Fotos para la historia.-

Photo By Alenia Aeronautica.

Marco Venanzetti was born in Rome, Italy, on 31 August 1962. He joined the Italian Air Force in September 1982. He attended the Italian Air Force Academy from which he graduated in March 1986. In March 1986 he joined the Undergraduate Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, USA, and graduated in June 1987.

He was then assigned to the Operational Conversion Unit at Grosseto Air Force Base, Italy, flying the TF-104 and after the completion of the course he joined the 9th Fighter Interceptor Squadron flying the F-104S Starfighter.

After four years of operational flying, Marco was selected from the Italian Air Force Flight Test Center and, on May 1992, was assigned to the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, from where he graduated Experimental Test Pilot in June 1993.

Returning to Italy, Marco was assigned to the Eurofighter Test Team of the Italian Air Force where he worked till September 1997 participating at various Working Groups. He flew the Eurofighter as military Test Pilot twice (October 1996 and April 1997).

In September 1997 Marco was recalled to the operational world as Squadron Commander of the 101st Operational Conversion Unit flying the AMX and AMX-T. During this period he participated to the Bosnia campaign flying the AMX in the Close Air Support role. Marco left the active service in September 1998 to join Alenia Aeronautica as Experimental Test Pilot where, beside the Eurofighter, he was involved in all Company fighter programs like TORNADO and AMX.

In November 2006 he was appointed Chief Test Pilot and since December 2008 is the Director of Flight Operations. Marco has flown more than 4500 hours and has been pilot in command in 76 different aircraft and helicopters.