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Italy Classics is six days of Italian aviation in one stunning north run through the country, linking three very different styles of shooting. You start with early history at the truly beautiful Italian AF museum at Vigna di Valle. You then spend real time outside the fence at two very different fast-jet bases, with exciting changes in light and activity as it unfolds. In between, we keep undertake a great wrecks & relics hunt.
It’s aviation-dense yet relaxed in a true Italian style. It’s small group aviation photography, with typical Italian evenings consisting great food & drink and the easy conversations you only get when everyone speaks the same aviation language.
This trip is for people who enjoy variety in a great country with super aviation photography all washed down with delicious food & drink. One day is about slowing down to absorb a jaw-dropping museum that rewards detail, composition, and patience. Another is about being outside the fence with fast jets, where the day has its own ops tempt and you work with the light you’re given. Then there are the moments between the headline locations: a gate guardian that’s worth a detour, a forgotten airframe, a relic in a crazy location, and the quiet satisfaction of finding something rare off the beaten track!
The timing is also important too - a major drive of the trip is shooting Italian Tornados while they are still part of the picture, with just one squadron of ‘Tonkas’ left at Ghedi before retirement.
We meet at Rome Airport on Saturday 25 April, collect transport, and settle in for the first night at Lago di Bracciano. From there the week runs north in sensible stages, finishing at Bologna Airport late afternoon on Thursday 30 April. The small group keeps everything smoother than you’d expect from a multi-stop week: moving between locations stays simple, the plan stays flexible when it needs to, and everyone has space at the fence line and in museums.
Across the driving legs we keep our eyes open for wrecks and aviation relics on or close to the route. Some stops are quick. Some earn more time when the subject is strong and the conditions are right. That’s part of the point of doing Italy this way: you’re not just travelling between “headline” sites, you’re staying alert to what else is on offer!
Italy Classics is built around some great shooting locations. The Italian AF museum is world-class and you can take your time, work angles, and focus on the detail of some of the rarest machines in the world. Spotting outside the perimeter is different because the activity is operational and can vary. We plan around the best options available on the ground, we use known public locations outside the perimeter, and we work within local restrictions and guidelines.
That combination is what makes the week satisfying. You get the deliberate, composed photography of heritage airframes and museum spaces, then you get the immediacy and excitement of active flying where anticipation is king!
(See more info under the Provisional Itinerary section)
Photography on Italy Classics is about working real environments rather than being handed a script. You’ll move between three distinct styles of shooting:
The group is small, which brings a natural sense of teamwork. People shoot in different ways and at different paces. Shared knowledge flows easily - it could be a quick settings chat at the fence, a glance at the back of someone’s camera, a nudge on angle or timing. Many people come away with some of their strongest images because of the way these trips use time, locations and company to support good photography.
With six people, evenings become one of the best parts of the week without needing to force it. Italy easily takes care of the food! A lovely social dinner, local wine or beer if you fancy it, and a relaxed debrief of the day. Conversation drifts between aircraft, cameras, routes, and whatever the day produced. It’s an easy atmosphere, and it doesn’t take long for the group to settle.
All of that really matters on COAP drops. Perimeter days can be intense in a satisfying way, museums can be absorbing and more of a solo shoot, and the relic hunt has that constant sense of “what’s around the next bend”. Ending the day well keeps the whole week enjoyable.
The trip runs as a small-group tour with clear daily plans and on-the-ground decisions that reflect what is actually happening. We keep days productive yet low friction, so you can focus on the aviation and the photography.
All base activity is planned around public, legal locations outside the perimeter fence, working within local restrictions and guidelines. Fondazione Jonathan is subject to some administration, which will be completed very soon. Where the plan needs to adapt because of conditions, we do it calmly and practically, with the goal of finishing each day feeling like you used it well.
If Italy Classics feels like your kind of week, drop us a note and we’ll answer any practical questions about flights, pacing, and kit. A quick conversation is usually the fastest way to work out fit, especially on a trip with this mix of perimeter days, museums, and the relic hunt running quietly through the middle of it.
It’s now ready for booking…
This trip is offered as Land Only (From £1595pp in a shared twin room). There is a £400pp supplement to upgrade to single room accommodation.
Flight quotes are available from your airport of choice and the timings must align with the above as closely as possible to ensure logistical arrangements. Do not book your flights without confirming with us first.
An aviation photography tour of Italy covering the early days of aviation, modern jets and the thrills of a classic Wrecks and Relics road trip.
Day 1, Saturday 25th April - We meet up as a group at Rome Airport on Saturday 25th April and after collecting our transport head to our overnight stop on the shores of Lago di Bracciano.
Day 2, Sunday 26th April - We will travel the short distance to the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle. We will spend the full day here before leaving to travel onto our overnight stop on the outskirts of Florence. Across all our travels during the week we will have an eye on various aircraft wrecks and aviation relics that are on or close to our driving route.
Day 3, Monday 27th April - On Monday morning, we continue northwards to Ghedi Air Base, currently home to the 6º Stormo of the Italian Air Force with the 102º Gruppo (Papero) with F-35A Lightning II, the 154º Gruppo (Diavoli Rossi) with F-35A Lightning II and the 155º Gruppo (Le linci) with Tornado ECR. We will photograph from the perimeter and observe the movements of the based aircraft.
Day 4, Tuesday 28th April - Tuesday sees us drive through across the country in sight of the Dolomite Mountains and we await authorisation to visit the world-famous Fondazione Jonathan (The Jonathan Collection), an Italian historical aviation foundation, particularly focused on World War I aircraft preserving and demonstrating historic planes and handmade replicas, in an immersive experience into early aviation.
Day 5, Wednesday 29th April - Today sees us around the perimeter of the important NATO Air Base at Aviano. Home to the F-16’s of the 555th Fighter and the 510th Fighter Squadrons as well as HH-60G Pavehawks of the 56th Rescue Squadron and any visiting NATO partners. At the end of the day, we return to the same hotel as the previous night.
Day 6, Thursday 30th April - Depending on the weather etc, we’ll return to shoot outside Aviano in the morning before heading out for a wrecks & relics hunt en-route to Bologna Airport at the end of the afternoon for our early evening flight back to the UK.
Included
Not included
Gear notes
You’ll shoot a mix of museums, perimeter locations and roadside relic stops, so bring kit that can flex quickly. A long zoom covers most perimeter work, with a mid-range zoom for museum halls, cockpit framing and wider “day feel” shots. A wide option is useful at Vigna di Valle and for context frames at relic stops. Expect full outdoor days at the bases, so plan layers, a windproof outer, comfortable footwear, and lens cloths for dust and grime on the road.
Travel notes
If you book twin share and don’t have a named roommate, we’ll try to match within the group. If matching isn’t possible, the single supplement applies.
This trip is Land Only. Flights can be quoted from your departure airport on request.
Please don’t book flights until timings are confirmed with us, as the group plan is built around the Rome meet-up and Bologna finish.
Travel documents and travel insurance are your responsibility, and appropriate insurance is required for travel.
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