Italy 2025

RAS Trip to Italy – 14th to 20th September 2025

The Royal Air Squadron’s autumn visit to Italy took place from Sunday 14th to Saturday 20th September 2025, blending aviation, friendship, and the distinctive Italian flair for history, food, and beauty. The itinerary linked together some of the country’s most emblematic destinations — Milan, Venice, Loreto, Rome, and Tuscany — offering a memorable mixture of flying, culture, and beautiful sceneries.

The first rendezvous was at Milano Bresso Airport, home of Aero Club Milano, where members were welcomed by Filippo Colnaghi and the President of the Aeroclub during the Club’s annual Fly-In. The airfield was alive with vintage aircraft, open hangars, and visitors enjoying the late-summer sunshine. Lunch was served outside the Aero Club Lounge, a fitting introduction to Italian hospitality, before the Squadron departed for Venice in the afternoon.

Arriving at Venice Lido, the group was met by a flotilla of water taxis arranged by Sebastiano Doria, who ensured smooth transfers to the respective hotels — Palazzo Experimental and Nani Mocenigo — and later to a magnificent private palazzo on the Grand Canal for the welcome dinner. The setting and evening atmosphere were unique and unforgettable thanks to Sebastiano's magnificent organization.

Monday offered a gentler pace with a choice of visits: some explored the Venice Glass Week exhibitions, while others joined a private guided tour of the Giorgio Cini Foundation on San Giorgio Island. In the late afternoon, the group reassembled for a picturesque water taxi ride across the lagoon to Burano, where dinner was hosted at the famous Da Romano restaurant, long celebrated for its risotto and local hospitality.

On Tuesday morning, the weather was clear, and a group of members took off from Lido bound for Loreto, one of Italy’s most revered religious sites. The landing on the small 660-metre grass airstrip was followed by a guided visit to the Sanctuary of the Holy Mary of Loreto — patroness of aviators and travellers — where our guide Stefano shared the legend of the Holy House of Mary, said to have been carried by angels from Bethlehem to the hill of Loreto. The visit inspired a palpable sense of connection and reflection among the members, a moment of calm amid the week’s flying. A traditional lunch at the Loreto Aeroclub rounded off the morning before departure for Rome Urbe Airport, a nice small, historical airfield in the heart of Rome, where a whole taxiway has been reserved for RAS aircraft. RAS crews were welcomed by Alberto Rosso and Italian Air Force minibuses brought all arriving participant at the “Casa dell’Aviatore”, the ITAF equivalent to the RAF Club in London.

The evening in Rome began with a formal dinner at Casa dell’Aviatore, hosted by Lieutenant General Antonio Conserva, who warmly welcomed the Squadron in the tradition of the Italian Air Force. The following morning, a military bus transported the group to the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, beautifully situated on Lake Bracciano. A private guided tour highlighted rare aircraft from every era of Italian aviation, from early biplanes to the sleek jets of the modern Aeronautica Militare. Lunch was served at a tipical Trattoria restaurant on the lake before returning to Rome for a visit to Palazzo Aeronautica, the historic headquarters of the Air Force and a masterpiece of rationalist architecture.

Thursday saw the Squadron take to the skies once again, flying to Grosseto Air Base, home of the 4° Stormo Eurofighter Wing — one of the most prestigious fighter units in Italy. After a guided visit of the base and its facilities, the group was transported by minivan to Monte Argentario, where Mr. Lupo Rattazzi generously hosted a seaside buffet lunch at his villa overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The event was informal yet elegant, perfectly capturing the spirit of Italian hospitality.

In the afternoon, members flew onward to Lucca Tassignano Airport, marking the start of the northern Tuscan leg of the journey. That evening, the Squadron gathered for dinner at the renowned Buca di Sant’Antonio restaurant, one of Lucca’s oldest and most beloved establishments, where regional cuisine and lively conversation flowed late into the night.

Friday brought a final taste of la dolce vita, with the group driven to Forte dei Marmi for lunch on the beach at Gilda. The relaxed seaside setting and perfect weather offered a fitting close to the week. The rest of the day and evening were free for members to explore or simply unwind in the Tuscan sunshine.

After a week that combined exceptional flying, warm hospitality, and the timeless beauty of Italy, members departed on Saturday morning, heading northward through clear skies — each carrying home vivid memories of a journey that perfectly captured the spirit of the Squadron.