Per completare il report mi sembra giusto dare delle informazioni sulla storia e sui compiti del 5° Stormo.

Il 5° Stormo venne costituito il 1 gennaio 1934 sulla base di Ciampino Sud, al comando del Col. pil. Amedeo Mecozzi, quale reparto d'assalto sui velivoli AC.3. Con questo velivolo a elica, privo sia di pressurizzazione sia di ossigeno, nel Novembre 1928 fu segnato il record di altezza raggiungendo gli 11.810 metri. All'emblema iniziale, raffigurante un gladio avvolto in ali argentate, venne in seguito aggiunto il motto "Comminus" dal latino "Combattimento corpo a corpo" in quanto, con i velivoli AC.3, lo spazio di manovra era talmente ristretto che i piloti potevano riconoscere il proprio avversario.
Il 5° Stormo, svolge la propria attività di volo, oltre che sul già menzionato AC.3, sui velivoli CR.20, CR Asso (dalla forma sobria ed elegante), CR.32 (divenuto famoso per le sue numerose vittorie nei cieli spagnoli), AP.1 e BA.64 (interpreti di innovazioni tecnologiche tra cui la particolarità, nel secondo, del carrello retrattile), BA.65 (nato come assaltatore, ma poco adatto a questo compito) e BA.88 (noto come "Lince", che in versione bellica ebbe notevoli limiti operativi). Durante il secondo conflitto mondiale, il 5° Stormo cambia più volte ruolo utilizzando gli Junker 87 (Stuka) (detti i "Picchiatelli" e proficuamente utilizzati nella specialità di "bombardamento a tuffo"), CR.42 (risultato inadeguato alle esigenze operative richieste), RE.2002 (ottimamente impiegato in estenuanti azioni belliche in Sicilia), RE.2001 (il"Falco", facente parte della linea volo del 101° Gr.) e l'MC.202 (dalle capacità tecniche straordinarie). Eccezionali i risultati conseguiti e l'apporto fornito: dal 5 maggio 1941 all'8 settembre 1943, 553 azioni belliche per un totale di 6.093 voli di guerra sui fronti francese, greco-albanese, Mediterraneo, Nord- Africa, e Sicilia; dall'8 settembre 1943 al 5 agosto 1945, con le forze alleate nell'area balcanica, ulteriori 291 missioni per un totale di altri 1537 voli di guerra. Particolarmente logorante è l'impegno operativo nell'estate del 1943, quando il reparto contrasta lo sbarco degli anglo-alleati in Sicilia. Il prezzo di una simile operatività si traduce in ingenti perdite umane, tra cui il Cap. Pil. Gino Priolo e il Magg. Pil. Giuseppe Cenni, entrambi decorati di Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare, ed il T.Col. pil. Guido Nobili (Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare). Al termine delle ostilità, lo Stormo ha quasi esaurito le proprie risorse, ma nonostante i pochi velivoli, la stanchezza degli uomini e i rischieramenti su vari aeroporti, riprende l'attività di volo; dapprima con i velivoli MC.205 , quindi con lo Spitfire IXC (con cui fu costituita la prima pattuglia acrobatica, anche se non ancora a livello nazionale), ed infine con i P 51 (Mustang) ed i P 47 (Thunderbolt) che rappresenteranno gli ultimi velivoli ad elica assegnati al Reparto. Durante questo periodo, in occasione della cerimonia del 2 giugno 1949, la Bandiera di Guerra del 5° Stormo viene insignita della Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare. Nel 1952, allo stormo vengono assegnati i velivoli F 84G (Thunderjet, simbolo della vera rinascita dell'Aeronautica Militare), F 84F (evoluzione del precedente con motore potenziato ed ali a freccia), G 91 e F86K (“Kappone” che ebbe una lunghissima vita operativa) e si ha la riconfigurazione in Aerobrigata. Nel 1953 viene costituita, in seno alla 5^ Aerobrigata, la prima vera Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale, denominata i "Guizzo", che dal 1960, ribattezzata "Getti Tonanti", riscuote il meritato successo e riconoscimento in Italia e all'estero. Ripresa l'originaria denominazione, di 5° Stormo nel 1964 riceve il primo F 104G, assegnato al 102° Gruppo Caccia Bombardieri, che resterà nelle sue versioni più aggiornate, sino al 9 Gennaio 2003, in forza al Reparto. Il 1 gennaio 2004 Il 23° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori monta di allarme per la prima volta con il nuovo velivolo F 16 assegnato al 5° Stormo nel novembre 2003.
L'incarico assegnato allo Stormo è: "assicurare, con le modalità stabilite dai piani operativi, la difesa aerea dell'area di interesse nazionale concorrendo al controllo, sin dal tempo di pace, dello spazio aereo relativo."
“Fonte Aeronautica Militare”

