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| Type | Air force academy |
|---|---|
| Established | 5 November 1923 |
| Location | ,, |
| Website | www.aeronautica.difesa.it |
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TheAccademia Aeronautica is theItalian Air Force Academy, the institute for the training of Air Force officers. It's located inPozzuoli in theprovince of Naples, in theItalian region ofCampania. Among the oldest aviation academies in the world, it was founded in 1923.
In its academic programs, the academy coordinates with the nearbyUniversity of Naples Federico II. Admission to the academy is subject to the passing of a test open to all Italian citizens between 17 and 22 years old, with a high school diploma. The selection process, which happens between February and September, includes an examination, a medical check, and written and oral tests.[1]
The Italian air force was founded as an independent service byKing Vittorio Emanuele III of theKingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) on March 28, 1923. The air force was then known as theRegia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force). The first commander of the academy was Ship-of-the-line captainGiulio Valli; the top student in the first graduating class in 1926 was the noted aviator Fausto Cecconi.
By 1928 the officers' school was supported by separate schools for aircraft mechanics and meteorologists, then further specialized training for bomber pilots and fighter pilots.[2]
From 1926 through 1943 the academy was housed in thePalace of Caserta, aBaroque royal palace of the 18th century, now a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. The 1942 filmThe Three Pilots provides a glimpse of the palace as an aviation school. The academy also trained international students, for instance a large group of Peruvian students who began the three-year course in 1939, acquiring "impressive expertise".[3]
The battles ofWorld War II on Italian soil led to theItalian Armistice of September 3, 1943, which split the Air Force into theItalian Co-Belligerent Air Force in the south aligned with the Allies, and the pro-AxisAeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana in the north until the end of the war.
In 1946 the re-constituted post-warAeronautica Militare Italiana established the academy on the island ofNisida in theBay of Naples. In December 1961 the academy moved to its current purpose-built facility on a hilltop overlooking the bay.