The Frecce Tricolori (Italian, literally Tricolour Arrows), officially known as the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico, is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Aeronautica Militare, based at Rivolto Air Force Base, in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, province of Udine.
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
They were formed in 1961 as an Air Force team, replacing unofficial teams that had been sponsored by various commands by the end of the 1920s
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
The team flies the Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN, a two-seat fighter-trainer craft capable of 898 km/h at sea level, with nine aircraft and a solo (the highest number of aircraft of any aerobatic team in the world)
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
During the 2000 aerobatic season they reached 50,000 flying hours on the MB-339
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
In 2005 they won the award for best exhibition at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, England (a major military airshow) and they have obtained, for the first time for a non-Russian unit, the Russian Silver Medal for Aeronautical Merit
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
On 8 September 2007 the Frecce Tricolori took part at the funeral of Luciano Pavarotti in Modena and honoured him with a fly-past leaving green-white-red smoke trails
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
On 28 August 1988, in the Ramstein airshow disaster, 70 people lost their lives due to the mid-air collision of three Frecce Tricolori jets
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky
The burning jets broke up and crashed, including one that careened into a crowd of spectators.
All photos by: Vadim Savitsky