Nuuumannn's European Tour of 2019

wow, some incredible shots there Grant, well done mate

Lovely shots Grant!

Beaut shots Grant.

Thanks guys. Now the highlight of my trip to Rome. This is why I diverted myself from northern Europe, spent hundreds on airfares, accommodation and stuff and sweltered in the 40 plus degree heat. The day after arriving I set off on my way to the shore of Lago di Bracchiano and the small train stop that is Vigna di Valle. I was off to the Museo Storica Dell'Aeronautico Militare, the superb Italian Air Force museum, which sits in quite possibly the most beautiful setting for an aviation museum. A friend had recommended I make the trip and I was wavering because of the extra cost making a detour like this would mean, but I'm soooo glad I did. Quite simply, it is one of the best aviation museum and collections in the world.

Getting there is not as easy as what is prescribed. Conventional wisdom states to catch a train from San Pietro station in Rome and travel to Vigna di Valle, get off at that station, then ask in the shop/cafe/bar for the keeper to ring a taxi to take you to the museum, then repeat in reverse. This is pretty much how everyone has done it and reported on it. Forget that!

That's how I did it. I went to San Pietro and noticed that I didn't need to - I could have got any train from the line that goes to Bracchiano as the final stop. I bought a ticket to Vigna di Valle on a train to Bracchiano, although you have to catch the right train as not all those that go to Bracchiano stop at Vigna di Valle. So I found myself on a train going to Bracchiano that didn't stop at Vigna di Valle, got off at an earlier station, waited for half an hour and caught the next train stopping at Vigna di Valle. Once I got there, I went to the cafe and asked for the keeper to call a taxi. No taxis wanted to come to pick me up. This was despite repeated calls by the shop keeper. By chance, a Rome based taxi driver happened to be having lunch in the cafe. The shop keeper asked him if he would take me, but he explained to me in English that he couldn't because the way the tarifs run with taxis in the region and the fact he was out of his area of work, which is the city of Rome. Dammit. Next, the shop keeper asked him again. After finishing his coffee, he relented finally and took me to the museum. The fare was 15 Euro, but I gave him 20 for his trouble.

Now. The easiest way to get to the museum is to forget what everyone says to do and catch a train from ANY station that goes to Bracchiano, to Bracchiano. DON'T get off at Vigna di Valle and order a taxi. They come from Bracchiano anyway and might not want to make the trip, like they refused to do for me. When you get to Bracchiano station there is almost always a taxi outside waiting for a fare. The cost for a taxi to the museum from Bracchiano? 15 Euro. This is how I got back to Rome. The taxi driver who picked me up from the museum said it's not worth going to Vigna di Valle and to just go to Bracchiano. There is a bus service from Bracchiano, but you could be waiting for over half an hour in the heat and really, it's 30 Euro return to the museum and it is free, so don't be tight! On the way back I shared the taxi and only had to pay 5 Euro, so winning all round. Besides, Bracchiano is beautiful.

So, the museum. It was hot, 38 degrees on the lake shore, cooler than Rome with a far lower humidity, but still hot. It's beautifully tranquil, and being surrounded by the most exquisite aircraft makes the entire experience extraordinarily rewarding - or was I suffering heat stroke? Here are some pictures so you can decide for yourself.

On the way down to the hangars, there are a few aircraft outside, including this Piaggio - Douglas PD.808, which flew the last hours on the type with the AMI (Aeronautica Militare Italiana).

PD.808 side

Down at the shoreline of the lake is the watch tower and the former seaplane/flying boat park. This area was the first airfield in Italy as the government earmarked it for experiments with airships and balloons. Being on the lake shore, seaplanes and flying boats and hydrodynamic research were at home here.

Lago di Bracchiano

Caproni Ca.36. The Great War hangar was moved to the site after WW1 and was originally an Austro-Hungarian war prize!

Caproni Ca.36

During the Great War this Ansaldo SVA was flown on leaflet dropping raids over Venice.

Ansaldo SVA.5

Junkers J 1 fuselage.

