The press conference for the presentation of the aerostatic competition took place yesterday, Wednesday 2 October, in the council chamber of the Municipality of Piacenza. “Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup from hot air balloon to stratosphere”. The initiative of the Ministry of Defense, organized by Defense Services in collaboration with the Italian Air Force and the Pavullo Aeroclub, it enjoys the technical support of Aeronord Aerostati.
The event was inaugurated with a greeting from the Mayor of Piacenza, Katia Tarasconi, who underlined the importance of this event for the Piacenza area: “It is a privilege for the entire Piacenza area, which I have the honor of representing today, to be able to host the first edition of the Balloon Cup. An event of great suggestion that, thanks to the organization and availability of Aeronautica Militare and Difesa Servizi, will allow us to discover more closely the emotion of flight, the historical origins of the Air Force itself and the technological innovation of a fascinating and constantly evolving world. A world that, above all else, is made of profound values capable of inspiring especially the youngest. And there is more: an event like the Balloon Cup, capable of attracting an audience not only from Piacenza, also represents a unique opportunity to make known the beauties and excellences of our territory, from the capital to its splendid valleys. And there are so many”.
During the conference, Dr. Luca Andreoli, CEO of Defense Services, highlighted the central values of the event: “The Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup is an event that embodies the values, brand and logo of the Air Force. We thought that the best way to tell the experiences and emotions that flight has aroused since its birth was through a tool that is almost no longer used, the hot air balloon. These balloons summarize the concept of sustainability and 'slow tourism', linked to the Valore Paese Italia project whose goal is to rediscover the beauties of our country, enhance them and admire them from a different perspective, from the sky.”
Air Force Chief of Staff General Luca Goretti then shared his vision for the event, highlighting the connection between aviation history and the community, promoting the educational value of the initiative.
An initiative to "tell the story of the Air Force, show a part of our world and what we do every day, with pride, in the service of the country. An opportunity also to bring young people, our future, closer to the aeronautical world. An event like the Balloon Cup reminds us of the origins of balloon flight and projects us into space passing through sixth-generation aircraft. When this opportunity was presented to us by the company Defense Services, we have made Piacenza airport available for this initiative. Piacenza is a historic seat of the Air Force, within which we are trying to enhance a museum route, a Flying Museum, in which we will restore to flying condition aircraft that have made the history of the Armed Forces, as we have already done on the occasion of our Centenary with the G91 PAN, to allow all enthusiasts to be able to live immersed in history with unique aircraft and activities that tell the story of our past, present and future".
During the conference, the program of activities (available on the website) that will take place during the three days of the event was also made official, which promises to be full of emotions and surprises.
Dr. Alberoni, Mayor of San Giorgio Piacentino, the municipality where the San Damiano military airport is located, declared at the end of the press conference: “The entire community of San Giorgio is proud and excited to host this prestigious event: we are certain that it will be an extraordinary opportunity to make our splendid territory even better known.”
To live the unique experiences of the Balloon Cup, you must book on the official website www.ballooncup.it.