Italy | Esercizio Tricolore

[Tim]

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ESERCIZIO TRICOLORE
DECEMBER 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

SECTION I. INFORMATION
[Commanders] Colonel Guidetti (Commander) & Lieutenant Colonel Bressi (Acrobatic Training Supervisor)
[Staging Point] Rivolto Air Base, Codroipo, ITALY
[Date] 12/1997- 01/1998
[Skill] Aerobatic display
[Belligerents]

Italy

v.​

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[Casualties and losses]

Dead: 0 Wounded: 0

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SECTION II. STRENGTH
A. OPERATIONAL
[17] Frecce Tricolori, 313th Acrobatic Training Squadron

[17] Pilots
[13] MB-339PAN Aircraft​

B. SUPPORT
[33] Frecce Tricolori, 313th Acrobatic Training Squadron

[33] Support personnel​

[4] A Flight, 306th Squadron, 31st Transport Wing

[4] Pilots
[2] Falcon 900​

SECTION III. OBJECTIVES
PHASE A. FORMATION & SOLO
A01 -- COMPLETED -- FLY IN DIFFERENT FORMATIONS AND BE ABLE TO SHIFT BETWEEN THESE IN QUICK SUCCESSION
A02 -- COMPLETED -- FLY AN ADVANCED SOLO DISPLAY
PHASE B. DEMONSTRATION
B03 -- COMPLETED -- FLY TO ROME CIAMPINO AIRPORT IN FORMATION (TROOP TRANSPORT BY 306th)
B04 -- COMPLETED -- PERFORM A DISPLAY IN ROME (DEC 31)
B05 -- PLANNED -- RETURN TO BASE (RIVOLTO AIR BASE)
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PILOTS

Pony Pony 0 Pony 1 Pony 2 Pony 3 Pony 4 Pony 5 Pony 6 Pony 7 Pony 8 Pony 9 Pony 10 Pony 11 Pony 12 Pony 13 Pony 14 Pony 15 Pony 16

Role Commander Head of Formation 1° Left Domestique 1° Right Domestique 2° Left Domestique 2° Right Domestique 1° Tail Light 3° Left Domestique 3° Right Domestique 2° Tail Light Soloist Acrobatic Training Supervisor Pilot in Training (SOLOIST) Pilot in Training Pilot in Training Pilot in Training Pilot in Training​

 

[Tim]

DECEMBER 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

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The exercise started with the standard unit (Pony 1 through Pony 10) preparing their Aermacchi MB-339PAN aircraft for the first test flight. After a visual check of the outside they did a full systems check together with the Support personnel. Once all systems had been confirmed ready they lined up on the runway. The air space in the area had been restricted, nobody in a 5 kilometre radius around the airport would be allowed to fly below 15,000 feet (4.6 km).

They took off one by one from the 2,900 meter long runway. After taking off they climbed to 1,000 meters and flew in circles around the aircraft. As they did so they checked their systems once more, to see if everything was still working.

Once all 10 aircraft were in the sky the Training Supervisor issued the command for the others to form their first basic formation and turn the coloured smoke generators on to check if they were fully functioning. As they flew over he looked away from the radar which showed them and looked up to see the Italian flag they were making with the smoke generators.

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[Tim]

DECEMBER 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

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After flying over the airport in formation they turned back around, and on their second time over the airport the soloist left the formation. The rest of the formation readjusted their formation into a 9-plane formation as the soloist flew away at high speed and began doing some manoeuvres, including a looping.

After some manoeuvres the soloist turned around and was now flying towards the formation about fifty metres underneath them. As he approached them closer he turned around, now flying upside down. Once he was behind the formation they turned their smoke off and the soloist pointed his nose down (going up as he was upside-down) so he was flying behind the formation.

The formation once again shifted into a different formation, now with the soloist tailing them at about fifty metres.



The formation flew a few rounds around the airport before getting ready for the changing out of Pony 6-9, being replaced by the Pilots in training Pony 13-16. The two tail lights turned away from the formation and followed each other, landing behind each other on the runway. Once they had gotten out of the way the 3° domestique's did the same, landing behind them. The soloist was also to be replaced, so he would also land on the runway.

