On Saturday May 12, 2018 more than 100 people with disabilities have experienced the excitement of flight during ‘Sky Without Barriers’ event, organized by Airport Migliaro-Cremona’s local Aero Club, in cooperation with social cooperative Agropolis Onlus, SkyTeam Cremona Parachuters and WeFly!Team, the only civil air patrol in the world composed by two pilots with disabilities in a team of three: Alessandro Paleri and Marco Cherubini, along with trainer Erich Kustatscher, kicked off the day designing the Italian tricolor flag in the sky.
For the whole day, courtesy of Aero Club Cremona, its Club members and WeFly!Team pilots, airplanes and helicopters have delighted with strolls in the air persons who cannot walk, see, hear nor talk who never imagined they could fly, and some of them had the opportunity to jump for tandem skydiving. A party for families to show that through flight, with a fair dose of will, and perseverance all difficulties can be overcome, and most of all, that disability can be expression of opportunity rather than a limit.
“Flying is a powerful sensation" - explained Alessandro Paleri, WeFly!Team leader- "that’s why we try to give it as a gift to other people living disability as we do, and by so doing increasing awareness that something which seems so far from ordinary activities, can fully and in total ability be experienced even by someone with physical impairments.”
The event was officially attended by Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force), displaying a recreational Eurofighter Typhoon flight simulator, a real operational TH-500 helicopter of Milano-Linate air connections Squadron, Tornado aircraft pilots and specialists of Ghedi 6th Stormo. Furthermore, Samantha Cristoforetti, Italian astronaut of ESA (European Space Agency), Captain pilot of AMX aircraft of 51th Stormo, based at Istrana - Treviso, Italy; Italian Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Walter Villadei, cosmonaut; Lieutenant Colonel pilot Marco Iannuzzi who, due to severe injuries consequently to aviation accident, is nowadays a para athlete champion swimmer and multiple Invictus Games medalist for GSPD (Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico Difesa - Italian Ministry of Defence Paralympic Sport Team).
All in all a great apparatus of men, women and equipment of highest standards for more than 700 visitors who swarmed Cremona airport. The most awaited moment of the day being Samantha Cristoforetti’s presentation. Before her departure for the 199-day space mission Futura by ASI (Italian Space Agency), as part of joint European Space Agency (ESA), Italian Space Agency (ASI), and Italian Air Force the initiative ‘WeFly! with Futura…dare to fly’, Samantha Cristoforetti received at the very same Cremona airport, WeFly!Team’s pilots flag which she flew to Space to send a message of inclusion to the entire humanity.
“I interpreted the message not only for disabled people, but for everybody else" – she said– "because for me, people like Marco and Alessandro, are of inspiration for everybody. The strength, perseverance, passion and even the friendship they share to pursue some goals, have been an example for me and can be an example for everybody, therefore I wanted to share their story with everybody”.
There have also been surprises, such as the unexpected arrival on the scene of Italian mountain climber Simone Moro, among the greatest in the world. In a joint message Simone Moro and @AstroSamantha sent good luck wishes to another Italian astronaut, Maurizio Cheli, former Italian Air Force Eurofighter test pilot himself (Italian Air Force Experimental Flight Department - Reparto Sperimentale Volo Aeronautica Militare). Five days later, on May 17th 2018, Maurizio Cheli conquered, as a climber, Mt. Everest’s peak. Exciting moments during a talk show by esteemed guests about challenges and technologies: Walter Villadei, first Italian cosmonaut, qualified flight engineer of Roscosmos Soyuz spaceship; Donatella Ricci, world altitude gyroplane record holder, WeFly!Team pilots; 6th Stormo of Ghedi Tornado pilot Claudio Carnevale, moreover Marco Iannuzzi and Claudio Calcagni, GSPD para athletes (Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico Difesa), both had the opportunity to fly and skydive.
“It’s been a very beautiful edition" – comments Cremona airport’s President, Angelo Castagna- "the success beyond any foreseeable expectations of Sky Without Barriers 2018, is the result of ever increasing attention and commitment of our Aeroclub towards people with disability. This year, the important presence of Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) as well as former VAM aviators (Military Aeronautical Surveillance), who helped us a great deal with boarding and disembark of passengers with disability on our aircrafts, further shows that flight doesn’t only involve passion, training and commitment, but also generosity and share. Under all aspects, an inspiring experience that hopefully we’ll rerun in the future.”