Junkers J I

By far the stars of the museum are the Schneider Trophy seaplanes, four of which are on display. These aircraft were designed to compete for it, but only the Macchi M.39 won it, doing so in 1926, flown by Mario di Bernardi.

M.39

The diminutive Fiat C.29 built for the 1929 race that never competed.

C-29

The Macchi M.67, one of two that flew in but didn't finish the 1929 race at Calshot.

M.67

The Daddy of them all, the MC.72, which did not compete at the 1931 event, thus securing the trophy in perpetuity for Britain by default.

MC.72 nose

IMAM Ro.43 seaplane, a type that was carried by almost every Italian capital warship.

Ro.43

Caproni Campini CC.2 hybrid jet, whose compressor, seen below it was driven by a piston engine.

Caproni Campini CC.2

The WW2 stuff is housed in the original WW2 Hangar Badoni that housed Cant Z.506 Airone seaplanes.

Z.506 front

Examples of Castoldi's beautiful fighters: MC.200.

MC.200

C.202.

C.202 nose

And C.205, which is actually a converted C.202. Macchi did this as a mod back in the day and the Regia Aeronautica and Egyptian Air Force received these ex-C.202 airframes, so it's not merely done for the sake of the museum lacking an actual C.205.

C.205

Fiat's entry for the most beautiful WW2 fighter, the G.55.

G.55

And my personal favourite, the SM.79.

SM.79

The post war hangar is full of unique and rare Italian designs as well as foreign built AMI types. F-104S ewith F-86, AMX, Tornado F.3 and G.91 behind.

F-104S

A rarity of the type, an original Vampire night fighter. Only a small number of the NF.10s were built, this export variant being the NF.54, of which 29 were built.

Vampire NF.10 front

Italian answer to the lightweight jet fighter, the surprisingly small Aerfer Ariete.

Ariete front

I'm also going to post more in the Warbirds thread because I know not everyone will visit this page. I'll place a link there to more images.

So, what more can I say about this museum? It is truly sublime. The collection, the presentation and the displays in an exotic setting unmatched by any other aviation museum anywhere - it is the whole package and was well woirth the diversion before my lengthy journey home. If any of you are in Italy, make the trip. You won't be disappointed.

next, my last post of my mammoth European trip. Finally! And thanks ever so much for your kind comments, everyone.

Certainly some interesting stuff there - thanks for posting Grant.

Great shots Grant!

Excellent Grant. I'll be over in Tuscany next July (hot!) and may follow your advice, depending on whether or not I can break away from the other 8 family members that I'm with.

I'm sure you'll find a way Andy !

So, this is the last post of my European trip, much has happened recently resulting in a delay behind posting, but we won't go into that. We begin the end with a photo I took on my way to Bracchiano outside the Roma Porta S.Paulo train station at Ostiense and a view of two quite different buildings, one of which is considered one of the best preserved ancient structures in Rome. The castle-like building is the Porta San Paulo from the 3rd Century as one of the entry gates into the city in the Aurelian walls that ringed its outskirts.

The pyramid-pre dates this by several centuries, believe it or not. Built between 18 and 12 BC, the Piramide di Caio Cestio is the tomb of Gaius Cestius Gallus, Roman senator and general under Emperor Nero, who led 30,000 troops into Judea during the Jewish revolt between the years 66 and 73. He also led an unsuccessful invasion of Jerusalem and died shortly after being driven from Judea. Taking 330 days to complete, the pyramid is remarkable in that it is much steeper than the great Egyptian pyramids - its design is attributed to Nubian structures in influence. Note how the much later Aurelian wall incorporates the pyramid into its defenses.

Europe 490

We are now back at the Wedding Cake, Terrazza delle Quadrighe at Piazza Venezia near the Colloseum. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, hence the guards and within the mausoleum is a military museum, which I was keen to see, but unfortunately I wandered round the interior for ages only to realise that it was closed. Dammit.

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The view from the top is rather spectacular, though.

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Back to the Coloseo and a few more parting photographs...

