Italian Air Force, Italian Army join forces to develop new training methods for helicopter pilots

An Italian Air Force TH-500 helicopter and two Italian Army RH-206C helicopters sit on the flight line at the Frosinone Air Base, Southern Italy.

The Commander of the Italian Army Aviation (Aviazione dell'Esercito - AVES) General Andrea Di Stasio and the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force Schools Command - 3rd Air Region, General Luigi Casali, have recently signed a Technical Agreement between the Italian Army and the Italian Air Force for the training of helicopter instructor pilots for the year 2022.

The agreement provides for the launch of a joint training process through which the flight instructors of the Italian Air Force - belonging to the 72nd Wing - will qualify the flight instructors of the Italian Army (Qualified Instructor Course) to allow their future employment in the initial training of the Italian Army personnel.

The agreement also provides for the deployment of some Italian Army RH-206C helicopters at the 72nd Wing - Frosinone Air Base, Southern Italy, to be used in the training of instructors and students of the Italian Army. Exceptionally, only the first two instructors of the Italian Army will be trained in the Italian Air Force TH-500 helicopters.

The use of the RH-206C helicopters by the Italian Air Force and the collaboration between the instructors of the Italian Air Force - the authority responsible for issuing the Military Helicopter Pilot License - and those of the Italian Army will be guaranteed and structured with standardized and coordinated training methods between the parties.

The 72nd Wing hosts the only basic training school for helicopter pilots in Italy, it trains pilots from all Italian armed forces and corps, as well as foreign students.

Written by Matteo Sanzani

Source, Images: Italian Air Force