The Italian national aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori, will be visiting North America in 2024, for the first time in over 30 years.
Although it had been rumoured for some time, the tour was officially confirmed on the 23rd November 2023, by Gen. Luca Goretti, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force.
The tour will include shows in both the USA and Canada, marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the 500th anniversary of Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano’s expedition to America in 1524.
A full schedule has not been announced, but This is Flight understands that the tour will last around two months, starting in June on the east coast and concluding in August on the west coast. Several shows have already dropped hints that they hope to host the team, including events in Bagotville, QC, Cold Lake, AB and Sacramento, CA. The tour will also include a flyover in Los Angeles next July, where the Italian Navy’s iconic tallship, the Amerigo Vespucci, will be stopping on its world tour.
This will be the Frecce Tricolori’s third visit to North America; previous visits occured in 1986 and 1992.
Flying ten AT-339s, the Frecce Tricolori is the joint largest jet aerobatic team in the world. The display includes nine-ship formation aerobatics, spectacular crossovers, challenging splits and rejoins, and dynamic solo manoeuvre such as the tailslide, lomcevak and crazy flight. With unusually slow pilot turnover, the team has been able to develop one of the most complex and intricate display routines on the circuit, including several manoeuvers that are not mirrored by any other aerobatic team globally.
Further details are expected to be announced at the upcoming ICAS Convention in Las Vegas next month.