RED BARON STYLE Jonathan Collection WWI dogfight
RED BARON STYLE Jonathan Collection WWI dogfight
PHOTOS Roberta Di Grande Luciano Pontolillo
GRAPHIC DESIGN Luciano Pontolillo
TEXT PROVIDED BY Warbirds News (www.warbirdsnews.com)
RED BARON STYLE Jonathan Collection WWI dogfight
We had the opportunity to visit the Jonathan Collection in the province of
even celebrate it, like the British do, Zarnardo took a page from the
Treviso, in the northeast of Italy, at the private airstrip that the Jonathan
Duxford Air Show and American reenactment events and staged a
Collection Foundation calls home. The foundation, founded and run by
WWI re-enactment last month, replete with re-enactors in period
famed aviator Giancarlo Zanardo is tasked with educating the public of
military garb, smoke effects, gunshots and a pyrotechnics along with
Italy about their country’s long and storied history in aviation, of which
flying examples of WWI aircraft. The effect, particularly at this
many are ignorant.
historic battlefield setting and with the Group’s authentic restored
The collection has an impressive assortment of WWI-era aircraft and its
WWI Bessoneau Type H Hangar within the frame was quite
airstrip and period WWI hanger is situated near Nervesa della Battaglia,
compelling and we felt as though we had stepped back in time.
at the foot of Montello Hill which is especially appropriate as the site was
Ignoring for the moment the large crowd of spectators that had
part of the battle lines during the Great War’s 1918 Battle of the Piave
come from the surrounding regions, there were quite a few well-
River, when a massive Austro-Hungarian offensive was driven back by
outfitted re-enactors dressed as armed soldiers, red cross personal
the Italians and Allied forces.
and fighter pilots that really brought the scene from this earlier era
Hoping to create a culture Italy that is aware of their history and might
to life.
RED BARON STYLE
RED BARON STYLE There was much activity as all scrambled to get the show ready and
Moths racing against the clock to defend the airfield.
finally the Fokker Dr.1 (painted in Red Baron Livery of course) was
Within a seconds that seemed like minutes the Tiger Moths were first
started and with Giancarlo Zanardo at the controls, the craft taxied,
sputtering and then roaring and took to the sky to combat their foe.
took off and eventually disappeared behind the mountain. After the
Meanwhile the Red Baron had taken advantage of the time it took to
drone of the Fokkers engine had disappeared there was palpable
get the Tigers in the air to drop a bomb on the airfield, which in and
silence for several minutes. Suddenly we could hear the engine as the
of itself was interesting to be able to see the procedure involved in
plane swooped down over the mountain and pandemonium broke
dropping the payload. Of course the wonder of that moment was
out on the show field as the Red Baron attacked! Soldiers fired their
soon drowned out by the detonation of the bomb as it struck the
weapons at the invading Fokker and the aerial defense commander
apron and the mixture of smoke, sounds and smell made the
ordered two of the Tiger Moths stationed at the base to defend the
experience quite exhilarating.
field. It was quite thrilling to watch the manual start of the Tiger
RED BARON STYLE
RED BARON STYLE Good as the pilot of the Fokker was, he didn’t stand a chance against the
reached the ground. A hero’s welcome greeted the victorious Tiger
two Tigers and after several minutes of dogfighting the two planes the
Moth pilots as they brought their craft down and to a stop, the crowd
red plane was hit and forced to make an emergency landing and the pilot
had lost themselves in the immersive experience.
was captured and taken into custody by the soldiers after the plane had
STAFF Re-enactors in period military garb, smoke effects, gunshots and pyrotechnics provided by Associazione Ricercatori Storico Aeronautica DOGFIGHT - Thiene (VI)
RED BARON STYLE
The Jonathan Collection is mainly focused on WWI period, so they have three flying de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moths, the aforementioned Fokker Dr.1 Replica, a BlĂŠriot XI-2M and in a short time will be possible to see a flying model of Caproni Ca.3 which is presently being completed and is expected to fly this summer. Other aircraft worth mentioning are a flying 3/4 scale replica of a P51 Mustang, a flying reproduction of a Wright Flyer, an Avionautica Rio M-100S glider and a RotorWay Scorpion Helicopter that Zanardo and James Naibo built from a kit in 1971 and was the first amateurbuilt helicopter to be issue a certificate of airworthiness in Italy.
Italy may have a long way to go before its people become as engaged and enamored with their history as the Brits, but if anyone can accomplish such a sea change in their culture, as evidenced by this spectacular WWI reenactment, it’s Giancarlo Zanardo.
© 2013 luckyplane | aviation photographers videomakers www.luckyplane.it
The video of the Red Baron battling the Flying Moths taken on the day on which we’re reporting is available on YouTube: http://youtu.be/8vCJBWpbTPM
The report of the reenactment is available on Warbird News website: http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/jonathan-collection-brings-wwi-reenactment-italy.html
Produced by I-CARE Association: www.i-care.it
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