Trieste – 12 March 2000

The morning, good time, you troviamo a Milano. A dense fog envelops everything in its coils and makes the undefined boundaries. The visibility does not exceed 30 mt. The day has now difficult.

Only the night before we received news of the presence in the Bay of Trieste CVN-69 and we were able, through some coupling, to obtain a permit to visit. Now this fog is likely to make us jump the appointment with 100.000 tons of steel into the sea. Sandro, as usual, take the situation in hand and there sentences: <<Quiet, guido io. Non c'è problem>>. Our Lady of Loreto assist us throughout the journey taking in total IFR straddling the white line on the highway at 150 Km/h. In Trieste, however, the situation is no better. Rather. The fog is even thicker and immediately tell us that the first round of visits, provided for 10,00 jump. We put in the queue hoping to climb in the second round. Suddenly the boarding attendant shouts “where is the group of Milanese?!?”. In a moment we board the boat that will take us aboard the aircraft carrier. When the boat comes off the dock we are swallowed by fog. There Curious to know how the pilot will find the Eisenhower without smashing him and ask him. The answer is simple: “You see this little island in the middle of the sea?” he asks us pointing to the radar screen “well, è lei !!”. Confident expect to see with the naked eye. All of a sudden the engine speed decreases, the speed decreases and we see the bow mirror emerge from the greyness.

The landing is hasty and, along an endless series of ladders, reach the hangar under the bridge. Before our eyes, we have Tomcat, Hornet, Viking, Prowler and all good things the U.S. Navy. Personally it is a dream come true.

Canonizziamo much as possible but the light is not sufficient. In the meantime the fog has cleared a bit and we go up onto the bridge. The planes are piled on each other but the show is indescribable.

We can not even shoot all the planes piled on 330 meters of the bridge that it is time to take the boat for the return. Reluctantly we go down all the stairs and take place on the boat that will take us into port, not without first making a tour of the entire ship to allow us to photograph it from every angle.

Definitely an experience that will remain engraved in our memories

Here are the photos...