Pratica di Mare military airfield

Pratica di Mare military airfield
Characteristics
ICAO code	LIRE
Coordinates	41 ° 39 '16 " N , 12 ° 26' 43" E Coordinates: 41 ° 39 '16 " N , 12 ° 26' 43" E
Height above MSL	12 m (39 ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	40 km southwest of Rome
Basic data
opening	1937
Runways
13/31 ; (closed)	2541 m × 45 m asphalt
13L / 31R	2480 m × 30 m asphalt

The military airfield Pratica di Mare "Mario de Bernardi" is located 25 km south of the Italian capital Rome on the Mediterranean coast , in the area of the municipality of Pomezia in the district of Pratica di Mare . The international airport Rome-Fiumicino is located 23 kilometers to the northwest .

Agencies and associations

The Pratica di Mare military airfield is one of the most important bases of the Italian Air Force . Several departments of the logistics command (Comando Logistico) are located here , including the flight test center (Reparto Sperimentale di Volo - RSV) , as well as aero-medical and scientific institutes. In the 9ª Brigata Aerea ISTAR - EW , also stationed in Pratica di Mare , a sub-command of the Air Fleet Command (Comando della Squadra Aerea) , various specialized organizational units are combined that deal with electronic warfare , geographic information and the climate , education and training military air traffic controllers as well as fighter control, air situation and other operational command personnel.

In addition, the 14th Squadron (14º Stormo) is an air transport squadron with two flying squadrons stationed at the airfield. The 8th Squadron (8º Gruppo), which is part of the European Air Transport Command , is equipped with four Boeing KC-767A , which are used for air refueling , but also for the transport of troops and cargo. The 71st Squadron (71º Gruppo) has two Gulfstream G550 CAEWs for air surveillance and Piaggio P.180 aircraft , which, in addition to transport and connection tasks, partly also take on the calibration of navigation systems and other special tasks. Further P.180s are assigned to a separate training unit (CAE Multi Crew , 204º Gruppo) . The Italian Air Force has a total of 15 P.180s in Pratica di Mare, while Army and Navy aviators maintain three P.180s each in Pratica.

In addition, Pratica di Mare is one of several bases of the 15º Stormo in Cervia , which is active with its helicopters in the field ( Combat ) Search and Rescue .

The air force of the Polizia di Stato , the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza have their headquarters in Pratica di Mare .

The flight readiness of the Italian government ( 31º Stormo ) as well as flying units from other government agencies are based at Rome-Ciampino airport .

history

The Pratica di Mare military airfield was created as a training airfield in 1937. In 1942 a blind flight school was established there . After the Second World War , the airfield was rebuilt in the 1950s according to modern criteria. In 1956 the 4º Stormo was stationed in Pratica di Mare , a fighter squadron that at the time consisted of three squadrons equipped with F-86 Sabers . As early as 1959, he moved to the Grosseto military airfield , as a squadron of this size could not stay near the Rome-Fiumicino airport, which opened in 1961, for reasons of air traffic control. Instead, the traditional flight test center of the Italian Air Force moved from the Guidonia military airfield to Pratica di Mare in 1957 . In the following years, a helicopter squadron was added with the 31º Stormo , which was then moved to Rome-Ciampino in 1976 and converted there for the Italian government to be ready for flight. At the same time, the 14º Stormo was rebuilt in Pratica in 1976 , taking on a number of special tasks, including electronic reconnaissance , electronic warfare , aerial photography and calibration tasks as well as transport tasks and, from 1992 onwards, with four Boeing 707 T / T also air refueling tasks. In 1997 the staff of 15º Stormo , another helicopter squadron, moved from Rome-Ciampino to Pratica di Mare, but in 2010 moved on to Cervia.

Over time, the Italian military organized a number of air shows at the Pratica di Mare airfield. On May 24, 1998, an air show with national aerobatic teams from Italy , Spain , England , France and Switzerland was held on the 75th anniversary of the Italian Air Force . Also for the retirement of the Lockheed F-104 , the Starfighter , a big ceremony took place at the airfield in 2004 with an air show , at which the Swiss team Patrouille Suisse performed in addition to the Italian aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori .

The military airfield Pratica di Mare has been named since 1959 after Mario de Bernardi , a fighter pilot of the First World War , who later worked as a test pilot and aerobatic pilot . In 1926 he won the Schneider Trophy in Hampton Roads .

photos

Coat of arms of the flight test center
Coat of arms 14º Stormo
KC-767A tanker, 14º Stormo, Pratica di Mare
Carabinieri helicopter in Pratica

Web links

Commons : Pratica di Mare Air Base - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files