They date back to February 2020 my first contacts with the Air Force and in the following September the hoped-for confirmation of being expected by the 72 ° Stormo "Marcello de Salvia" but, on pain of the continuing pandemic situation, the awaited visit has been postponed until the last days of May just ended.
I finally arrive in Frosinone, at the "Girolamo Moscardini" military airport where the Stormo is based whose task is to carry out the planned courses for obtaining the Military Pilot's License - Helicopter Line for Air Force pilots, as well as courses for obtaining the military helicopter pilot license of the other Armed Forces. and Armed Corps of the State.
The 72nd has as its motto "MULTUM IN PARVO" or "VERY WITH LITTLE" that, as we'll see, it really is very spot on.
THE 72TH STORM: a bit of history…
Established at the Frosinone airport on 21 June 1985, the 72 ° Stormo draws its origins from the Helicopter Training Department, established at the Urbe Airport, smell, on February 1st 1953. Equipped with the Bell 47D-1 and WS-51, it was the first AM unit dedicated to the rotary wing, with the first helicopters delivered in December of '54. The ward was then transferred, starting from April of '55, to its current location, at the "Girolamo Moscardini" airport in Frosinone, where it changed its name becoming "Helicopter Center", then articulated on the 208 ° Scuola Volo Group (the
Currently the 72 ° Stormo is the only military school for helicopter pilots in Italy (the Navy trains both fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilots abroad) and in its history it has formed more than 5000 rotary wing pilots of which only the 20% about belonging to the Blue Army!
Today the Stormo is equipped with TH 500B and HH helicopters 139, the first arrived in May 1990 and the seconds in the course of 2014.
In addition to the institutional tasks, it is impossible not to mention the commitment abroad, with the deployments in Albania and Kosovo in 1999, when the helicopters and personnel were deployed at Dakovica airport to support the Italian and NATO contingents of KFOR (Kosovo FORces) and, from 2000, in Eritrea as part of the UNMEE mission (United Nation Mission Ethiopia-Eritrea). The latter mission will expire in a few days 20 years since the return of helicopters from the red lands of the tormented country of north-eastern Africa. Below you can see, thanks to the Blue Troupe of the Air Force which kindly granted its use, a rare photograph of the TH 500B in the white UN livery used in that theater.
Currently, employed by the 72 ° Stormo, named after the Gold Medal for Military Valor Pilot Sergeant Marcello De Salvia, the 208th Group operate on TH-500B and UH-139, the GIP (Vocational Education Group), the 472nd STO Group (Operational Technical Service), the 572nd SLO Group (Operational Logistic Service), the GEA (Aircraft Efficiency Group) and the Forces Protection Company.
The Wing is employed by the AM / 3 ^ R.A. Schools Command. from Bari.
… .And your AIRPORT
Frosinone airport, named after Captain Girolamo Moscardini who fell in 27 years with his Breda 33 the 3 August 1932 in the skies of Castellanza, it is located in southern Lazio, in the area called Ciociaria.
The works to transform it into a real airport began in 1936, where for years there was only a makeshift camp and once finished, with the order sheet no 7 of the 5 March 1939, the renewed installation took the name of 3rd Class Armed Airport and became the seat of the first period school for pilots non-commissioned officers.
From 1944 to the 1946 it hosted the Bomber and Fighter Training School, to which they joined, at the end of the conflict, also Transport e, from 1947, also Air Navigation courses.
In the airport grounds he has insisted since 1967 also the Southern Helicopters plant (now AgustaWestland SpA, part of Leonardo Helicopter Division) who at the time took care of the construction of part of the CH 47 Chinooks destined for the Italian Army.
Faced with the continuous operational and training needs of the Armed Force in the tactical and strategic air transport sector, and the possibility of finding new training realities at national level, the 72nd Wing has reactivated its capacity, already experienced 15 years ago, when a C-130J of the 46th Air Brigade landed on the grass runway present on the airport grounds.
One-of-a-kind track, and for the proven consistency of the grass surface, both for being the longest on the entire national territory, at the military level, thanks to his 1.427 mt in length all usable, it was also used in the 1950s for the tests of the G 91 (watch the video of the Italian Air Force below, really interesting) and lately (October 2020) it was still used by a C 130J of the 46th Aerobrigata for take-offs and landings.
