Pilot Report, Flying the Caproni Ca. 3 Replica

On June 8, 2023, the magnificent WWI-vintage replica Caproni Ca.3 bomber took to the skies once more, eight years after its first and only flight. This impressive reproduction, built by Giancarlo Zanardo and the volunteers of the Jonathan Collection, flew near Nervesa della Battaglia airfield in northeastern Italy during the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force. During our visit to Italy, we had the opportunity to interview one of its pilots, Fabio Consoli. Fabio is a former Italian Air Force fighter and test pilot, a distinguished graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School, and has logged approximately 17,000 flight hours on various aircraft, including the F-104, AMX, Eurofighter, F-15, F-4, A-7, F-18, F-16, B-52, F-5, C-130, C-141, and G222.