Ghedi AFB - 8 September 2022
The event organized by the Air Force to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the landing of the first Panavia Tornado on the runway of the airport dedicated to Luigi Olivari took place today on the Ghedi Air Base, which happened on 27 August 1982.
In these 40 years the twin-jet with variable geometry wings was the protagonist of all the events in which the Armed Force with wings participated: the Cold War, Operation Locusta as part of the Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, the campaigns in the former Yugoslavia, the campaign in Libya and then again Iraq and Afghanistan, always standing out and allowing the crews to complete the mission with maximum performance.
Just to underline the passing of the years "on the skin" of the Tornado, a Special Color specimen has been prepared, right “on the skin” it highlights the passage of time and of all the eras passed through. In fact, from the tip of the pitot to the tail, the 4 most significant camouflages worn by the bomber in its Italian history: the white background of the prototype that fades into the NATO camouflage of the 80s which in turn becomes the Locust yellow of the Desert Storm which ends in the "low visibility" gray still worn today.
The day started early, with the entrance arranged from 07:45. A Tornado IDS specimen is exhibited on the square (the Special Color prepared for Panavia's 40th anniversary) with all the loads that can be transported around, dalle bombe “stupid” ai missili antiradar HARM, from laser-guided and GPS-guided smart bombs to AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
In one of the hangars it was possible to see the heir of the Tornado in the 6th Wing, the Lockheed Martin F 35A Lightning II already wearing the codes 6-01 and the grinning devil on the tail and that for now, awaiting the conclusion of the works that will allow the new 5th Generation fighter to operate at the Brescia airport, work by Amendola. His final arrival is expected by the end of 2022. From that moment on i 2 weapon systems will overlap and operate together , up to progressively reaching the end of the operational life of the Tornado based on the age that the individual aircraft will reach over time.
The actual event began with the military ceremony presided over by the CSM of the Air Force, general S.A.. Luca Goretti (Tornado pilot, Moreover), followed by the overflight of the Legend Formation, composed of all the trainers of the AM, dal T 6 Texan at FIAT G 46, gradually up to the most modern representative, the twin-jet T 346 Master.
Subsequently, the event went live with the overflight of the formation of 9 Tornado together with the Frecce Tricolori.
The two teams separate and the Frecce Tricolori begin a mini-exhibition, concluding it with a very long tricolor on the Authorities and the public thronged on the square.
The new passages of the Tornado formations are announced by a single specimen that first makes a quick pass with the wings closed at the maximum arrow and then, always in the same configuration, a slow passage with the airbrakes out. The last step is in 10, with the Special Color as training leader,
Later the planes separated and landed and then moved to the parking lot right in front of the public, with the Special in the center and the others 9 planes on its sides.
The event ended with the usual photos with the pilots of the formation lined up in front of the planes and then the Commanders of the Wing and the various pilots of the Groups who had the Tornado (102°, 154°, 155° and 156 ° remembered with their coats of arms on the sub-wing tanks of the Special).
Enjoy all the photos
