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Police Aviation News
November 2003
26
anti-terrorism experts will meet at the Inaugural Asia Pacific Homeland Security Summit &
Exposition in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village from November 19-21, 2003.
The Summit is being organised by the State of Hawaii in collaboration with the US Pacific
Command, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, the US-ASEAN Business Council, the
East West Center, and the Pacific Basin Economic Council. More than 500 attendees are
expected. Complete details are available at www.scd.state.hi.us/summit [State of Hawaii]
From Dino Marcellino in Italy.
ELI SHOW Roma 2003 26-28 September 2003.
The second ELISHOW [Helicopter Show] on Rome’s
Urbe Airport was a result of last years successful ‘trial
run’ of the concept.
Last year there were 25 industry representatives, this
year the number had swelled to 45 with the presence of
Agusta-Westland, Piaggio Aeroindustries and Alenia.
The number of Institutions [ Air Force, Navy, Army,
Corpo Forestale, Protezione Civile, Caribinieri, Polizia,
Guardia Costiera ] was also up from 12 to 15. The result
was that the showground trebled from 25,000 to 70,000
square meters.
The event is not simply an air show like many others, it
is an Italian Government launch pad to promote the
development of the airport as the first of a network of
helicopter bases for the Italian State Services and civil
operators. Currently it is a base for the Corpo Forestale
and a detachment of the Protezione Civile is expected.
This year marks the 75th since it was founded as a civil airport called Littorio in April 1928. All
the original infrastructure was destroyed in a 1943 US raid, the current buildings dating from
the 1960s.
The Government are also promoting links with the Principato di Monaco heli-base. The goal is
to use the positive Monegasque experience to develop a similar facility in Rome. The RomeUrbe airport is well placed in the city, just minutes from the centre and well served by train, bus
and underground, giving it a good start.
The first day of the show was reserved for operators, VIPs and the press. The primary
business of the day was a twinning ceremony between Rome-Urbe and Monaco Montecarlo
helibases performed by Prince Albert of Monaco and Italian Ministers Pietro Lunardi
[Transport], Antonio Martino [Defence] and Antonio Marzano [Industry]. The official ceremony
over there was a display by various state air services helicopters. Included was the first public
display in Italy of the AB139 [held back from Helitech in the UK. Ed]
The next two days of ELISHOW were public days and included some 40 helicopters and
aircraft flying and in the static display.
A NH-500 and AB-412 of Corpo Forestale showed their fire-fighting capabilities with Bambi
buckets, followed by an AB-412 of the Guardia di Finanza in a SAR demonstration. The
Police Aviation News
November 2003
27
AB139 was admirted for its elegance and power, followed by a Navy team simulating war
action with an AB-212 and a Sea King. Another Navy EH-101 helicopter flew a solo display.
A leased Erickson Sikorsky S-64 of the Protezione Civile lifted 9,000 litres of water from the
nearby Tevere River and displayed both the forward firing hose and dump discharges of its
load.
Fixed wing aircraft were allowed to elbow into the show – giving the stylish Italian Piaggio P180 Avanti the opportunity to grace the skies before a pair of Italian Air Force HH-3F
helicopters clawed back the rotary wing theme of the event to display Combat SAR
manoevres.
The show was closed with a return to fixed wing - the crowd being thrilled to the power and
nimbleness of an AV-8B Harrier II.
Dino Marcellino [Edited]