An Fiat BR.20 First Series of Malpensas’s School in the last months before the entry in the war of Italy. This plane is totally camouflaged with the typical livery of Italian military aircrafts of end of Thirties. At Malpensa was also transferred the Scuola Volo Senza Visibilità (Blind Flying School). Victor Sierra

Malpensa’s BR.20i

Savoia-Marchetti S.79s transferred from the operational line to the Scuola Bombardamento di Aviano (Aviano’s Bombardment School). As on the other combat planes transferred to Schools, also on this S.79s the armament was removed. Note the acronym AVI (for Aviano) on fuselage. The aircraft in foreground (AVI-5) has a camouflage different from the other and the Italian tricolor on the rudder replaced by the white cross after the Italy’s declaration of war. In background the Eastern Alps. Aviano is today a large of US Air Force Europe. Victor Sierra

Aviano’s Bombardment School



In the old Italian Regia Aeronautica were normal practice relocate to Speciality’s School (in particular Fighter and Bomber Schools) the planes downgraded from their original mission as replaced by most modern aircrafts. In the photo a Fiat BR.20 first version downgraded to training plane for the Malpensa’s Bomber School (note the acronym MAL for Malpensa in fuselage+the plane’s individual number) with armament completely removed. The aircraft, in all silver livery, taxiing to take off runway of Malpensa Airport, near Milan. Note the Italian tricolor extended from the rudder also to elevators. Such as the majority of Italian airfields at the time, also Malpensa has taxiways and runways in grass. A great difference with the todays Intercontinental Civil Airport of Malpensa, the second large Italian hub. Victor Sierra
