Rivolto Air Force Base
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The military airfield Rivolto is located in the northern Italian region of Friuli - Venezia Giulia, about 18 kilometers southwest of Udine, on the territory of the municipality Codroipo, almost three kilometers northeast of the town Rivolto. Here the Italian Air Force has stationed its Frecce Tricolori among others.
Infrastructure and use
The military airfield is located between Codroipo in the southwest and Campo Formio in the northeast on the Strada Statale 13 Pontebbana. There is the main entrance, the southeast parallel to the main road running, around 2500 meters long airstrip (06 /24) on the SS 13. South of the runway and the taxiway parallel to it are in the village Villacaccia military installations with shelves and protected aircraft shelters exist in the southeast are the bodies of the Frecce Tricolori. Besides the aerobatic team, which officially has a second job in the close air support and combat helicopters, and air defense missile Association ( 2 ° Stromo on Spada ) is located on the airfield. Rivolto is connected to the Northern Italy pipeline system. The military airfield is named after the fighter pilot Mario Visintini that fell in Africa in 1941.
History
On the site of today's airfield was located until the Second World War ( unofficial ) or makeshift emergency landing field, which was under the one-time much more important military airfield Campo Formio. On May 31, 1940 at Rivolto of " Camouflaged Operating Base 148 " set up. By 1943, there were no special events here. After the armistice of Cassibile the region and thus Rivolto part of the German Operational Zone Adriatic coast country was. The Organisation Todt built several Italian airfields in the area and connected them to part with longer taxiways, including Rivolto and about two kilometers to the north airfield of Villaorba. The running between the two plants railway Venice -Udine is overcame by a bridge, were pulled over the aircraft when needed. The full realization of the development project failed because of Allied air attacks, some of which also attracted the surrounding villages affected. The Allies occupied the airfield Rivolto 1945-1947.
The emerging Cold War prompted the Italian Air Force in the late 1940s, to defend Northeast Italy select suitable airfields in Friuli. Among the many former airfields were chosen to Aviano and Rivolto. For the expansion of the airfield Rivolto 1951 expropriation at a number of farmers had to be performed, which until 1957 led to protests. In those years, the airfield after former NATO standards was practically new. In the late 1950s it was used as the advanced base, in particular by Italian and allied warplanes, who practiced on the air -to-ground firing range in Maniago. In 1960, the Italian Air Force leadership to set up a central aerobatic team in Rivolto and simultaneously resolve the various aerobatic teams of each combat wing. As time was organized in Rivolto numerous air shows. In addition, the airfield was otherwise target of countless Planespotter that position during normal training flights of the Frecce Tricolori along State Road 13.
In 1993 the 2nd Squadron (2 ° Stormo ) moved from Treviso to Rivolto. As early as 1989 it had one of his two seasons lost (103 ° Gruppo ) to the 51st Squadron in Istrana. The remaining 14 Season (14 ° Gruppo ) came in 1994 with their AMX after Rivolto and flew from there between 1995 and 1999 a number of missions in support of international missions in the former Yugoslavia. After the dissolution of the season the end of 2002 the 2nd Squadron took over until 2007, the troops in the service of the 313th Frecce Tricolori, which had been independent since its founding. 2007, the squadron was re- autonomous, as the 2nd Squadron took on a new role as an air defense organization, and thus three seasons of the 1 ª Brigade Aerea. In addition, the 2nd Squadron in Rivolto is still responsible for the airfield infrastructure and support tasks.