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Gen. Orrù (I will never tell you his age but HE IS unbelievably fit) was faced with a 'funny' on Saturday afternoon. The planned restaurant for the Sunday lunch called off with pretestious reasons so a standing buffet (what a quality, what a place, what a view!!!) was hastily organized in the refectory of the young girls Conservatorium...Giulio only told me this when everything was over and settled!

The Sunday afternoon airshow was to be broadcast via speakers by a professional used to such events. He cancelled the day before so guess who had to improvise? (and Marco did a marvellous job as stand-in - Ni). Ermanno did a wonderful job in timing the afternoon sequences. You can be assured that the C130 came in the event programme unexpectedly! (The General of Pisa Aerobrigade had been strolling around our field at 15:30hrs and, seeing what was going on, said, "I will call for a lowpass" and, after 30 minutes, it happened, on a Sunday afternoon the Hercules cam thundering past, down the runway at low level. Thankfully we obtained a unique picture from some of you, with skyward waving hands. Andrea Fossi's CAP231 aerobatics and the Lucca parachuting champions just had to arrive spot on time from LIQL (Lucca airfield), and they did.

An incredible string of enthusiastic people have supported the Backstage team, from Benedetto, with his invention of the sofa on the scruffy Piaggio trike (our airport bus), to Giulio and Ermanno's wives, who were always present (in the kitchen) during the snacks and dinners at the Field and Peccioli, to our chief instructor, playing soft music for our hangar dinner…

With Ermanno, we had agreed that he would show me with a finger countdown (three, two, one... Bang) to signal that the first loud rocket of the firework display would be launched and I would scream in the bands' microphone "Ooohhh this is our last surprise...". He was outside the hangar, his fingers starting the count down exactly when Ercole started singing "Georgiaaah" pouring his 1000watts out of the amplifiers.....and covering the first burst of joy…

WHAT A BACKSTAGE TEAM!!!!!!!

Marco Petroni