With the landing of the aircraft at Rivolto Air Base, Italy, the (NAT) North America Tour of the Frecce Tricolori officially concluded. The tour featured a rich program of performances—9 international air shows and 17 flyovers—bringing the Italian Air Force’s National Aerobatic Team to iconic locations in Canada and the U.S., some of which had never been flown over by the team before, marking their return after 32 years since the 1992 Columbus tour celebrating 500 years since the discovery of America.
Starting in early June from Bagotville, Quebec, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force—a military branch sharing a century of history, traditions, and values with the Italian Air Force just one year after its own Centenary in 2023—the North America Tour was an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the excellence of Italian craftsmanship and the values of unity, passion, and professionalism that the Italian Air Force, through the Frecce Tricolori and its operational units, represents worldwide. It also demonstrated the Air Force’s logistical ability to project personnel and aircraft thousands of kilometers from their homeland.
The North America Tour of the Frecce Tricolori covered many places and regions—from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia in Canada, to the U.S. states of California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Rhode Island. This extensive journey united the Italian-Canadian and Italian-American communities under one flag, offering unforgettable moments to enthusiasts and U.S. citizens who witnessed the events.
Spectacular images of the performances and flyovers at some of North America’s most famous locations made their way around the world, showcasing the Frecce Tricolori flying over unique landscapes such as the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, Niagara Falls, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Washington, and the Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.
The long return journey of the personnel and aircraft included a stop at Bagotville Air Base in Quebec, where the tour had started in early June, for the reconfiguration of the PAN (Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale) aircraft for the oceanic flight. From there, the return continued after another stop at Goose Bay Air Base in Canada, followed by stops in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and the Netherlands before arriving in Italy at Rivolto Air Base, home to the 313th Acrobatic Training Squadron.
“I am truly proud of what the Air Force has achieved with this tour“, said the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Luca Goretti. “It was a major collective effort, a team success, primarily an organizational one, involving various operational and logistical units of the Air Force, who worked with commitment and passion“.
The Chief of Staff added, “once again, the National Aerobatic Team gave its best, and the enthusiasm we encountered in all the cities touched by this extraordinary journey in North America confirms it. The NAT24 was a demonstration of the professionalism and capabilities of the men and women of the Italian Air Force and an important showcase for the entire Italian defense sector and for the excellence of Made in Italy.”
General Goretti, present on August 21 alongside General Maurizio Cantiello, Defense Attaché in the USA and Canada, at the “NATO Joint-Power Demonstration” air show in Virginia Beach-Norfolk for the 75th anniversary of NATO, emphasized the importance of representing the entire Defense and the country at this event, sending a message of strength, unity, and commitment to the Alliance.
In addition to the Frecce Tricolori, another piece of Italy and the Italian Air Force was showcased at the air show: a formation of T38C Talon and T6 Texan II aircraft from the ENJJPT (Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training) International Flight School in Sheppard, where Italian Air Force instructors and personnel are responsible for training military pilots using the T6 Texan II aircraft.
“The NAT24 was quite a complex operation that took us far from our homeland“, highlighted Colonel Stefano Pietropaoli, deployment commander. “During the tour, we visited about 30 locations in North America—between air shows, flyovers, and technical stops—and all of this was possible thanks to the commitment of various units and operational components of the Air Force, the invaluable support of the Embassy and Italian Consulates, and a teamwork effort that made the unit self-sufficient throughout the tour: from flight operations, logistics, and maintenance, to administrative support, communication, and workplace safety. Notably, two C-130J aircraft from the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa ensured the transport of materials and personnel throughout the tour, while KC-767, G550, and P-72 aircraft supported the oceanic trails to and from.”
“Leading the Frecce Tricolori on this historic occasion“, said Lt. Col. Massimiliano Salvatore, commander of the 313th Acrobatic Training Squadron (PAN), “was an indescribable experience, which I felt as a great responsibility and with genuine pride. We crossed the Atlantic, reached the Pacific coast, flying as far as California, soaring over the most iconic places of an entire continent, and demonstrating to the public, especially the many Italians and Italian-Americans in attendance, the acrobatic traditions that have made the Frecce Tricolori unique in the world for over sixty years. None of this would have been possible without the collective effort of the entire unit and the crucial support components of our Air Force. We have written another memorable page in the history of the 313th Acrobatic Training Squadron, and I couldn’t be prouder of what each of my men has achieved.”
The activities of the Frecce Tricolori during the North America Tour were numerous: from meetings with Italian communities, cultural associations, and Italian consulates, to engaging with the public, who crowded the exhibition spaces set up by the Italian Air Force at the various air show locations. A must for both adults and children was the souvenir photo with Roger, the Air Force mascot.
Images: Italian Air Force Press Office, Frecce Tricolori