100Th Anniversary
Italian Air Force
PRATICA DI MARE
ROMA
ITALIA
16 June 2023
The Italian Air Force's centenary air show took place from 16 to 18 June 2023 at the airport "M. De Bernardi" of Pratica di Mare, near Rome. The event, which attracted more than 300,000 spectators, must be considered the most important event held in Italy. In order to ensure that all the many visitors had a smooth participation inside the base, the event was divided into three separate days. The day of June 16 was reserved for families, and for the many Spotters who came from all over Europe. On 17 and 18 June, the base opened its doors to the public.
Fiat G91R/1A Special Colors PAN
To commemorate the long journey of the Italian Air Force inside the base, two different areas have been set up. The first called "Camp 100" allowed all visitors to relive the history of the aeronautics from 1923 to 2023 by immersing themselves in various historical routes. The static exhibition was extraordinary with over 40 aircraft on display. From the latest arrival, the famous Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, to the fourth-generation interceptor fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the brand new Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master, the Alenia C-27J Spartan and all the assets currently in the flight line. Helicopters and drones such as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper are present in static.
Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer A-11A AMX
The amount of historic aircraft in flight is impressive. From the Caproni Ca.3 (biplane of 1917), to the SPAD VII-XIII (1917) to the aircraft engaged in the Second World War such as the Supermarine Spitfire V (1946), the Lockheed P-38 Lightning (1946), the North American P-51 Mustang of (1947).
Caproni Ca.3 (biplane of 1917)
All the assets used by the Air Force are in flight, starting from the Fiat G-46 (1948) to the North American T-6 Texan (1949), to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1950), to the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (1952), to the North American F-86 Sabre (1955), to the Fiat G-91R (1959) – restored aircraft, in "Frecce Tricolori" livery.The Aermacchi MB-326E (1961) the Douglas DC-6 (1962) the unforgettable Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (TF-104G/M, 1963) – nicknamed "Spillone" the Siai S-208A (1968) the Siai SF-260 (1977) the Aermacchi MB-260 (1977)339A (1982), the MRCA, the Tornado IDS (1982), the Agusta-Bell HH-212 (1983), the Dassault Falcon 50 (1985) and the Aermacchi-Embraer AMX "Ghibli" (1989), the next aircraft to roll off the AMI flight line.
Panavia Tornado ECR 6° Stormo Ghedi
In flight all the modern aircraft in service, the Nardi Hughes NH500 helicopter (1990), the Dassault Falcon 900 (1995), the Piaggio P-180 Avanti (1998), the Airbus A-319CJ (2000), the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules (2000) the Eurofighter F-2000 Typhoon (2003), the Alenia C-27J Spartan (2005), the Boeing KC-767 (tanker, 2011), Agusta-Westland HH-139 (2012), the new trainer the Leonardo T-346A Master (2014), the two F 35s in version A and B. The latest helicopter to enter the line of flight is the Agusta-Westland HH-101A (2016), the Gulfstream G-550 CAEW (2016), the Beechcraft King Air 350ER Spyder (2016) and the twin-engine turboprop for anti-submarine warfare, the Leonardo P-72A (2018).
Panavia Tornado ECR-Alenia/Aermacchi/Embtear A-11A AMX- Fiat G91R/1A
There were two significant moments of the event, the passage of the "100" formation formed by 6 × F-35s, 8 × Eurofighter Typhoons and 8 × T-346s and the grand finale with the spectacular acrobatics of the Italian Aerobatic Team the Frecce Tricolori. The centenary Air Show in Pratica di Mare was a highly anticipated event with attention to detail, perfectly designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Air Force. It combined visual spectacle, historical memory, audience engagement and a strong focus on the aerospace future.
GALLERY
