ITALIAN EUROFIGHTER CARRIES A PLASTIC CAP OVER SOUND SPEED

This special mission was included in a solidarity operation.

Italian Air Force 37th Wing F-2000A Typhoon.

The aircraft belonging to the 37th Wing and the 82nd CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) Squadron of the Italian Air Force, took a plastic cap in flight to support a solidarity mission.

During the last days, the Commander of the 37th Wing, Col. Salvatore Ferrara, and the Commander of the 82nd CSAR Sqn., Maj. Petracca,welcomed the President of the "Sorgente dei Sogni" association, Mrs Nadia De Zan, who a few months ago had asked the Italian Air Force to take a plastic cap in flight.

The association takes care of collecting and selling caps to help the disadvantaged people thanks to the money earned. Why bring a cap in the air? The Association has asked the Italian Air Force to support their charity initiative to stimulate people to collect caps.

The 37th Wing and 82nd CSAR Squadron welcomed this important initiative by bringing a cap in flight during two missions. In the first one, an Eurofighter pilot brought the cap over 50,000 feet and over the speed of sound, while in the second one, an helicopter crew carried the cap on board a HH-139A during a SAR training at sea.

The solidarity mission ended with a ceremony where the two Commanders handed over the “flew caps” to Mrs De Zan. She thanked the two officers for their sensitivity and gave them the “Zibaldone”: the book that collects the stories of all the caps.

"We were delighted to join this initiative by demonstrating the activities that the personnel of the Air Force perform to support the territory and the community" said Col. Ferrara.

This activity was included in one of the "zero cost" initiatives that the ItAF carries out to offer its support to the nation.

Written by Matteo Sanzani