this sunday I've been at Jesolo Air Extreme 2012, an airshow organized along the beaches of Jesolo, a popular holiday location near Venice.
Unfortunately, I arrived after the beginning of the show because a major thunderstorm struck the aerea one hour before the show, and I almost gave up getting there. Also, the display line was very far, and some maneuvers were also backlit.
Due to financial constraints, the Italian Air Force sent only the Frecce Tricolori display team and an Agusta-Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican rescue helicopter. The Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Flight Test Wing), a usual participant at major Italian airshows with its C-27J performing rolls, EF-2000 Typhoon etc., doesn't have much money for airshows. The Italian Army sent an Agusta A129 Mangusta attack helicopter, but it flew before I could get there.
The first plane was an USAF C-130J-30 Hercules from the nearby Aviano AFB:
HH-3F Pelican helicopter:
Display team Orus Team (formerly known as Breitling Devils) flying engineer Stelio Frati's masterpiece, the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260:
A Boeing 717-200 from the recently started low cost airline Volotea, based in Venice Tessera airport.
Display team Blue Voltige flying Fournier motorgliders:
Display team WeFly! Team, with disabled pilots flying ultralight planes:
Italian aerobatic champion Francesco Fornabaio with his Extra 300:
United Arab Emirates Air Force display team Al Fursan. They were trained by the Frecce Tricolori few years ago in their homebase at Rivolto, not far from here. They also fly the same plane: the Aermacchi MB.339.
Jonathan Livingston?
And finally Frecce Tricolori, flying only with 9 airplanes instead of 10.
This was the plane that opened the show. I couldn't see it in flight, but I photographed it few weeks ago parked in an airfield. Its name is "AeroGallo" (roughly translated as "Air Rooster"), and I think it's the strangest airplane I've ever seen...
Thank you for watching!
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