On March 1°, 1961, the National Aerobatic Team was officially born
Today the world knows them as Frecce Tricolori
More than sixty years have passed. The world has changed, technology has taken steps from
giant, military aviation has entered the digital age. Yet whenever in the sky
that green, white and red plume appears, something unchanged happens: people
stop, look up, applaud.
Because the Frecce Tricolori are not just an air show. They are a symbol.
The human element that makes the difference
The current aircraft of the formation are the Aermacchi MB-339, which entered service in the PAN
in 1982. A trainer aircraft designed in the seventies. Nothing futuristic,
on paper.
Yet, in the hands of the patrol pilots, the “Macchino” becomes a custom-built sky.
The formation — called “pony”, in homage to Francesco Baracca’s little horse — is
composed of:
● a formation leader (since 2025 Lieutenant Colonel Franco Paolo Marocco),
● you are gregarious,
● two small lights,
● a soloist (since 2024 Major Federico De Cecco), protagonist of the most maneuvers
bold.
It’s a perfect balance between discipline and absolute trust. Here the difference is made by man, not by
machine.
Ten planes in formation, a world record
Many countries have a military aerobatic team. Among the most famous we find:
● the Patrouille de France
● the Red Arrows
● the Blue Angels
But no one flies permanently with a formation of ten airplanes: nine in
lineup plus the soloist. It is a world record that makes the Italian team unique in
international panorama.
At over 700 km/h, with distances between the wings of a few metres, each manoeuvre is a test of
absolute precision.
The three flight programs
The Frecce Tricolori do not have a single type of display. The program varies according to the
weather conditions and available space.
There are three configurations:
● High program: with clear skies or cloud bases above 1,000 meters. Provides
spectacular vertical figures such as looping and “bomb”.
● Low program: with clouds between 500 and 600 meters. No vertical manoeuvres, but
dynamic and close passages.
● Flat program: dedicated to institutional or special events, with low-level transitions
quota, as for Republic Day, international summits, Olympics or Grand
Formula 1 Awards.
Each performance is studied in great detail. Nothing is improvised.
The House of Arrows
Since the day of their birth, the “home” of the PAN has been the air base of Rivolto, in Friuli Venezia
Giulia, home of the Second Wing of the Italian Air Force.
It is from there that the aircraft take off for each performance and where the hundreds of hours of
annual training.
Turnover is minimal: on average, one or two new pilots enter patrol each year.
Tightness is a value built over time, with rigor and dedication.
Ramstein’s Shadow
In over sixty years of history, there has been no shortage of dramatic moments. The most tragic episode
remains the one of August 28, 1988 in Ramstein, Germany, during a demonstration
aerial: five aircraft touched each other during the figure of the “cardioid”. Three pilots lost their lives and
67 spectators.
An event that profoundly marked the history of patrol and aerobatic aviation
European.
An anniversary looking to the future
The 65° anniversary was celebrated with a large demonstration in Rivolto. And also
This year the Frecce return to the Italian skies with a tour that will visit several cities, from Bari
in Salerno, crossing the peninsula.
Every performance is much more than a show: it is a collective ritual. It is the moment when thousands of
people look up together.
Why they keep on exciting
In a hyper-technological world, the Frecce Tricolori remain a symbol of Made in Italy:
technology, discipline, creativity, team spirit.
But above all, they represent something that never goes out of fashion: human excellence.
When the sky turns green, white and red, we’re not just looking at ten planes in
flight.
We are witnessing a tradition that continues to write its history, a performance at the
time.