The 2024 tour marks the team’s return to North America after more than 30 years, reminiscent of their “Columbus” mission in 1992 and the first USA-Canada tour in 1986.
While participating in Exercise Pitch Black 24 in Australia, the Italian Air Force, and, in particular, its aerobatic team, the “Frecce Tricolori”, is also concurrently moving forward through its North American Tour (NAT) 2024.
The tour, which features aerial displays and flyovers at multiple locations throughout the United States and Canada, has almost reached its midpoint, with the final scheduled fly-bys over Newport and Boston scheduled for Aug. 26, 2024.
Among the reasons for the NAT 2024 tour are the centennial celebration of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the arrival in the United States of the Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian Navy’s training ship, which is currently performing a cruise around the world.
This tour underscores the Frecce Tricolori’s enduring legacy and their role as ambassadors of Italian aviation excellence. The Frecce have been cheered on by hundreds of people at each scheduled event, with many aviation enthusiasts eagerly anticipating this rare occasion since the tour’s announcement.
The flyovers with green, red, and white smoke over major U.S. cities have been mostly warmly welcomed. However, there were a few negative comments on social media following the footage of the Las Vegas flyover on July 3, with some people complaining about the colors of another country flying over American cities on the day before Independence Day.
The Frecce Tricolori will also be one of the highlights at the 2024 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow from Jul. 22 to 28, where they will make their first appearance since 1986. With the already-announced demonstrations from the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, this will be the first time that the EAA AirVenture fly-in will have two military demonstration teams in a single year.
The Frecce Tricolori’s performances have been met with enthusiastic acclaim in numerous cities across North America: the Italian pilots have flown over some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes, including the majestic Niagara Falls and the stark beauty of Monument Valley.
This tour not only demonstrates the team’s aerial prowess, but also allows the public to experience the excitement firsthand. Spectacular photos and videos captured throughout their journey, often from inside the cockpit of the MB-339 A/PAN, offer a unique perspective and bring the exhilaration of their performances to audiences far and wide.
History of the 313° Gruppo (Squadron)
At the beginning of the 1960s, the Italian Air Force made the decision to establish a dedicated aerobatic team to represent Italy on the global stage. Major Mario Squarcina was tasked with creating the Italian Aerobatic Team, by recruiting skilled pilots from the active front line squadrons of the Italian Air Force.
Established on Mar. 1, 1961, and officially named 313th Aerobatic Training Squadron on July 1, 1961, the aerobatic team started the activities, employing the famous F-86 Sabre, at their new home base of Rivolto, near Campoformido airfield in Udine – a location with a rich history in Italian collective aerobatic flight, dating back to the late 1920s. The Frecce Tricolori flew the F-86 until 1963, when the Sabre was replaced by the Fiat G-91 which served as the team’s aircraft until 1982.
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Throughout the history of the Frecce Tricolori, the formation expanded to include up to eleven aircraft, each nicknamed as “PONY”, a callsign also used for the pilots of the Frecce Tricolori themselves. This lineup featured two solo display aircraft. However, the formation was later reduced to its current size of ten aircraft, now featuring only a single solo display aircraft; nevertheless, the Frecce hold the Guinness World Record, officially recognized on Jun. 18, 2022, for the most jet aircraft in a military aerobatic display team.
In celebration of the centenary of the Italian Air Force, a collaborative project between the Air Force and the private company Volafenice, based at Reggio Emilia Airport, successfully restored a G-91 painted in the Frecce Tricolori’s livery. This aircraft, coded with the civilian registration I-AMIC, after receiving a temporary flight permission, performed at the Pratica di Mare Air Base airshow in 2023.
The restored G-91, based at Piacenza airbase, is currently undergoing the civilian certification process with a series of flight tests conducted by retired General Maurizio Lodovisi, former Chief of the Air Fleet and test pilot of the Reparto Sperimentale Volo, to meet the requirements of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). The aircraft completed the test flights for the validation of the flight envelope last week, on Jul. 15.
Since 1982, the aerobatic team has been flying the MB-339 A/PAN, produced by Aermacchi (now Leonardo).
Throughout the years the flight display has been adapted to the aircraft, which also allows maneuvers that can’t usually be performed by jet aircraft, such as the “Lomçovak”.
Inside the MB-339 A/PAN and future perspectives
The MB-339 A/PAN is a modified version of the Italian Trainer MB-339A (T-339A according to the Italian MoD Mission Design Series), mainly employed by the 214th Squadron “I Rossi” for the Phase II training at Lecce Air Base. The aircraft features key modifications, including the smoke system and the removal of the tip tanks, which can be reinstalled for extended-range ferry missions such as the North American Tour 2024.
In its standard display configuration, the aircraft is equipped with two “dual use” underwing tanks that hold both fuel and the liquid used for the smoke production. Throughout its operational life, the MB-339 has received a Mid Life Update (MLU) to enhance its capabilities, incorporating new communication and navigation systems and other key features.
The Italian Air Force has announced that the MB-339 will eventually be replaced by the M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer), produced by Leonardo. Although the M-345 has been proposed as a potential replacement for the Italian Aerobatic Team, project delays have sparked unconfirmed rumors within the aviation community about a possible reassessment of the team’s future aircraft. Notably, the M-345 was observed at Piacenza Air Base on July 15, 2024, potentially undergoing a series of ground tests.
