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The Italian Air Force flew over Philadelphia

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Italian Air Force!

The Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori performs a flyover the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Monday. The team is headlining the Air Dot Show in Ocean City, Md., on Aug. 24-25.
The Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori performs a flyover the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Monday. The team is headlining the Air Dot Show in Ocean City, Md., on Aug. 24-25.Read moreJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
    by Beatrice Forman
    Updated 
    Published 

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Italian Air Force!

The Frecce Tricolori — the Italian Air Force’s high-flyin’ show team — passed over Philadelphia Monday morning as part of their North American tour. The event kicked off at 10:30 a.m.

The 10-jet troupe started over Northeast Philadelphia and flew south to the Ben Franklin Bridge, with the planes’ signature red, green, and white smoke trails following close behind. Then, they turned west to fly over downtown and the Philadelphia Museum of Art before heading back to the Northeast to close the loop.

The show lasted roughly 30 minutes.

The display was part of Frecce Tricolori’s first North American tour in over 30 years, with previous stops in New York City; Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Augusta, Ga. Its next stop will be in Ocean City, Md., on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, where the group will headline the OC Air Show.

    Beatrice Forman
    Bluesky
    Threads
    I'm a food writer who covers how trends are reshaping Philadelphia's dynamic food scene, from the growth of Philly's restaurant merch to why venture capital-backed chains can't stop coming to our city. I also cover labor dynamics — and changes to the workplace — within the hospitality industry.