Getting a backseat ride in a military aircraft does not happen every day. Michael Balter had one of these rare opportunities. Together with his son, Mike visited the Galatino Airbase in Southern Italy where he could join a training mission in one of the Aermacchi MB-339 from the 13° Gruppo. But now let`s Mike tell his story:
Planning for my photo-mission with the 213°Gruppo began already a day before the flight was scheduled. On Wednesday September 10th I join the
3 other crewmembers to look at weather and mission profiles in order to plan the most beneficial training mission. The plan for 'India 4443 flight' is to take us out from Galatina Airbase
But now it´s time to get ready for the flight……we went into the locker room to zip into g-suits, clip on life vests and grab helmets, masks and gloves, before stepping out into a sunny day at Lecce Airport. We head to the
waiting line-taxi. The weather is now really good, but when we woke up in the morning it was really bad…thunderstorms and lots of rain was coming down…. – but now @ 11.30am there are a few clouds with lots of sun in the
sky and already the air is thick with the sound of departing and landing MB.339´s engines. After driving across the first flight line , as Lecce Airport has two of them we came finally to our flight line close to the
runway , all of us jump out there. There, all MB.339CD are parked in a long row sitting in the sun is our jet too. Now I realize myself that I will fly my first jet flight in a few minutes and I´m really excited? You bet!
My pilot Capt. Simone Orlandini carries out the walk-round checks I jump straight into the back cockpit and start strapping in with help of the ground
crew. Everything seems to be happening at lightning speed and professional as always there in Lecce. The next time I look up from my backseat after strapping in he is already in the front cockpit bringing the jet
to life. With the canopy still not fully closed, Capt Orlandini start the engines and assisting me to get familiarize with the emergency procedures , just in case something and then gives me a thumbs-up and we are ready. " "I43
check (two) .. Lecce Tower good morning, I4443 flight of two from mike, taxi VFR low level ... Otranto 1000". A wave to my son Justin-Marvin and the crew chief and we're on our way to the Rwy 32. Simone and myself are
talking on the way down the taxiway over all important things for the flight….where I can find just in case I need more oxygen ( 100% ) the switch etc;-).I remember my briefings and start to flick between modes on
my three Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) in the back. A moving map with our route, a radar picture and a heading indicator. We are number two behind “I 4443A” as we taxi down and wait for clearance I chat with
my pilot on the intercom. Capt Orlandini and myself talked about what we are doing the next 80 minutes and that we will have lots of fun too…..….
"I 4443 flight ready for departure." Two MB.339CD are lined up on the runway 32 ready for take-off, with us at the left sight of the formation. "OK,
here we go"; the throttles are eased forward into full military power and the brakes released to unleash this truly awesome jet. The gentle acceleration builds into an incredible speed, with the shelters on the left
rushing by. I'm already clicking away and then my pilot asks "Are you ready?" - "I'm ready", I reply. The stick is yanked back to put us into a gut
-wrenching 7g snap into the vertical with vapour pouring off the top surfaces of the wing. We steam to 17,000ft with graceful ease and then roll off the top.We took off from Lecce Airbase and we headed to Otranto (first
light house - archeological and beach resort place. very famous!), on the east coast. The second waypoint was Santa Maria di Leuca (second light house) the very bottom of the boot.
After that we have moved on the west coast and we've checked Gallipoli (third light house, the one on the isle), Porto Cesareo and Avetrana. From there we started our navigation westbound and we were on
Taranto, low level on the sea inbound Metaponto where there is a old roman temple, we've checked Craco (the Ghost village) west, south west of Matera. Then we moved through valleys down to Basentana Valley
.Turning and burning through the valleys requires incredibly skilled flying and really is extremely demanding. This really is a very aggressive and exhilarating environment and is definitely not for the faint hearted! We
flew in number two position to chase the lead jet up through the valley.
