Washington, D.C
Italian Air Force's 'Frecce Tricolori' to fly over DC Wednesday afternoon
ROME, ITALY, MAY 17: Italian Air Force acrobatic squad Frecce Tricolori overfly the Foro Italico during the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – The Italian Air Force will be flying over Washington, D.C. Wednesday afternoon as they make their way up to Canada to celebrate the country’s 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori will release green, white and red smoke as it goes over the U.S. capital, symbolic of the Italian flag. This will be the first time that their smoke has been seen over the United States or Canada since 1992.
The flyover will happen at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 21, and the show is expected to last about 30 minutes. The route will begin on the east side of the city with a single east to west pass just south of the National Mall.
The group’s final performance of their 2024 North American Tour will be at the Air Dot Show Ocean City on August 24-25. It will be visible over the beach and boardwalk.
The Frecce Tricolori — the “Tricolour Arrows” in English — are officially designated as the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico, Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale — 313th Acrobatic Training Group, National Aerobatic Team in English.
Frecce Tricolori was established on March 1, 1961, at Rivolto Air Base in the province of Udine.
The team operates the Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN, a two-seat fighter-trainer craft. Comprising ten aircrafts, including nine in close formation and a soloist, they hold the distinction of being the world’s largest acrobatic patrol.