LA GROUND SCHOOL: let's get to the heart !
Before sitting on the left front seat of the TH 500B, future helicopter pilots are entrusted to the GIP (Vocational Education Group) who takes care of classroom lectures and sessions on 2 simulators the school is equipped with.
In this phase of education, the Moodle open-source e-learning educational platform is used, leading system for teaching the Armed Force in e-learning mode. The educational contents were installed on an external web server and distributed via the internet to both pilot-goers and those attending the "Rotating Wing" course for aircraft maintenance.. The lessons are followed in a classroom equipped with 25 PCs connected via LAN, controlled from the teacher's station and last from 3 to 7 weeks, based on the type of course.
I SIMULATORS: precious allies
I 2 simulators, which the students have at their disposal, they are able to reproduce all real flight conditions in various weather conditions, including those of low visibility and instrument flight.
The TH 500B simulator (see which the video on the Air Force YouTube channel): inaugurated on 13 September 2013 in the presence of the then Head of General SMA SA Pasquale Preziosa,
it was built by Seles ES with the collaboration of the Air Force personnel and uses a real helicopter cell devoid of almost all systems but perfectly intact as regards the fuselage and cockpit.
The dashboard is made with a monitor placed under the instrument panel and the dials are shown with great realism. The software reproduces the helicopter's behavior, of on-board systems and installations and receives inputs from flight controls (cyclic, collective and pedal board) and from all switches, buttons and knobs in the passenger compartment.
The external scenario is reproduced by 4 projectors on a semi-cylindrical mega-screen that ensures a field of view of 180 ° horizontally and 72 ° vertically. There is also an instructor station from which the simulator can be controlled (for example by varying the weather conditions or by inserting various anomalies and faults on the machine), in addition to monitoring the passenger compartment with 2 cameras and, even, piloting a virtual helicopter with a joystick that can be used to simulate formation flight.
The FNPT simulator (Flight and Navigation Procedure Trainer):instead it allows you to become familiar with the management of a more modern helicopter, twin-engine and with different equipment. It was recently delivered to the 72nd and can reproduce the piloting of the HH with great realism 139 and all the helicopters of the AgustaWestland twin-engine family that have had so much success and are still having all over the world, so much so that he entered service in all the Armed Corps and State Administrations to which the visitors of Frosinone belong.
Even in this specimen it is possible to reproduce extreme weather conditions (with very realistic lightning and rain), damage, external traffic and everything necessary to increase training capacity, reducing the costs of the flight activity.
THE AIRCRAFT OF THE 72TH STORMO: from fiction to reality
The equipment includes 2 machines that the Armaereo Designation names TH 500B and HH 139
TH 500B alias Breda Nardi NH 500E, derived from the original Hughes OH 6 Cayuse, currently built by MD Helicopters as MD 500 and, I our case, built under license in Italy by Breda-Nardi di Monteprandone (AP). Breda-Nardi was also bought in 1989 from Agusta and has now become part of the Leonardo galaxy. The first of 50 ordered helicopters were delivered on 26 May 1990.
The NH 500E is a light helicopter (max take-off weight 1300 about kg), compact four-seater with five-blade rotor driven by an Allison 250-C.20.B turboshaft from 420 hp of power.
It is used all over the world as a trainer due to its characteristics of simplicity and is considered extremely formative due to the absence of excessive piloting aids. in conclusion, a machine to learn to drive without a computer and servos, with the only help of cyclic, collective, pedal board and a good dose of sensitivity to the lower back.
The version present in Frosinone, in addition to training, it can also carry out MEDEVAC missions (medical evacuation) with 2 stretchers placed in the rear cabin sideways using 2 rounded doors and SAR Competition (Search And Rescue).The helicopter can also be equipped with floats (from the autumn of 2019 training for operations on the water at Lake Bracciano has started again), snow skates, winch, barycentric hook and auxiliary tanks. The TH 500E also allows instrument flight training with visual flight rules, not being an IFR certified helicopter.
