Page 86 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

31° Stormo

The humanitarian mission flights are planned
in advance, as these do not involve individuals
whose lives are in immediate danger. Like
the hospital missions, these also take into
consideration the permanent agreements Italy
has established with other states regarding
aeromedical flights in state-operated aircraft.
Alongside the Sala Operativa, which manages
the 31° Stormo’s aeromedical flights, the
Sezione Pianificazione (Planning Section)
examines future programmed activity,
selecting the most suitable aircraft and best-
qualified crew for each assigned mission, 1
issuing the selected crew members with an
electronic flight bag containing three iPads,
replacing the traditional pilots’ cases full of
navigation charts, manuals and issues of the
Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
Aircrew profile
The 31° Stormo’s pilots are all extremely
experienced, having arrived at Ciampino as a
second posting from other operational fleets.
Usually, apart from those recently assigned,
the pilots will have two, or occasionally three,
type qualifications on the aircraft in service,
and therefore may be assigned to the various
missions with a high degree of flexibility. On
average, each pilot flies between 150 and 250 2 3
hours over the year. Those joining the unit have unit itself. Maggiore (Major) Daniele Sgambati, concerning airspace transit and the use of
generally reached the rank of captain with communications officer for the unit explained: foreign airports. The wing’s pilots must therefore
five or six years of experience and begin their “The principal difficulty for 31° Stormo pilots be highly trained and aware of the procedures
period with the Stormo with an initial conversion to overcome is the requirement to continuously regarding military personnel abroad, including
course on one of the Falcons at the Stormo’s follow all the changes in civilian flying relationships with the local authorities and
Centro Addestramento Equipaggi (CAE, Aircrew regulations, which are also generated by the other potentially sensitive aspects. Essentially,
Training Centre). Given the civilian origins of introduction of new technologies, while always the Stormo’s crews are official representatives
the aircraft, the type rating is completed at keeping in step with our status as military of Italy while operating abroad. This is true not
specialist training companies, mainly through pilots and the directives applicable to our only for the hospital and humanitarian missions,
the use of simulators, and following the same operations. In practice, we have to ensure that but also for state flights, which may involve
syllabus as civilian pilots from the commercial we are constantly up-to-date in both arenas.” flying the president of the Italian Republic,
sector. Military qualification is subsequently Although the 31° Stormo is a military unit, prime minister or other high-ranking figures
completed using instructors within the Stormo, much of its operational capability is similar to of the government or armed forces around
the next step often being qualification as a that of civilian operators, incorporating flying on the world for official visits, conferences and
commander, although not in every case, as this instrument flight rules (IFR) along commercial high-level political, diplomatic, economic and
depends on a variety of factors, such as total routes in accordance with civilian airspace military meetings. Such flights are performed
number of hours flown, seniority within the unit, rules, as well as conforming to ICAO and EASA by the VC-319 or VC-900, both of which have
types of mission flown and the prospective (International Civil Aviation Organization and intercontinental range, either type being selected
requirements for operational service within the European Aviation Safety Agency) regulations on the basis of the size of the delegation being

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