3 of the four pilots were already in the three remaining aircraft and had been fully checked. They waited for the first landed pilot to get out, changing out with the fourth formation pilot in training as he checked all systems. Once all four of them were ready they took off, joining the formation that was still circling the airport.

The soloist aircraft received a full check by one of the engineers as it landed. During this test the Pilot in Training got in. Once all systems were confirmed ready he also took off and joined the formation.

All aircraft once again shifted to a 10-plane formation before having the soloist pull up, doing a vertical climb before turning it into a looping once he was at a safe distance from the formation. The formation then shifted into a 9-plane formation again, turning on their smoke generators to create another Italian flag over the airport.​

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[Tim]

DECEMBER 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

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After finishing the final formation all aircraft broke formation one by one, from the outside to the inside as they landed on the runway. All active and training pilots had now done formation flying and solo flying and finished the first part of the exercise.

The next day was December 30th, and it was the day of the transport to Rome to do an aerobatic display there. Early in the morning four pilots of A Flight of the 306th Squadron departed from Rome Ciampino Airport in two Falcon 900 jets to transport the personnel. They landed on the runway at Rivolto Air Base as the engineers were doing the final systems check of the Aermacchi MB-339PAN aircraft.

Once all systems were ready thirteen pilots got into their aircraft and did a final systems test, getting ready for the 456.57 km flight to Rome Ciampino Airport. Once given permission all thirteen jets took off one by one, creating a formation of four rows with three jets each followed by the thirteenth jet. This formation then flew to Rome Ciampino Airport in about 40 minutes where they all landed safely. After their departure the technical crew packed all equipment required and loaded it into the small cargo compartments of the two Falcon 900 jets before getting aboard. With all extra pilots and technical personnel on board the two Falcon 900's departed, also for Rome Ciampino Airport. They arrived about an hour after the Aermacchi jet's and found their way to the hangar that had been allocated to them.

On location the support team began working on all 13 jets, getting them ready for the display that was planned for December 31st at noon.

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[Tim]

DECEMBER 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

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The day had come, December 31st. The Frecce Tricolore would do an aerial display over Rome as part of their exercise, getting in some actual experience with a crowd. There was police present in the area of the aerial display to prevent any fireworks from being used during the display. The engineers had been working hard to ensure the jets were all fully operational and the Pilots got in for their final systems test before the display. Everything worked so they were given permission to take off. They all took off one by one and circled around the airport before forming one formation in which they would fly to the park at an altitude of one kilometre. As they got closer they went lower before eventually diving down towards the park with their smoke generators on to make the Italian flag, pulling up just above the park.

The entire formation kept flying with their smoke generators on but the soloist pulled up to get upside down and flying away from the formation, flying over the park with his jet upside down. The rest of the formation turned around, and as the again approached the park they turned on their smoke generators and formed a new formation with the five outer jets flying away from the middle.



The aerial display went on for a few minutes, with the soloist doing a looping and some other tricks and the formation flying over in different formations, filling the air with the Italian flag.

They ended by flying over in one formation with all ten jets before returning to the airport. All pilots received compliments from the commander who had been monitoring the display and had continuous communication with the pilots.

As they landed the pilots got a well deserved night off and were free to celebrate New Year's Eve in Rome.
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[Tim]

JANUARY 1997 -- CLASSIFIED

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On January 2nd, after a day off on January 1st, it was back to work for the entire crew. The engineers and pilots checked all systems of the thirteen jets and refueled them, ensuring they were ready for the trip back to their home base. The staff of the 306th Squadron did the same with the two Falcon 900 jets which would bring the rest of the crew home.

With all systems checked the thirteen jets took off and formed a formation, flying one last flag over the airport before ascending to cruising height to fly to their home base, Rivolto Air Base. The rest of the crew and equipment were loaded into the Falcon 900 jets which also flew to Rivolto Air Base. All fifteen jets had an uneventful flight home, an safely landed at Rivolto Air Base. The Falcon 900 jets were unloaded and immediately returned to their base in Rome.

The entire crew received a patch for both Aerial Display Pilot and Aerial Display Engineer (MB-339PAN) respectively and celebrated at the base with a drink before a well deserved rest.
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TRAINING COMPLETED​