In the context of the 72nd he is nicknamed "Samba" (which is also the radio call of the Flock) to emphasize the "dance" that the helicopter performs when piloted by the visitors, especially if on the first flights.
HH 139 alias AW 139. The Armed Force has several versions of the Italian twin-engine in service and the one present in Frosinone is the Utility, configured with 12 passenger seats (3 files from 4) + i 2 pilots. It is a medium-sized machine, with a max take-off weight of 6800 kg, also with a five-blade rotor, with 2 turboalberi Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67C da 1530 shp each.
It is much more powerful than the small "TH" and allows pilots in training to become familiar with a machine that is very close to those they will then find in the operational departments, with Glass Cockpit and autopilot a 4 axes.
Able to operate both day and night thanks to the use of night vision goggles (NVG – Night Vision Goggles), in particularly challenging areas, even from unprepared surfaces, in dusty environments, snowy areas or in the marine environment (the 72nd specimen is also equipped with emergency floats). The helicopter is a particularly versatile machine: in maximum 30 minutes it is possible to change the internal configuration, passing by that for the air rescue (SAR primary version: 5 passengers + 1 stretcher) to emergency air and medical assistance (MEDEVAC version: the 2 a 4 stretchers) or passenger transport (UTILITY version: until 14 passengers).
THE SCHOOL: a variegreality
The 72nd Wing is the Air Force Department with the highest inter-force and inter-agency vocation.
Students in flight suits of all colors pass through the driveways and premises of the airport: in addition to the classic green of AM, NO, Port Authority and Coast Guard, it is possible to see the black ones with the red profiles of the Carabinieri, the blue ones of the State Police, the reds of the Fire Brigade, the anthracite gray of the Guardia di Finanza. And sometimes there are also foreign visitors and the colors increase!!!
The Flock that in 2020 celebrated his 60 years of history and i 30 years since the assignment of the TH-500B helicopter, is a highly specialized flight school, rich in strong professional skills and deep roots in history and traditions unique in Italy in the rotary wing sector.
There is something to be proud of !!!
The main mission of the Stormo is to train and train the frequenters of the Air Force for the purpose of obtaining the "Helicopter Track" Military Pilot License (MPLH – Helicopter Military Pilot Licence Phase 3A and 3B), of the Military Helicopter Pilot License for the personnel of the Italian Army, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza, and the Helicopter Pilot's License for visitors to the State Corps and other foreign countries.
The request for cooperation from other countries , in the recent past, it determined an important process of internationalization of the School itself, thus making it a point of reference for training in this sector not only nationally, but also international.
The 72nd Wing has already patented pilots from Afghanistan, from Djibouti, from Lebanon, from Malta, from Albania and Kuwait. PIT courses are also held at the 72 ° Stormo (Pilot Instructor Training) for flight instructors.
To underline how much the Frosinone school is at the forefront in the sector, it should be noted that the Department already has PBN certified instructors (Performance Based Navigation) which represents the future of assisted air navigation and which will "completely" supplant the principle of current conventional navigation.
THE GEA
The Aircraft Efficiency Group reports directly to the Wing Commander and takes care of the maintenance and efficiency of the aircraft assigned to the Wing, as well as on-line technical management.
As illustrated by Major D. the maintenance of 2 machines supplied to the Stormo is very different.
The efficiency of the TH-500B is operated on three technical levels:
- 25 hours – the on-board systems are checked, i cinematismi e i leverismi;
- 100 hours (intermediate inspection) – visual checks are carried out on the blades, to the tail boom, to the access doors and to the turbine compressor, in addition to checking the tightness of the hydraulic systems;
- level of 300 hours o 18 calendar months (major inspection) – the engine is removed, the transmission, main and tail rotor blades and components for accurate and thorough control.
The major inspection can last up to 5 months and can be done by the GEA which has all the skills to carry it out, or from the 3rd RMAA (Aircraft and Armament Maintenance Department) of Treviso or by MAG (Mecaer Aviation Group) of Monteprandone (AP) which is none other than the original manufacturer.
