A few days ago, while I was supposed to be sleeping after a flight, I visited Parco Tematico Dell Aviazione. I thought you might be interested in some comments and photos.
The Theme Park is located about 10 km from Rimini, in the direction of San Marino. The aircraft on display are mostly from the Cold War area, and are from both sides of the ‘conflict’, though the former Eastern block is far more evident than the west. The old Warsaw Pact machines are generally in a relatively good shape, though some of them are really begining to show some signs of corrosion and deterioration, no doubt due to the fact of being outside realatively close to the sea. The Nato machines are generally in a ‘bad’ shape, most of them look like they have been rescued from fire-dumps and propped up to look the part. To be honest, I think the live expectancy of some of the items on display is not very high unless some serious work is done on preservation, but, to be fair, I also have to say that some of the aircraft looked like they had been painted fairly recently. The aircraft are all outside, and are set up on a hill with walkways around them. The hill setting provides for some very interesting viewing angles and photographic opportunities, but there are quite a lot of trees around that always seem to be in the way if you are trying to get a good shot. Also on the site is a memorial to the victims of the Ramstein disaster, with a very beautiful sculpture and a plate bearing the names of all those who perished, a very moving gesture. However, I, personally, would have done away with part of the memorial. That part are the remains of the three jets that were involved, I found it a bit distastful. But that is just my personal opionion anyway.
Also on site is a house full of models, photographs, uniforms and memorabilia from the Royal Air Force since the begining of WW 1 untill today. As I started viewing the displays I got more and more confused, as nothing displayed had anything to do with the Royal Air Force (RAF) I know. Then it dawned on me. They were talking about the Royal Italian Air Force. A blond moment I guess :rolleyes: 😀 😮
All in all, it was a very enjoyable day out. But mind you, the night flights the night after were not as enjoyable 😮 I really should have got some sleep 😮 If you are in the region, I recommand it.
Now for the photos.
By: italian harvard - 9th December 2004 at 10:37
don’t worry hamtech, we’re not so perverted in Italy, at least not all of us 😉
we have a saying here “u talk bad, u talk good, but u talk about it”..
Alex
By: Hamtech - 9th December 2004 at 07:33
Thanks for that Alex, you answered my earlier question.
– Hamtech.
By: italian harvard - 8th December 2004 at 20:18
hello everybody!
well, I know that chap pretty well, he’s an ex-comrade of my restoration partner and I tell u this, we’re both pretty disgusted by the Frecce Tricolori display. Some years ago the wrecks were out there without even a cover, and with a small plate under them stating “Frecce Tricolori wrecks from Ramstein”. The question is how the sod got ’em. After the aviation authorities finished their investigations the material had to be scrapped (we still have the DC-9 of the Ustica accident, that happened when I was born, this is because the investigations are still not finished, but this is another sad story). The local scrapyard sold the thing to the museum owner that had the brilliant idea to place them there for show.. We sent emails and personally expressed our disgust for the lack of tact, so the guy had the idea to create a monument and cover the remains, but the thing is still there.. It can’t be compared to the recover of a ww2 wreck because it was just an accident, and if u consider that the very same kind of aircraft, MB339, still serves with the Frecce, I find that at least tactless, if not a little bit fetish…
About the G.46, it’s a nice machine, with more than a pair of project under restoration here in italy, but the spares are really really really hard to find, there’s really no market at all about them. I wished to restorate an italian plane, but I found a Harvard IV and I’m so happy with it 🙂
One note: the DC-3 u see is the one that belonged to Clark Gable
watch six!
Alex
By: Seafuryfan - 8th December 2004 at 20:11
A fascinating collection of aircraft Galdri – thanks for posting. I particularly like the phoho of the IL-28 Beagle. Just love the early Cold War warriors – straight out of a schoolboys doodle!
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th December 2004 at 13:19
aaahhh shaduppa ya face !
[ cant beleive you walked into that one… :D)
By: Yak 11 Fan - 8th December 2004 at 10:10
Wassa matter you [hey] issa not so bad….
Oh dear oh dear oh dear, what is happening in the world!!!!!!
By: Yak 11 Fan - 8th December 2004 at 10:09
I’m sure that this has been answered before, but does anyone know what happened to it?
it went off to a French collector from memory…. Not heard anything else since however.
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th December 2004 at 10:07
Wassa matter you [hey] issa not so bad….
By: Yak 11 Fan - 8th December 2004 at 09:57
Yes they usually do rot well. At least the G46 which was at Duxford was a rotter!!!!!
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th December 2004 at 09:36
Rotter! 😀
By: galdri - 7th December 2004 at 18:36
Colin – you can have the Harvard – can i have the G-46? Lovely looking aeroplane…………mmmmmmmmmmm!
No you can’t! I’m having it 😉 😀 😀
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 7th December 2004 at 17:42
Colin – you can have the Harvard – can i have the G-46? Lovely looking aeroplane…………mmmmmmmmmmm!
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 7th December 2004 at 16:16
…or the uniform and bloodstained stockings that Nelson wore when he was shot that Andy in Beds, Steve Patterson and myself saw on display in Greenwich last month?
Does time make these items more acceptable to put on public display?
Again, see your point but I think there is also a difference between the loss of someone in a military sense and an accident at an airshow. I think the exhibition of the wreckage of James Dean’s Porsche was as tasteless. I also think that if someone wanted to exhibit the uniform worn by Colonel H Jones when he was shot in the Falklands that would be just as morbid. The problem is that there is a very high morbid interest quotient in a lot of the human race. A chap once walked up to me at a Gosport Aviation Society meeting gleefully asking if I wanted to see his photos of the P38 crash. I nearly chinned him.
Answer to your question: Dunno.
By: JDK - 7th December 2004 at 16:04
Thanks for posting Mr G. The ‘RAF Moment’ is quite easy. After all ‘Luftwaffe’ is just German for ‘Air Force’ so you could have the ‘American Luftwaffe’ or ‘Royal Australian Luftwaffe’ etc…
The Frecce wreckage is poor, and strange. Hamtech’s question is a good one, but speaking as someone who has lived in Italy, I don’t think most Italians would find it any more tasteful than we do.
When are you exporting the Fiat to Iceland? 😀
By: Steve Bond - 7th December 2004 at 15:24
Some lovely aeroplanes which look as though they will all have crumbled to aluminium dust in ten years time.
By: Peter - 7th December 2004 at 15:05
or how about getting rid of it and having a memorial and cairn?
By: Hamtech - 7th December 2004 at 08:04
With regard to the wreckage – there is a chance that it may be culturally acceptable for the Italians to display it in that way?
– Hamtech.
By: gregv - 6th December 2004 at 23:54
great pics!
and a nice collection; now let’s get them inside and break out the Waxoyl…and yes, that Ramstein wreckage is not only in bad taste by its content but also in the way it is displayed; how about sealing it all in a crypt below the memorial?
cheers
greg v
By: danohagan - 6th December 2004 at 23:07
Great stuff galdri – but the musuem displaying the Ramstein wreckage is simply atrocious taste. How mawkish can some people be?
By: galdri - 6th December 2004 at 20:12
Thank you all for your kind words regarding my photography 😉
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December 4, 2004 at 10:13 pm