AEROPLANE SEPTEMBER 2017 http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com 61The MB326D proved more than
capable, with excellent performance
and good reliability. Because they flew
more conservative mission profiles
than the MB326s operated by the
military, with less stress on the engine
and airframe, the Alitalia aircraft had
reduced engine fatigue, to the point
that it was possible to increase the
time between overhauls to almost
twice that of the similar aircraft in
service with the Aeronautica Militare.
The professionalism of the
instructors and the reliability of the
aircraft also gave favourable results
in terms of flight safety. Apart from
an isolated wheels-up landing, only
one MB326D was involved in a
serious accident during the school’s
four-year existence. On 12 December
1966, during a solo night training
sortie, a student on the ninth course
lost his life when I-ADIA flew into
the ground near Cellino San Marco,
probably due to pilot error.
At the end of the Brindisi course,
the new pilots were incorporated into
Alitalia under the company’s standard
career structure — navigator on the
DC-8, third pilot on the Caravelle or
co-pilot on the Viscount — and sent
on to their appropriate type conversion
course, which usually lasted around
four months. No pilot from the
Brindisi school ever failed to pass.
Despite the excellent results
achieved during the 10 courses at
Brindisi, which saw more than 20,000hours flown and over 200 pilots
qualified, in 1967 Alitalia decided to
suspend the school’s activities and
close it down. This was principally
down to operational economics. The
company had many aspiring students
but a small and expensive training
structure, while the Aeronautica
Militare had a large training structure
but few aspiring cadet pilots.It was decided to establish a
new agreement, under which the
Aeronautica undertook to transfer 30
pilots to Alitalia every year. Instead
of being assigned to an operational
unit on completion of flying training,
they entered the Alitalia crew system,
completing three years of obligatory
service as an Alitalia pilot while
remaining at the military grade of
Sottotenente (lieutenant). This lasted
just a few years, as with the first
oil crisis of the early 1970s Alitalia
suffered its own period of turmoil.
A decision to suspend the induction
of new pilots for around four years
resulted in the end of this experiment
in joint pilot training.The three remaining MB326Ds
were passed to the Aeronautica
Militare, and after being modified to
military standard went on to serve
with the school at Lecce. The trio
were assigned serials MM54266 (the
former I-ADIE, today preserved at
the Istituto Tecnico Malignani in
Udine), MM54267 (ex-I-ADIO) and
MM54268 (previously I-ADIU, now
with the Piana delle Orme museum).
Increasing demand for new pilots
and the difficulty in finding enough
of them forced Alitalia to re-establish
a flying school in 1980. Based at
Alghero, its fleet comprised four
SIAI-Marchetti SF260Cs and two
Piaggio P166-DL3 twins. The latter
were replaced during 1987 by three
Piper PA-42 Cheyennes. Nevertheless,
following the terrorist attacks of 11
September 2001, which caused yet
another air transport slump, the
school was wound down. It was
finally closed in 2007.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks
to Capts Riparbelli and Chianese,
Giorgio Apostolo and Francesco
Ballista.The professionalism of the instructors and the reliability
of the MB326D gave favourable results... No pilot from the
Brindisi school ever failed to pass their type conversion course
on the DC-8, Caravelle or Viscount
BELOW:
Members of the
fifth course just
before their final
examinations at
Brindisi in 1965.58-61_AM_Sept17_Alitalia_cc C.indd 61 31/07/2017 10:59