It is interesting to note that the TH 500B, unlike almost all aircraft in the world, never expires: just follow the prescribed inspections and the helicopter lasts forever.
In the case of HH 139 instead, this being a much more sophisticated machine, a decidedly more complex approach is followed with much more extensive and frequent inspections of all components: engines, transmissions, flight controls, systems and avionics. Again, GEA's competencies are extensive enough to carry out most of the work, even if the intervention of the manufacturer is required for the more complex ones.
FUTURE PROJECTS
The 72nd Stormo, in the future - as confirmed in an interview released last February by Chief SMA Gen. Alberto Rosso Air Force - will be involved in the transfer to the military base of Viterbo for the important Defense project which will see the birth of the first "Interforce Helicopter School".
An ambitious project that will systematize the capabilities and expertise of the Italian Army and the Air Force in the rotary wing sector. In this regard, the activity of the Working Groups of the two Armed Forces was concluded in relation to the feedback in the various areas of competence (logistic, operative, financial, etc) in order to provide the necessary elements of evaluation.
CHRONICLE OF VISITS : la parola ad Aviaspotter!
Appointment for 7:30 on the square: I intend to take advantage of the low and warmer morning light to capture the helicopters at the beginning of their daily activity. Unfortunately the weather gets a grip on us: the sky is cloudy and an annoying haze reduces visibility. But I don't lose heart and I prepare the equipment.
The flight line specialists begin to bring the "TH" to the stands with the special saddle trolley and are preparing to wash the compressor. Access to the engine of the small helicopter is greatly facilitated by the bi-valve hood which also acts as a fuselage terminal and the operation takes place quickly.
Meanwhile, the crews arrive and I immediately notice that what I had been told about the joint and inter-agency vocation of the Flock is true.
The first couple is made up of an AM Instructor and a frequenter of the Carabinieri, followed by another couple where the black flight suit with red profiles is replaced by a blue one from the State Police. The crews approach their aircraft and the students promptly undertake to consult the booklets and the pre-flight checklist, closely followed by the instructors. At the end of the tour, it's time to get on board, pupil on the right, and to start the engine by starting to turn the rotor, with the help of the external generator.
Even pre-flight checks with the engine running are completed in a short time and the five-blade rotor blades can start blending faster, allowing small trainers to take off. The movements of the machines in flight show the still untrained hand of the visitors, but the nervous shifts will soon end, as training progresses.
After the pleasant conversation we head to the GEA which we find buzzing with activity. Major Salvatore V., Head of Section Quality Control Maintenance, which illustrates the main activities of the Aircraft Efficiency Group and how the maintenance of the machines entrusted to their care is developed. The large hangar houses several helicopters of varying degrees of maintenance.
Even the HH 139, in its elegant white livery with the tricolor frieze, is subjected to the attention of the Specialists of the 72nd: unfortunately today we will not see it in flight.
Subsequently, the tight schedule of the day includes a meeting with the Commander of the 72nd Wing, Pilot Colonel Davide Cipelletti, for myself an old acquaintance of the Experimental Flight Department.
He took office from 3 July 2019 and, as well as being an experienced pilot licensed on various fixed-wing aircraft, now he is also a pilot and instructor on the rotary wing.
But there is also talk of the renewed activity with the floats on the waters of Lake Bracciano in front of the Military Air Force Museum in Vigna di Valle.
And again the contribution of the airport as a helipad equipped and available H24x365 for the needs of the local population and in support of the nearby hospital in Frosinone
And how not to mention the reactivation of the grass runway to allow the operations of large aircraft from semi-prepared runways?
The very wide range of activities is clear, addressed not only to the military but also to, as right and normal as it is, to civil society and the territory hosting the Base.
I take leave of the Commander who has really given me a lot of time because it is time for lunch at the logistics area. Once your stomach is full, the training rooms and simulators await us.
Let's start with that of the TH 500B ... The experience is impressive!
I assure you the feeling of flying, even if the skids of the fuselage used to build the simulator are well anchored to the ground, it is very realistic!
