After the success of past year, the "Family Day" for the relatives of the personnel of 34° Gruppo Squadroni Toro was repeated. This aviation unit of the Italian Army is based at Venaria airfield not far from Turin. The main event of the day was again the arrival of a figure, known as the "Befana" (a linguistic distortion of "Epiphany") portrayed as a witch-like figure parodying the Three Wise Men who brings sweets to good children and coal to the naughty ones. The nose of the same Agusta/Bell AB 205A-1 which brought the "Befana" in 2015 bore new "special colours" painted by Warrant Officer Vanzan. The drawing was inspired by two cartoon characters: Dudů the prehistoric boy and two protagonists of the 2013 "Planes" movie: Dusty Crophopper agricultural-aerobatic aircraft and WW2 veteran Corsair Skipper Riley. The same helicopter, painted with "Poker Fly special colours", was present on May 6, 2008 on the occasion of the official delivery of the new NH 90 helicopter to the Italian Army at Viterbo air base. Public administration representatives and voluntary associations took part in the event, underlining the liaisons between the 34° Gruppo Squadroni Toro and the surrounding territory.
In the picture: Agusta/Bell AB 205A-1 MM80551 / E.I.299 (c/n 4216) "Dudů/Planes special colours" at the Venaria Family Day on January 5, 2016. (Aeromedia)
(Aeromedia, January 2016)
