The Aero Club d'Italia has locked in a multi-year commitment to the lakeside town of Castiglione del Lago, confirming that the national aviation rally that debuted in June 2026 will return for three more editions—2027, 2028, and 2029—at the historic Leopoldo Eleuteri airfield. The decision follows the successful three-day inaugural event (June 19-21, 2026) that drew hundreds of aircraft from across Italy and marked the first time in half a century that the federation has convened a national gathering of its member clubs.
Why This Matters
• Regional tourism boost: Umbria is positioning itself as the first Italian region to formally integrate light aviation and aviosuperficie (small airfield) tourism into its official tourism policy.
• New cultural anchor: The lakeside airstrip, once a Royal Air Force training academy, is being reimagined as a heritage aviation hub with year-round events and museum projects.
• Aviation access for residents: The rally opens up technical talks, flight demonstrations, and heritage aircraft viewings to local communities, making sport aviation more accessible beyond the usual elite clubs.
Decades-Long Gap Now Bridged
Aero Club d'Italia President Stefano Arcifa, who took office in 2025, made the national rally a flagship initiative. The last comparable gathering took place in the mid-1970s. Arcifa explained that the federation wanted to "make this a shared heritage for all components of flight, including companies that are international reference points, and also open to residents and tourists to bring them closer to a fascinating world."
The June 19–21, 2026 event hosted seaplanes, vintage biplanes, World War II-era trainers, and experimental craft including a manned drone—a rare sight at Italian aviation events. Sector-specific panels addressed airspace regulation, pilot licensing changes, and the sustainability of small airfields amid rising insurance costs.
The Italian Ministry of Sport and Youth, represented by Minister Andrea Abodi, and Umbria Regional President Stefania Proietti attended, underlining the cross-sector interest in aviation as both sport and economic driver.
What This Means for Residents
For those living in or near Castiglione del Lago, the commitment translates into guaranteed annual programming for at least the next three summers. Local businesses can plan around peak visitor periods, and the Comune (municipal government) has already begun restoration work on 1920s-era hangars and ancillary buildings within the airfield perimeter.
The restoration project, funded by €190,000 in European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (PSR 2014–2020) money, aims to convert structures such as the engine test bay and historic washrooms into an open-air aviation museum. Accessibility features are part of the blueprint, ensuring pathways and exhibits accommodate wheelchair users and families with young children.
The Umbria Regional Government is codifying avioturismo (aviation tourism) protections in a new consolidated tourism law—the first Italian region to do so. This legal recognition could unlock further grant funding and tax incentives for airstrip maintenance, pilot training schools, and related hospitality ventures.
A Strategic Location with Deep Roots
The Leopoldo Eleuteri field sits on the southern shore of Lake Trasimeno, Italy's fourth-largest lake and a popular weekend destination from Florence and Perugia. The site was inaugurated in 1914 as a seaplane station, expanded in 1918, and later served as the Royal Air Force fighter pilot academy. It remained active for aircraft testing into the 1960s before falling largely dormant as a military asset.
Today, it operates as a certified ENAC aviosuperficie with a 780–800-meter grass runway managed by the Aero Club Trasimeno. The field hosts ultralight and general aviation traffic year-round and anchors two recurring events: the Spring Meeting for ultralight aircraft and "Coloriamo i Cieli" (Let's Color the Skies), an international kite festival.
By securing the national rally through 2029, the club positions Castiglione del Lago alongside better-known aviation hubs such as Rieti and Varese, but with the added draw of lake scenery and slower-paced Umbrian culture.
The Broader Italian Aviation Context
Aero Club d'Italia, founded in 1911 and granted legal status by royal decree in 1926, is the sole national body recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) for air sports and Italy's delegate to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). It oversees motor flight, gliding, paramotoring, parachuting, model aircraft, ballooning, and aerobatics.
Despite its century-plus history, the club had not organized a comprehensive national rally since the 1970s. The federation's network comprises dozens of regional clubs, each tied to local airstrips, but coordination at the national level has been sporadic. Arcifa's presidency signals a push toward greater cohesion and public-facing programming.
The club operates under oversight from five ministries: Infrastructure and Transport, Defense, Economy and Finance, Interior, and the Prime Minister's Office. This bureaucratic complexity has historically slowed initiatives, making last weekend's rapid follow-through on a multi-year commitment all the more notable.
Economic and Social Ripple Effects
While official attendance and spending figures have not yet been released, local hoteliers and restaurateurs reported full bookings across the three-day window. The town's population of roughly 15,000 swells during summer, but the aviation crowd represents a distinct demographic: mid-to-high income, skewing male and over 40, with discretionary spending on fuel, hangarage, and dining.
The Associazione Città dell'Aria (Cities of the Air Association), which coordinated logistics, aims to build a "territorial aviation trail" linking Castiglione del Lago with other historic airfields in central Italy. If realized, this could create a multi-stop itinerary for fly-in tourists, similar to wine routes but tailored to pilots.
For residents, the aviation presence also brings noise—propeller-driven aircraft and ultralights are audible within a 2-kilometer radius during peak morning and late-afternoon departures. The Comune has so far fielded few complaints, but sustained year-on-year growth may prompt stricter operating-hour agreements.
Looking Ahead
A formal protocol covering the 2027–2029 editions is set for signature in September. Signatories include Stefano Arcifa (Aero Club d'Italia), Antonello Burchielli (Aero Club Trasimeno), Matteo Burico (Mayor of Castiglione del Lago), and Simona Meloni (Umbria Regional Councillor for Tourism and Sport). The document is expected to outline cost-sharing for runway maintenance, emergency medical services during events, and promotional co-funding.
The initiative also dovetails with broader efforts to diversify Umbria's tourism portfolio beyond art cities and truffle hunting. Aviation heritage, lake sports, and cycling trails are being bundled into integrated packages aimed at northern European visitors, particularly Germans and Dutch, who have shown appetite for active, nature-based holidays.
The restored hangar buildings, once complete, will join the lakeside Wildlife Recovery Center (CRAS) and the Trasimeno Aquarium—though the latter has faced administrative setbacks—in forming a cultural cluster accessible by foot or bicycle from the medieval town center, 3 kilometers to the north.
For now, the message is clear: Castiglione del Lago intends to reclaim its place on Italy's aviation map, one propeller turn at a time.