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Before back to my apartment and my last full night in Europe before I came home. The next day was spent travelling. From my accommodation in Rome to Ciampino, then back to Paris for the long wait for my Etihad A380 back to the Southern hemisphere. Crossing the Pyrenees.

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My Big Bus at Abu Dhabi.

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Then, after 12 hours, breakfast in Sydney. A view from the Business Class lounge at Kingsford Smith of what was at the time one of Qantas' last 747s.

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Since these pictures were taken, Qantas has retired the 'Queen Of The Skies', the B747 from its fleet and only a few legacy carriers still operate the type, and strangely enough it's not the Big Bus that is replacing them. For the A380 too, the end is on the horizon.

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I felt a final pic of a verifiable classic was a good way to end this lengthy expose of my European sojourn. Believe it or not, I was away for just under five weeks, but it has taken several times that time period to produce this thread. Thank you all for following along and for the positive comments. I do hope the information I have imparted was of interest and proves helpful to you guys in your future travels.

nuuumannn said:

So, this is the last post of my European trip, much has happened recently resulting in a delay behind posting, but we won't go into that. We begin the end with a photo I took on my way to Bracchiano outside the Roma Porta S.Paulo train station at Ostiense and a view of two quite different buildings, one of which is considered one of the best preserved ancient structures in Rome. The castle-like building is the Porta San Paulo from the 3rd Century as one of the entry gates into the city in the Aurelian walls that ringed its outskirts.

The pyramid-pre dates this by several centuries, believe it or not. Built between 18 and 12 BC, the Piramide di Caio Cestio is the tomb of Gaius Cestius Gallus, Roman senator and general under Emperor Nero, who led 30,000 troops into Judea during the Jewish revolt between the years 66 and 73. He also led an unsuccessful invasion of Jerusalem and died shortly after being driven from Judea. Taking 330 days to complete, the pyramid is remarkable in that it is much steeper than the great Egyptian pyramids - its design is attributed to Nubian structures in influence. Note how the much later Aurelian wall incorporates the pyramid into its defenses.

View attachment 568658Europe 490

We are now back at the Wedding Cake, Terrazza delle Quadrighe at Piazza Venezia near the Colloseum. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, hence the guards and within the mausoleum is a military museum, which I was keen to see, but unfortunately I wandered round the interior for ages only to realise that it was closed. Dammit.

View attachment 568659Europe 491

The view from the top is rather spectacular, though.

View attachment 568660Europe 492

Back to the Coloseo and a few more parting photographs...

View attachment 568661Europe 493

View attachment 568662Europe 494

Before back to my apartment and my last full night in Europe before I came home. The next day was spent travelling. From my accommodation in Rome to Ciampino, then back to Paris for the long wait for my Etihad A380 back to the Southern hemisphere. Crossing the Pyrenees.

View attachment 568663Europe 495

My Big Bus at Abu Dhabi.

View attachment 568664Europe 496

View attachment 568665Europe 497

Then, after 12 hours, breakfast in Sydney. A view from the Business Class lounge at Kingsford Smith of what was at the time one of Qantas' last 747s.

View attachment 568666Europe 498

Since these pictures were taken, Qantas has retired the 'Queen Of The Skies', the B747 from its fleet and only a few legacy carriers still operate the type, and strangely enough it's not the Big Bus that is replacing them. For the A380 too, the end is on the horizon.

View attachment 568667Europe 499

I felt a final pic of a verifiable classic was a good way to end this lengthy expose of my European sojourn. Believe it or not, I was away for just under five weeks, but it has taken several times that time period to produce this thread. Thank you all for following along and for the positive comments. I do hope the information I have imparted was of interest and proves helpful to you guys in your future travels.

Click to expand...

Really enjoyed it. Lots of interesting info and cool pics. Thanks for all the effort it took to put all that together.

What Michael said. I would never have the perseverance to put together a thread like this so good on ya Grant.

Agree with all - a great thread with marvelous pics and info. Very well done Grant.

Lovely shots Grant! It's been great to follow the journey.

Thank you all.