Our Story

A passion for flying that has brought us together for generations.

Glider and tow aircraft hooked up on the Belluno grass, ready for take-off, with the mountains behind

From the Beginning to Today

Aero Club Belluno was founded on 29 January 1949, but flying at the airfield goes back much further: Aldo Tait had already started a gliding school there in the 1930s. Named after Arturo Dell'Oro, awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour, the club is today one of the few in Italy where powered flying, gliding, microlight flying and parachuting all live under the same roof, each with its own school.

The Board

Luca Murer

President
Paolo Ordigoni

Paolo Ordigoni

Vice President

Born in 1959, self-employed professional, glider pilot since 2018. He looks after the club's accounts and its office work. He was one of the club's auditors from March 2021 to March 2025, and has been Vice President since March 2025.

Santo Bonfanti

Santo Bonfanti

Board member

Born in 1969, on the Board since 2024, private pilot. He works in aviation as an AFIS officer at the Army Aviation airfield of Casarsa della Delizia. He is a qualified weather observer and briefer and has completed Crew and Team Resource Management flight safety courses; at his unit's Aircrew Training Centre he teaches meteorology, aviation regulations and air traffic.

Noemi D'Incà

Noemi D'Incà

Board member

Born in 1986, PPL in 2009: aeroplane and microlight pilot, tug pilot, and from this year part of the fire crew as well. On the Board since 2013, she looks after the duty rosters for the operations technicians and the tug pilots, all the flight school bookings, and the club's contact with its members.

Umberto Casal

Board member
Guido Rossato

Guido Rossato

Board member

Hang glider pilot from 1985 to 2001 (F.I.V.L. licence no. 4059) and glider pilot since 2005. At the club he works alongside the gliding representative — from the airfield's CCTV installation to shipping — looks after the grounds, mentors first-level gliding students and helps run the Open Days.

Andrea Paganin

Andrea Paganin

Board member – gliding representative

Glider pilot licence in 2016, he has always flown in the North-East, setting off from Belluno along the beautiful Dolomite and foothill routes. Since 2023 he has flown national and international contests, representing Italy at the Junior World Gliding Championships in Poland in 2024 and at the Junior Europeans in Slovakia in 2025. At the club he helps keep the fleet serviceable and supports the gliding group's activities.

The Board of Auditors

Ennio Sandri

Ennio Sandri

Auditor

Glider pilot. He works with the gliding representative on maintenance and mentoring, serves as an auditor and is the Aero Club’s safety manager.

Stefano Gianni

Stefano Gianni

Auditor

A member since 2018, when he took the “Aironi 2018” gliding course. A glider pilot ever since, with around 400 flying hours. TMG rating in January 2025 and advanced VDS certificate in February 2026.

Giorgio Fagherazzi

Giorgio Fagherazzi

Auditor

Glider pilot, licensed since 2024. He runs the club's social media, helps look after the institutional website and works as an auditor.

giorgio.fagherazzi@aeroclubbelluno.org

A Short History

  1. 1932–1936

    Aldo Tait starts a gliding school at Belluno airfield. It is that school which allows his sister Elena to become one of the first women in Italy to earn a flying certificate.

  2. 18 September 1948

    The first recorded meeting between air force officers and pilots, with the aim of founding an aviation association in the province.

  3. 29 January 1949

    At the offices of the Automobile Club, the founding of Aero Club “Arturo Dell'Oro” is resolved, named — like the town's airfield — after the First World War pilot awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour. The process of affiliation to the Aero Club d'Italia begins at once. The activities are powered flying and parachuting.

  4. 17 May 1951

    The first official general meeting is held, confirming membership of the Aero Club d'Italia.

  5. The 1950s

    Both the powered flying and the parachuting schools are active, with many licences and certificates obtained. A number of speed and precision competitions are also held.

  6. 2 September 1959

    The club is granted legal personality by decree of the President of the Republic.

  7. October 1963

    The airfield becomes the logistical base for relief operations in the areas devastated by the Vajont disaster, and remains so in the months that follow.

  8. November 1966

    Flooding hits the Cordevole valley particularly hard. Once again the airfield proves essential to the rescue effort.

  9. 1968

    The Air Force provisionally hands over part of the airfield to civil aviation. From then on the club takes on the role, assigned by the Airport Authority, of custodian and delegated operator of the civil airfield.

  10. Early 1970s

    The parachuting group reaches a remarkable standard, its team reaching the finals of the Italian championship.

  11. Late 1970s

    The economic crisis forces the powered flying school to suspend its activity.

  12. Mid 1980s

    After a troubled period with several changes of president, the powered flying school is restored — and has run without interruption ever since.

  13. 1990

    The runway and its buildings pass definitively from military to civil ownership. The same year sees the first running of the accuracy landing parachuting competition that will become the club's main annual sporting event, still known today as the “Europa Cup”.

  14. November 1991

    The board resolves to create the gliding section.

  15. July 1993

    The club buys its first glider, a Bergfalke IV: gliding begins, with a tug aircraft hired from outside.

  16. 1995

    The Aero Club d'Italia assigns a tug aircraft to Belluno. The gliding school is activated in the same year.

  17. 1996

    The maintenance workshop reopens after four years of closure.

  18. 1997

    The ministry issues the regulations for the mountain flying school, at the time the only one in Italy.

  19. Early 2000s

    A new discipline appears: microlight flying (Volo da Diporto Sportivo).

  20. 2001

    Belluno hosts the Italian gliding championships.

  21. 2003–2004

    The first microlight is bought and the fixed-wing microlight school is activated.

  22. 2005–2006

    After some difficult years the parachuting group re-forms, creating an association affiliated to the club and returning the jump aircraft to service. The school starts training large numbers of jumpers again.

  23. 2006

    The club presses local authorities to reorganise the airfield. The town council responds positively and takes forward a redevelopment project.

  24. 2009

    The fleet numbers two four-seat aircraft for powered flying (Piper PA28 and Cessna 172); for gliding, one tug (Cessna 305) and four gliders, two two-seaters (Twin Astir and ASK 21) and two single-seaters (Mono Astir and ASW 19); for microlight flying, two two-seat Tecnam P92s; and for parachuting, a Cessna 182 jump aircraft.

The Presidents

 PresidentTerm
1stArrigo Tessari29/01/1949 – 17/05/1951
17/05/1951* – 19/08/1964
2ndPietro Vecellio19/08/1964 – 27/02/1966
3rdArrigo Tessari27/02/1966 – 10/03/1970
4thGiovanni Serravallo19/03/1970 – 27/09/1972
5thMario Paris27/09/1972 – 26/09/1976
6thGiovanni Bressan26/09/1976 – 27/03/1977
7thLuigi Toniato27/03/1977 – 24/01/1982
8thGiuseppe Callegaro24/01/1982 – 04/07/1982
9thRoberto Peterle04/07/1982 – 25/03/1984
10thNello Bortot25/03/1984 – 03/11/1984
11thGalliano D'Incà18/11/1984 – 25/03/1990
12thMaurizio Curti25/03/1990 – 20/06/1993
13thDomenico Chiesa20/06/1993 – 28/02/2009
14thFrancesco Frezza28/02/2009 – 27/03/2021
15thLuca Murersince 27/03/2021

* On 17 May 1951 the first official general meeting was held, the one that confirmed membership of the Aero Club d'Italia: the term of office continues, it is the association that changes.