The tradition lives on.
The 18° Gruppo (Squadron) of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) has had checkered tails on its aircraft since the unit flew the F-104 Starfighter, out of Trapani Birgi Air Base, Sicily, in the 1980s.
Then, the traditional checkerboard appeared on the fin of the Lockheed Martin F-16ADF the Squadron, has flown from Jun. 2003 to Jun. 2012, when the leased “Vipers” were eventually returned to the U.S.
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Finally, the checkerboard has made its way to the rudder of the Eurofighter Typhoons that the 18° Gruppo has received last month, as the top picture, taken recently by Michele Carrara, shows.
