The members of the Group were welcomed by the Defence Minister Josip Buljevi\u0107, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Mirko \u0160undov and the Commander of the Croatian Air Force and AIr Defence, Brigadier General Miroslav Kova\u010d. <\/p>\n
Minister Buljevi\u0107 expressed his pride over the performance of the pilots of the “Wings of Storm” and said that the award received was a brilliant achievement for the Croatian pilot and the Croatian Air Force.<\/p>\n
“We came here to extend congratulations to our pilots for winning the most prestigious award at the largest international air show, ushering in the marking of the 21st anniversary of the Police and MIlitary Operation “Storm”, the name this superb group has chosen. The pilots are a proof\u00a0 of the future of the Croatian Air Force, and it is our overarching goal to maintain it”, said Minister Buljevi\u0107.<\/p>\n
The Chief of the General Staff, General Mirko \u0160undov extended his congratulations to the pilots on the award and the professionalism, and emphasised that the human resources were the most valuable asset of the Croatian Armed Forces. <\/p>\n
The Team Leader and Deputy Commander of the Fixed Wing Squadron Damir Bari\u0161i\u0107 underlined that the RIAT was a special occasion as it was the largest\u00a0 air show where the Wings of Storm won an award.
“It was a great pleasure to fly at the RIAT and present our country in the best of ways. We have been proving it for years to have a top-quality pilot school and we have demonstrated demanding and rare flying elements”, said Lt. Col. Bari\u0161i\u0107.<\/p>\n
In the season 2016\u00a0 the “Wings of Storm” are performing in the 6-aircraft (Pilatus\u00a0 PC-9M) formation, in the composition as follows: Lt. Col. Damir Bari\u0161i\u0107, Team Leader), Captain Ivan An\u0111i\u0107, 1st Left Wing, 1st Lieutenant Goran Grgi\u0107, 1st Right Wing, 1st Lieutenant Darko Belan\u010di\u0107, Tail , 2nd Lieutenant Denis \u017divalji\u0107, 2nd Left Wing and Captain Zvonimir Mravunac, 2nd Right Wing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWings of Storm\u201c have won the King Hussein Memorial Sword, traditionally awarded at the Show.\u00a0 They won it for the best overall performance. The award is presented in memory of HM King Hussein, the long-time patron of the Show. It was presented by his son, Prince Faisal bin Hussein in person. <\/p>\n
The Royal International Air Tatoo is a prestigious event running since 1971. It has earned a place in tjhe Guineness Book of Records for hosting 535 aircraft in 2003 and is regarded as the world’s largest military air show, with numerous participants, predominantly from air forces from all over the world.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
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