FFPLUM and Piloti di Classe

Federation news15 October 20245 min read

Hello fellow FFPLUM aviators,

First of all, I want to express my immense gratitude to Louis COLLARDEAU, Georges HUMEAU, Pierre VEILLON, Renato LAVORATO, Michel PEREZ, Jean Jacques JACOBY, Jacques AYOUB, Benoit SANSONE and the associates Mirelle, Sophie, Thierry, Roberta, Benoit, Alain, Michel, Elisabetta, Régis and Joël, for accepting my invitation to come to Vallegaffaro in Italy on 30 and 31 August. And greater gratitude still for the noble and complete hospitality and consideration shown, at the MULM 2024 in Blois, to the Class Pilots Association, which I had the honour of representing with the board members Stefano FELICI, Fabrizio FIODO, Roberto LAGHI and Fabio TUZZATO.

At the end of July, during a meeting with the board of directors of Class Pilots to decide our participation in MULM 2024, I thought of returning the kindness shown by the event’s managers by inviting them to Italy to visit the area of the Po Delta park, where the Vallegaffaro aerodrome is located, which I manage as president of the Fly Delta association (a partner of Class Pilots).

On that occasion, and at the invitation of President Silvano TEODORANI, they would also have taken part in the Class Pilots Fly-In held at the same time at Villafranca di Forlì, a few minutes’ flight south of Vallegaffaro aerodrome.

Immediately, Giuseppe FAILLA for the Class Pilots and Renato LAVORATO for FFPLUM put in place the actions and contacts to facilitate the visit, set for 30-31 August with a return on 1 September.

And so on Friday 30 August I was waiting on the runway at Vallegaffaro aerodrome for the arrival of the aircraft from France with the invited guests. Once they arrived and stepped off the aircraft, the empathy that unites “flying people” kicked in at once, confirmed by the sincere pleasure of the greetings and embraces. We had no shared past, but we immediately became friends. The programme continued with a welcome buffet held in the park of the Canneviè nature oasis, where former buildings for rearing and processing eels became, after renovation some years ago, a hotel-restaurant and a meeting room surrounded by a nature trail. A day of relaxation by the pool and dinner in the evening.

On Saturday morning, the French guests were welcomed by the kind Mayors: Sabina Alice ZANARDI of the Municipality of Codigoro and Lisa DUO’ of the Municipality of Mesola, and by the President of the body for tourist activities in the area, Davide NARDINI. The welcome and presentation to the guests, who in turn brought greetings from French aviators, took place in the grounds of Pomposa Abbey, built in the 9th century and where, two centuries later, the monk Guido D’Arezzo invented musical notation.

At lunchtime, we flew to Villafranca di Forlì, home of the Class Pilots, 20 km south of Vallegaffaro, to take part in a lunch based on Piadina (a gastronomic speciality of Romagna) and in the afternoon conference on the differences in regulations between Italy and France and the flying opportunities in both countries. Late in the afternoon, we returned to Vallegaffaro. In the evening, dinner on the beach with fish specialities and music. It was moving to see friends and guests touched when the French national anthem was played in their honour. Two days

that were intense and enjoyable, during which friendship and the desire to collaborate on common goals were strengthened.

Good things and good moments do not last long, and so very early on Sunday morning we met at Vallegaffaro to say goodbye, with the promise of seeing each other again two weeks later at the MULM in Blois. The engines start and, after a while, the needles and parameters are where they should be. One after another, the seven aircraft taxi along the taxiway and, after the final checks at the runway threshold, take off. Hello aviators, give my greetings to flying France.

A few days later, I left for Blois. Not by plane but... by motorhome, so that I could set up the Class Pilots stand, made available to us by the MULM organisers. On my arrival (Friday morning), the efficient organisation of the entrances and the strong presence of staff managing the spaces and roads allowed me to have my accreditation recognised very quickly, with an escort to the stand allocated to us. The stand, in an excellent position next to the FFPLUM area, made it easy for me to find the distinguished friends I had met a few days earlier at Vallegaffaro. We immediately exchanged sincere hugs and the pleasure of meeting again. These friends favoured me with their attention and consideration throughout my stay at the MULM. Despite my shaky French, the presence at the MULM of Valerio MAZZOTTA (a pilot and member of the Class Pilots who lives in Paris) allowed me, with his impeccable translation, to attend talks on the state of the legislation regulating the sector.

Being called on stage, being introduced to the large MULM audience and celebrating the friendship between FFPLUM and the Class Pilots was a further source of pride and privilege.

Three fantastic days, where everything is a spectacle. Air displays and quality flying demonstrations, the leading companies in the sector. Everything that exists today in the world of microlight flying is there at Blois. The reception service is perfectly organised and all the exhibitor spaces are occupied. And a crowd that is curious, passionate and knowledgeable. A huge organisational effort, but tried and tested and perfect. I personally learned a great deal by observing the organisational side, and I was able to meet enthusiasts, professionals and company heads whose logos I knew or whose services I used. The positive vibes of a living industry. That is what I heard at the MULM Blois.

Departure on Sunday. Destination: the Châteaux de la Loire. Getting to know this majestic region was also an opportunity given to me by MULM 2024.

Hello aviators, see you soon