It "landed" a few moments ago on the shores of Lake Bracciano, where it will become an integral part of the collection of the Air Force Historical Museum, the last example of the Breguet Br 1150 anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft Atlantic, in service until last November at the 41 ° Stormo di Sigonella.
The particular transfer was made in flight with a special Erickson S-64F helicopter of the National Fire Brigade operated in the event by the European Air Crane Company (EuAC).
The helicopter, thanks to a special harness, normally used for anti-fire and emergency activities, has raised the fuselage of theAtlantic from the runway of the military airport of Pratica di Mare, where he had landed last 22 November after his last flight activity, and transported him to the headquarters of the Historical Museum of the AM along an authorized path and previously agreed with the authorities of the civil air traffic, the prefectures and local authorities involved.
To welcome the Breguet Br 1150 in Vigna di Valle was the air brigadier general Carlo Moscini, inspector of the Navy Aviation, who at the end of the transfer symbolically handed over the keys to the Atlantic to the director of the Museum, ten. with the. Adelio Roviti. Present technicians and managers of the Air Service of the National Fire Brigade who followed all the preparatory phases of the mission and transfer of the fuselage of theAtlantic.
"The Atlantic enters by right into the category of prestigious aircraft of the Historical Museum of the Italian Air Force" - declared General Moscini - "The operational activity carried out by the aircraft in the Antisom field has been increased: over 45 years of service totaling more than 260 thousand flight hours. "The Submarine Hunter" represented a perfect combination of operation and effectiveness, resulting in fact the first joint weapon system; an absolutely reliable aircraft with incredible operational capabilities for which it could not fail part of the Museum collection. "
The first aircraft Atlantic Italian arrived in Sigonella on the afternoon of June 27, 1972. The transition phase to the new weapon system had already begun for the 41st Wing, the ATR-72 aircraft in the militarized "maritime patrol" P-72A version. in Sigonella on 25 November 2016.
The 41 ° Stormo Antisom of Sigonella is a real joint operational reality in the Italian defense. This specificity represents, since 1965, an example of synergy and inter-force cooperation, so much so that on March 28, 2007, from the President of the Republic, the Silver Medal for Civil Merit as recognition for the meritorious and incessant work carried out by the Department in the period since 1990 to 2005.
THEAtlantic is an aircraft that has operated with crews composed of 13 units with the peculiarity of being formed by officers pilots and non-commissioned officers on board belonging to both the Air Force and the Navy. One of the main features of the aircraft was the ability to stay in flight higher than any other similar aircraft, reaching the record of 19 hours and 20 minutes without any type of supply. In 45 years of activity i Atlantic Italians have worked on the waters of the Mediterranean in defense of national borders, but also in many international missions participating in numerous NATO and non-NATO exercises. The Atlantic has touched prestigious destinations such as the North Pole in the 1997, all major European military airports to Iceland and still fascinating transoceanic and global stages such as India, Morocco, Canada, Greenland, Egypt, USA, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, etc.
THEAtlantic thus joins the more than 80 aircraft already present at the Historical Museum of the Air Force, a structure that with its 13.000 square meters of covered exhibition area is one of the largest and most interesting museums of flight in the world. Arranged over four large exhibition pavilions, the Museum also houses a large collection of engines and aeronautical memorabilia of various kinds, which tell, in chronological sequence, the history of military flight in Italy and that of the men who were protagonists.
