It is with great pride that now we see a woman also complete jet training and qualify as a STOVL (short take-off vertical landing) pilot. “After 20 years they are fully integrated in all operational domains of the navy where they operate on surface ships, submarines, amphibious platoons, special forces, and helicopter squadrons. “In 2000, the Italian parliament approved the opening of the armed forces to women,” Pitto said. Simone Pitto is a country liaison officer and oversees all Italian students in undergraduate flight training. “I was stunned by the words of the pilots and so fascinated by the introductory flight that we did on a navy helicopter that the following day I watched ‘Top Gun’ for the first time and I was all in!”Įach year, the Italian navy sends approximately 10 officers to the United States to begin pilot training under Chief of Naval Air Training. “I decided I wanted to be a pilot when I was 16 after visiting a joint naval and air force base,” Raballo said. Aside from her father and uncles’ compulsory one year of service, Raballo is the first in her family to dedicate her career to military service.
Raballo is from Alba in the commune of Piedmont in northwest Italy. “My desire is to be the first one of many and I hope I’ll be an inspiration for many other women in all lines of work, not because I’m special, but for the exact opposite I came from a small town, with no military background whatsoever and with willingness and hard work I was able to make my dream come true.” “Being the first female Italian navy jet pilot is an amazing feeling,” Raballo said.
US FIGHTER PILOT PATCH
She returned to her squadron mates waiting on the Training Air Wing 1 flight line for a traditional “soft winging” ceremony during which Angermann presented Raballo with a fabric patch emblazoned with the Wings of Gold.
Raballo conducted her final graded curriculum event in a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft on March 10. She and her classmates worked hard to get to this point and what they can and will accomplish in the future is limitless.” “She has proven she is a capable, competent warfighter ready to take her strike aviation training to the next level. “We are all incredibly proud of Ensign Raballo,” VT-9 Commanding Officer Cmdr.
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