The most significant moment of the event, which represents the formal conclusion of a long and demanding training course, was the one in which the "eagle turrita", a symbol and emblem of the military pilot, was pinned on the uniform of the young patents.
In the course of his speech, General Preziosa wanted to emphasize "that to date there are over 20 Kuwaiti students who are attending numerous technical courses in our training institutes. A number that is destined to rise, thus making Kuwait the country with the most high number of students included in our training programs. " Continuing he said he was "particularly proud of this special bond that unites Italy and Kuwait". In conclusion he then turned to the patented ones encouraging them "to consider this result as a starting point and not as the final goal. To confirm you among the best drivers of the Kuwaitian Air Force you will have to work very hard even in the near future".
For Colonel Paolo Tarantino, commander of the 61 ° Stormo, "the delivery of the military pilot's license represents the final moment of a training cycle and therefore, already in itself, is a source of great satisfaction for the staff of the department that sees this materialized their own efforts and rewarded team play; in this case, the fact that the eagle is handed over to foreign pilots amplifies gratification and is a source of pride not only for the men and women of the airport but for the whole country and, in particular, for the Salento area, which it has always hosted and supported an air base with unique capabilities in the international scene ".
The ceremony rewards the efforts carried out by the 61 ° Stormo and by the Air Force to allow the profitable use, even by foreign students, of military flight training courses held in Galatina. In recent years, in fact, following the strong interest that many countries, even outside the European Union and NATO context, have shown towards Italian training methods and skills, the Salento department has been affected by an important internationalization process that it took shape in the preparation of all the activities aimed at making the base able to offer, in addition to the actual training, logistic structures (canteens, lodgings, infirmary, etc.), personnel and training manuals suitable for receiving students of other nations.
At present, there are two main factors that make the training offer of the Galatina airport unique in the international sector: first of all, the consolidated wealth of experience and professionalism of which the Salento Flight School is the depository which, since 1950, trains foreign pilot students. The other strong point is the imminent introduction of the T-346, the new aircraft trainer of the Italian Air Force whose technological and performance characteristics, as well as leading to a concrete qualitative increase in the final training of "jet" pilots, will allow to considerably reduce the costs of the training allowing the personnel to master the last generation aircraft in a much shorter time.
The development of the internationalization process of the Galatina Flight School and the choice of foreign countries to invest in Salento, in addition to being a fundamental source of economic return for the local area, is a source of pride for the Air Force and for the country.
Currently, in addition to the students of Kuwait, whose number in the immediate future will grow, at the military airport of Lecce there are also Greek, Argentine, French and Austrian pilots.
The new Kuwait Air Force pilots, who are between the ages of 26 and 28 years, will continue their training at the 61 ° Stormo by attending the "Lead In to Fighter Training" course, preparatory to their subsequent use on aerotactic airplanes.
Source: 61 ° Stormo - Galatina (LE) - cap. Angelo Guerrieri