The young visitor who assists me is definitely very patient and guides me to my "first time" on the rotary wing. I understand that the coordination of the various commands is fundamental and I really struggle to unstuck myself from the way of flying a fixed-wing aircraft that I am used to.. Let's try takeoff, I fly horizontally and try without much success to land on the ground (where I can, hitting the pitch would have been too much!!!) in a more or less sweet way but the undertaking is titanic. He not only manages to do it in a precise and sweet way, but it also manages to make an autorotation landing.
Okay ... ... it will be for another time, also because nausea is taking hold of my stomach and I have to get off quickly.
Once on the ground (from which, moreover, in fact I have never disconnected!) it seems to me that everything is moving and I have the impression of staggering a bit.
Now a ride on the '139 simulator awaits me.
And here I understand the generational leap between 2 cars.
The autopilot a 4 axes of the new machine allows a much more friendly approach. As long as you drive the car "manually", apart from the different performances, does not change much. Ma, when the electronics are inserted, the world changes: the pilot, as driver of the vehicle, becomes a systems manager and the possibilities are amplified and expanded. I feel that the operational possibilities of a modern machine like this are considerably wider, easing the pilot's commitment in carrying out complicated and physically demanding maneuvers. Think, for example, of the difference between a recovery with the winch holding the helicopter in hovering close to a mountain wall (maybe with a little wind) done "by hand" or with the help of the autopilot that holds the helicopter stationary allowing it to be moved millimetrically only with the movement of a sort of joystick.
The day is coming to an end and I take the opportunity to reach the apron once again and watch the landings of the last flights of the day, photographing them in the late afternoon light. Now the light is decidedly different from that of the morning and the lower sun illuminates the fuselages from the side. The helicopters on mission return from different directions but they all line up on the runway and perform the same maneuvers to return to the assigned pitches for landing. Another day is over and the machines can be sheltered under the large hangar to be prepared for tomorrow's training missions.
The second date begins where the first ended. I am in fact still in Frosinone to photograph night flights. Remember that the TH allows for instrument flight training with the rules of visual flight, not being an IFR certified helicopter. When I arrive on the square, about 20:00, the helicopters are already deployed. A storm has just passed and the clouds almost completely cover the sky: the weather could have been better, but we don't let ourselves get down. Just enough time to photograph the helicopters while they are still dozing and the crews arrive to wake them up. After the usual, accurate, control (in the always discreet presence of the Specialists) the pilots get on board and get ready to start the turbines. In the meantime, darkness has fallen further. The first to take off removes the skates from the ground which are now there 20:40, guided by the Crew Chief's red light flashlights, immediately followed by the second aircraft. They will have to face a series of landings and take-offs from the unlit stands on the other side of the grounds. We try to move nearby but it is now past 21:00 and, accomplices the clouds, it is now really too dark to try to document anything decently.
We then return to the pitches to document the landings. The first shows up around 21:30. The sky is now completely black and I am forced to dramatically raise the sensitivity of the camera. Again led by the Crew Chief, the little Samba sits gently on the pitch, illuminating it with the headlight and the position lights. Inside you can see the pilots illuminated by the reflection of the dashboard and I imagine the visitor busy coordinating the cycle, collective and pedal to make little TH dance as little as possible.
What about?
I was able to touch a living reality firsthand, throbbing and exuding passion and commitment.
The very high level of preparation of all staff and equipment available to visitors make the structure an absolute excellence not only nationally.
The widespread awareness of carrying out an important task is clearly perceived in the Base: train almost all pilots that, somehow, assist us all (Air force, Army, Carabinieri, Police, Guardia di Finanza, port authorities, Fire fighters), it is a test of great responsibility.
MULTUM IN PARVO is the motto of the 72nd Wing: just like that!
And now enjoy the pictures
AviaSpotter.it would like to thank: The Air Force General Staff for having authorized the activity, the Commander of the 72 ° Stormo Col. Pil. Davide CIPELLETTI, the Maj. Stefano HEAD (the Chief of General Office, 2° Office), the Maj. Massimiliano D’ELIA (Official P.A.O.. 72° Stormo), 1 ° Av. That. Francesco MINOTTI (P.I employee. 72° Stormo)
Photo by / images by Fabio Tognolo.