The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Giornata Azzurra 2000 at Rivolto
Giornata Azzurra 2000, the yearly Italian Air Force air show, was held on 10th September at Rivolto Air Base, also celebrating the 40th anniversary of Frecce Tricolori Italian National Aerobatic Team.
The sunny day favoured more than 300.000 people who attended the five-hour flight display with a quite interesting selection of military aircraft in service with the major European air forces.
Seven aerobatic teams formed the backbone of the flight programme. Patrulla Aguila (Spain) equipped with seven CASA C-101 Aviojets, Team 60 (Sweden) using six Saab 105s, Patrouille Suisse mounted on six Northrop F-5Es, Red Arrows (United Kingdom) equipped with nine BAE Systems Hawks and Patrouille de France with eight Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets.
A single civil aerobatic team was also present at Rivolto: new born Breitling Eagles with their colourful Sukhoi (three Sukhoi Su-29 two-seaters and a Sukhoi Su-31 single-seater). They were flown by Cdr.s Angelo Boscolo, Fabio Brovedani, Giuseppe Liva and Gian Battista Molinaro, all of them former PAN veterans.
Other outstanding solo flight displays were performed by two F-16As (one belonging to Belgian and the other to Dutch Air Force ), a German Marineflieger Tornado, an Armée de l'Air Mirage 2000 and a Swiss Air Force F/A-18C. Nine AMXs of IAF 14° Gruppo/2° Stormo, based at Rivolto, made a series of fly-overs in different and impeccable formations.
The flight programme had some of its its most exciting moments during the demonstrations of Eurofighter EF 2000 DA1 and of a "special-colour" Austrian Air Force Saab J-35D Draken. IAF Flight Test Unit brought in from Pratica di Mare their AMX, MB-339CD and G 222 for high-class aerobatic displays.
A Flygvapnet Hercules, an IAF G 222, back from Timor-East in a non-standard theatre livery, and an outstanding "special colour" AMX were the most prominent aircraft in the static display row. Far from the public area, Aermacchi M-290TP Redigo demonstrator was noted: a quite elusive way to took part, probably for the first time, at an air show. VIP flights from Rome comprised a brand new IAF Dassault Falcon 900EX and an Alitalia Express Embraer ERJ-145LR.
The Frecce Tricolori display concluded with the usual skill the Italian Air Force Giornata Azzurra 2000.
In the picture: Eurofighter EF 2000 DA1 of the fictitious "Bavarian Air Force" flown by EADS test-pilot Chris Worning.
(Aeromedia, December 2000)