The Frecce Tricolori will perform at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the event organisers have revealed – the team’s first appearance at AirVenture since 1986.
Organisers said that the Frecce Tricolori will perform a “modified display featuring tight fly-by formations and colorful smoke trails” on Tuesday 23rd July – perhaps indicating that they will be restricted to a brief non-aerobatic display.
This is not unheard of at Oshkosh, where there are certain complexities around fast jet aerobatic displays which do not apply at other show sites. The idea that this may not be a full aerobatic performance is further re-enforced that the timings announced by AirVenture do not seemingly leave an opportunity for the Frecce to perform a practice flight, which is usually a firm requirement before an airshow.
The Frecce Tricolori is Italy’s national aerobatic team. Flying ten AT-339A-PAN advanced jet trainers, they are the joint-largest jet aerobatic team in the world.
In 2024, the Frecce will be embarking on a two-month tour of North America – their first visit to the continent in 30 years. The tour, which marks 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the 500th anniversary of Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano’s expedition to America in 1524, will run from late June to late August, with stops at ten events spanning the USA and Canada. The full schedule can be found here.
Their brief stopover Oshkosh will be sqeezed between the Cold Lake Airshow on the 20th-21st July and the Milwaukee Air & Water Show on the 27th-28th July. Typical Frecce Tricolori rehearsal scheduling would see them depart Oshkosh for Milwaukee no later than Thursday 25th July.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will perform at AirVenture later in the week, following the Frecce’s departure.