights (to and from Deci) lasting slightly less than 1 hour each.
Immediately after boarding through the front stairs I gave a quick look at the “glass” cockpit with retractable HUD (Head Up Display), MFDs (Multi-Function Displays) and all the other features of a commercial A319, IFF and radio equipment aside. The standard crew is composed by 2 pilots (”I-2174″ flight had Gen. Parma, former Cdr of the 31° Stormo and current Cdr of the Comando delle Forze per la Mobilità e il Supporto, on the left seat in the cockpit), 2 flight engineers, 2 stewards…..

The rest of the article can be read here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/inside-the-italian-air-force-one/

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• About me

  My name is David Cenciotti and I was born in Rome in 1975. I'm a private pilot, a former 2nd Lt. of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF), a journalist and graduate in Computer Engineering. I've been writing since 1996 for major aviation magazines such as Air Forces Monthly, Revista Força Aérea, Fighter Tactics. In Italy, after working for Aeronautica & Difesa and Airline for many years, I work exclusively for RID, the most important Defense magazine, and Rivista Aeronautica, the magazine of the ItAF. As an expert in aviation, I also write also some of the texts of the documentaries of the Troupe Azzurra, the ItAF "combat camera" team. During my career as a journalist, I have build up a discreet experience flying with many of the aircraft of the Aeronautica Militare; I'm one of the few civilians proudly wearing the “1 flight hour on the TF-104” patch to witness my flight with the Starfighter back in Y2000. I'm the author of "F-104 Storia di un mito", the only official book published by the Italian Air Force to celebrate the retirement of the Starfighter in 2004. I'm also a photographer and my pictures have been used in books, magazines, websites and calendars. This is a place to talk about military aviation, flying, photography and much more.

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