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AEROCLUB VALLE D'AOSTA ARCHIVES |
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Flying oh, oh, or air and poetry love in the valdostan skies |
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Aeroclub Valle d'Aosta is of course a part of the valdostan society and like in any kind of association we find there people of any condition : workers and ingeneers, fine and unkind people, exuberant and shy pilots, some well-off people and penniless youngs. Indeed it is quite like in the daily life : nothing exceptional but what differs overall is people and the new landing strip hardly 1,240 meters long has seen so many of them. It is quite impossible to recall all of them and obviously I could forget somebody. However, it is necessary to mention four of them. The first one is a clever Education and Culture councillor who achieved a good work : his name is Corrado - the same as my brother - Corrado Gex
. In 1950 with a group of fans he paved the sky for the future Aeroclub Aosta. Then, arrived the great Cesare Balbis, a many-sided man, not ever appreciated because of his very special temper, an exceptional pilot and the local aviation pionneer; a great man without any doubt. Presently he is above all busy with flying in high mountain (landing on glaciers and similar surfaces). He transferred his experience in Chamois altiporto with a group of valid pilots. Nino Perotti, not very young, gliding champ with an international reputation who has really thrown lustre on our Region. To tell his story it will be necessary to write a complete novel! The fourth one is a quite shy man who could seem as a bank clerk behind his desk where he spends quietly the working day but - without criticizing the bank clerks - when he seizes the control stick of the glider he becomes a giant. His name is Giacinto Giorgio (Giorgio is the family name, I know he wishes to point it out). He got two italian records which make shiver : one for the altitude 10,544 meters and the other one for the distance 1,120km as the crow flies. Both results have been got with a glider
Aeroclub Aosta attracts pilots from the whole world. It is usual to see landing planes coming from France or Switzerland but also some german and dutch pilots and even from New Zeland come to fly in the Aosta Valley sky. Even if not too much pubblicized, our airspace enjoys, in addition to the unique panorama, a phenomena called "wave". I don't want to bore you with the technical aspect but I can assure you it is a nice thing which attracts in spring the gliders pilots like bees on flowers: the best is then to find oneself flying near an eagle. To soar with such a friend is a really rewarding experience!
Since few years Matteo Santin, plane pilot as well as skilful photograph, has been managing the aeroclub among thousands tasks which keep deeply busy who deals with such a job. He does not work alone but to manage such a structure as Aeroclub Aosta, where four persons work at full time and about 200 members are recorded, is not easy but gives a great satisfaction. Air and poetry love pays a lot back.
Enrico Girardi |
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