Followed by all the way down to the Ionian sea. Goin' back we went though Taranto again to reach Avetrana circle (acros and close formation stuff).
During the across ( acrobatics ) and as we descend we start to pull into some hard turns. The g-suit inflates constantly, totally enveloping my lower body - I 'd been warned that looking through the viewer of my camera for
making me airsick, so I enjoyed as well between the photo sorties my flight. We went up to 5.5 G's even if the a/c is capable of 7.33 g ( MB-339 CD) . The MB-339A-MLU is going up to 8g´s.
We flew most of the time always in a pair, but spend most of the time shooting the photos you see here in this report. All over from fingertip (or close formation) to fighting wing, close trail (when we were flying acrobatics
from below) that they call "Fanalino" (tail light), route formation, close is 1 meter tip to tip. Fighting formation is a free position in a cone of 60-90 degrees from the a/c from 500 to 1500 feet. Route (or echelon) is on the
fingertip line to the line abreast from 2 ship width (22 meters) up to 500 feet. “Fanalino” is 2 meters below leader, in trail with nose/tail separation.
Training students of the AMI
The 61°St has an average of 35 students graduating for basic training each year, and something like 20 pilots graduate from weapons school. The class
starts with ground school and simulators. The students will learn everything about the aircraft, emergencies, ATC, radio calls. Then they start the basic flying when they practice basic manoeuvres like take-off, landing, stalls,
slow flying, no-flap approaches and precautionary pattern (simulated no-engine approaches). It also includes a couple of sorties for basic instrument flight. Simulators will help the students in all phases. Then they
fly their solo mission and they move to the II phase. They will start flying 2 ship formations, more instrument flying including SID STARS and multiple approaches and round robins. On top of that there is a consolidation of VFR
flight including acrobatic flight single ship and 2- ship. After this there is a introduction of low level navigation flight which will be consolidated on the third phase and cross country flights too.
During these cross country flights the students have the opportunity on different IFR scenery so they get used to different controllers, air traffic control procedures and different airports, which is the way they are
going to fly for the rest of their life.
The 3rd, and last phase, will include 4 ship flying (including acrobatics!!), basic air to air combat manoeuvres and tactical formation (in which they will
fly solo against the poor instructor...), low level 2 sip tactical flights, air to ground range with bombing and strafing, and advance instrument flight including out and back solo. At the end of the third phase the students will
take their theoretical exams and became military pilots after almost one year of hard work and 162 sorties! Average a 10% to 20% of the students won't make it and they go back to the civilian world. Now they have the first
female student and she will try to make it before June 2004. If she makes it she will be the first military female pilot graduated in Italy (and probably in the Air Force). All the instructors at Lecce fly an average 250 to 300 hours
yearly.
Our crew during “India 4443 flight” consits of :
- Cap Simone Orlandini 2000 hours on T37, T38, G-91, Tornado F3, MB 339A-CD, SF260, HH3F, NH500
- Cap Ivan De Boni 2200 hours on G-91, Tornado IDS, MB 339A-CD, SF260
- Cap Massimiliano Riccardi 2700 hours on T37, T38, G-91, Tornado IDS, MB 339A-CD, SF260
After 85 minutes of impressive flying its time to heading back to Lecce Airbase. And a snappy break, after an visual approach over the flightline
our final approach was followed by an smooth landing. After the landing we head back to the locker room and after we had lunch together my 3 day visit to Lecce-Galatina is over. What an amazing experience.
My special thanks go to the following people for their great support and help, without which this trip would not have been so successful: Colonel
Salvatore Gagliano Ufficio Stampa , German Military Attaché in Rome who made so much possible. All my new friends in Italy like Capt Orlandini , Cap. DeBoni , Capt Riccardi and all other people of the 61°Stormo with there help and support
this 'India 4443 flight' was a great success!!
And to my son Justin-Marvin to whom I dedicate this report!
Michael Balter
Release 4.0/2008
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