English translation by Frank McMeiken

On Friday 16 April 2010 the Base Aerea at Cervia staged a mini Air Show organised by the Comando of the 5° Stormo and the 23° Gruppo CI (Caccia Intercettori). The focus of the event was the annual reunion of former personnel of the 5° Stormo “Giuseppe Cenni”: this event has increased in significance over tbe yearsm and on this occasion it was organised to coincide with the presence of the Frecce Tricolori at the Romagna base. It should be remembered that on several occasions throughout the year, and particularly at the beginning of the display season, the Italian national aerobatic team deploys to various bases around Italy to familiarise the team members with operations away from Rivolto, obviously intended to reflect the conduct of a variety of displays in various parts of the world.
Unfortunately this year’s event was clouded by the fact that it would be the last edition, as the defence planning programming decreed that the 5° Stormo and its 23° Gruppo would, in the space of a few months, be both stood down and placed ”in posizione “quadro”. The decision of the Stato Maggiore Aeronautica was that in the early days of Kine the final F 16ADF of the unit would be passed on to the 37° Stormo at Trapani, which would manage their operations until the planned termination of the “Peace Caesar” programme in 2012. In the month of September 2012 the 5° would definitively leave Cervia, handing it over to the 15° Stormo, arriving from Pratica di Mare with its HH 3F helicopters. For the airport infrastructure, this would obviously not result in major upheaval, but it would drastically alter the profile, as the base would change from serving as part of the national territorial air defence system to that which could be called, if desired. “more noble”, the national service for search and rescue on land and sea.
Considering that the occasion would be one of the last opportunities to see the “Veltri” in action at Cervia, a special slogan was created for the event: “Con la Diana Sul Petto” (With the Diana on the chest). This reminded all the participants that the symbol of the 5° Stormo is the “Diana Cacciatrice” (Diana the hunter), an emblem that will remain an indelible memory for the men and women who have had the honour of serving their nation under this badge.
Around 5.000 veterans were invited, while many photographers were authorised to attend, and the organisers’ efforts in arranging this were much appreciated. Unfortunately the expected Frecce Tricoloro programme was cancelled soon after the team took off due to bad weather. Obviously this wasn’t a major problem for the powerful F 16 fighters, and a series of flypasts, and one in particular by the specially decorated MM7236 delighted the spectators. The “stars” of the event were the two F 16ADF in Special Colours created for the occasion: MM7236 wore a splendid livery dedicated to Diana Cacciatrice, reflecting the emblem of the 5° Stormo, while MM7244 carried a similarly striking livery dedicated to the nickname of the F 16, the “Viper”.

To complete this report, it seems appropriate to offer a description of the history and role of the 5° Stormo.

The 5° Stormo was constituted on 1 January 1934 at Ciampino Sud under the command of Col. pil. Amedeo Mecozzi, classified as an “assalto” (assault) unit flying AC.3 aircraft. With this propeller aircraft, lacking both pressurisation and oxygen, in November 1928 an altitude record of 11,810 metres was established. To the initial emblem, featuring a gladio (the Roman short sword) surrounded by silver wings, was later added the motto "Comminus", the Latin for "Hand to hand fighting " as, with the AC.3 aircraft, the combat manoeuvring radius was so tight that the pilots were able to recognise their opponents.
The 5° Stormo undertook its flying activity, in addition to the AC.3, on the CR.20, CR Asso (with a more elegant and aggressive shape), CR.32 (subsequently famours for the numerous combat victories gained in the skies over Spain), the AP.1 and BA.64 (which featured many innovative technologies, including in the latter a retractable undercarriage), BA.65 (conceived for the assault role, but proved to be little suited to the task) and the BA.88 (known as the "Lince" –Lynx – which in its combat versions had significant operational limits). During the Second World War, the 5° Stormo changed role many times, utilising the Junker 87 (the Stuka, known in Italy as the "Picchiatelli", and widely used for dive bombing operations), the CR.42 (totally inadequate for the operational roles assigned to it), the RE.2002 (efficiently involved in extended combat operations in Sicily), the RE.2001 (the "Falco", which served with the 101° Gr.) and the C.202 (perhaps Italy’s most capable fighter). The achievements and air support provided were exceptional: between 5 May 1941 and 8 September 1943 the unit had 553 clashes in 6093 combat missions over the fronts in France, Greece – Albania, theMediterranean, North Africa, and Sicily. From 8 September 1943 until 5 May 1945, operating with the Allied forces in the Balkans, the unit flew a further 291 missions during a total of 1537 in theatre operations. Operational intensity was at its peak in the summer of 1943, when the unit fought against the Allied landings in Sicily. The unit paid a high price in human life for its efforts, and amongst the fatalities wereCap. pil. Gino Priolo and Magg. pil. Giuseppe Cenni, both decorated with the Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare, and T.Col. pil. Guido Nobili (Medaglia d'Argento al V.M.). At the conclusion of hostilities, the Stormo had almost exhausted its resources, but despite the limited number of aircraft, the weary personnel, and continual transfers between airfields, flying operations were resumed; initially the unit flew the C.205, then converted to the Spitfire IXC (with which it created the first aerobatic team, although not one recognised on a national level), and finally the P-51 (Mustang) and P-47 (Thunderbolt), which represented the last propeller-driven aircraft to be assigned to the unit. During this period, on the occasion of a ceremony held on 2 June 1949, the Bandiera di Guerra (Standard) of the 5° Stormo was decorated with the Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare. In 1952 the Stormo was equipped with the F-84G (the Thunderjet, the symbol of the real rebirth of the Aeronautica Militare), which was followed by the F-84F (an evolution of the earlier model with a more powerful engine and a swept wing), the G.91, and the F-86K (the legendary Kappone, which had a long operational career), and was also reconfigured into an Aerobrigata. In 1953 the 5ª Aerobrigata created the first true Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale (National Aerobatic Team), known as the "Guizzo", which, from 1960, was re-baptised as the "Getti Tonanti": this team gained widespread fame and successes in Italy and abroad. Re-adopting its original designation, in 1964 the 5° Stormo nel 1964 received its first F-104G, assigned to the 102° Gruppo Caccia Bombardieri. The F-104 would remain in service with the unit, in the form of the updated ‘S’ version, until 9 January 2003. On 1 January 2004 the 23° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori performed its first alert duty with the new F-16 aircraft, which had been assigned to the 5° Stormo in November 2003.
The role assigned to the Stormo is: "To assure, in accordance with the methods established in the operational plans, the air defence of areas of national interest and simultaneously to police, in time of peace, the related airspace."