Crazy? No, this "movement" encouraged other photographers (as a sort of contagious disease), to grow up their knowledge and technique of photography. Of course, the growth of social activities of "Clipper" was so fast. We think that the reason is that at the beginning of the 20^th century, this area was the birthplace of most aeronautical Italian firms (like SIAI MARCHETTI, CAPRONI, MACCHI, AGUSTA).

Beyond of the interesting photographic activities, we believe to valorising the idea organising other collateral demonstrations also: conferences, visits and meeting in aeronautical industries. In these demonstrations the organisers recognised and identified new interesting theme and new cultural target to offer at every member of the association. Each testimony was useful to individualise the numerous technological passages or improvements and pick up human experiences that from the beginning of the century have marked the continuous progress of the aeronautical Italian industries that in our Province have a better importance. The Italian Friends Aviation Association were preset to gather the keen on people in civil aviation, divulge the flight’s technical and allow all interested an approach at this sector in gradual manner, simple and comprehensible. Between the most important activities of CLIPPER Association, you can found two publications: "WINGLETS" and "TRANSPONDER". The first one is a small magazine of most beautiful pictures that our Associates took during the year. The last one is a monthly sheet to keep update with the association’s activities, "news" from Airlines, interesting technical news, and so on… The association’s external activities were very interesting! The visits effectuated in important aeronautical industries in the first year of association’s life (AERONAVALI workshop in Venice Tessera and AIRBUS Industries in Toulouse, effectuated in the 1996), was a good experience and test for the organisers. In fact they have identified the different expectations of the almost 150 associates.

The Clipper’s birth required a seriously organisational commitment. The initiative was the first one and unique in Italy, because of which was necessary to create a program for the social activities. The main finality of CLIPPER Association was the observation from airport’s border all aircraft’s movements, takes pictures about airplane in landing, take off or taxi, and so on! These for aviation’s enthusiasts constitute the fundamental element of his presence in airport border. Very difficulty was to assure the airport authorities of our presence along airport’s fences, and of course, the Association’s finality is exclusively for hobby. In fact, after various meetings between representatives of the association had with the varied organisation, comforting "signals of opening" arrived from the society of Milano airports management S.E.A., they showed the availability to evaluate and appraise every our interesting proposals. These proposals also were more times treats in occasion of the numerous conferences held in varied place, granted for the occasion from the town’s administrations of Verghera, Samarate and Lonate Pozzolo. The main conference it was on the actual theme of "Deregulation" that held in the spring of the 1997 at the "Circolo della Stampa" in Milano. The conference, patronised from the S.E.A., attend some administrators of varied Airline Companies and illustrious names of the Italian Civil Aviation. The first spotter expression of the Association began by a bimonthly Magazine of 16 colour pages format A5 called "Winglets", for Clipper’s associated only. This Magazine shows the images of "interesting" airplanes. At the same time we had founded a black & white "sheet" in format A4, called "Transponder", this for maintaining a direct and immediate relationship between associates and Head office. This "sheet" constitute an essential bulletin, where the Clipper’s associated can found the most recent news in Airline Companies, technical subjects and so on. The experience was positive and in the month of January 1998, unexpected novelty for all Clipper’s associates, "Transponder" changed graphics, now is realised in full colours and A3 format. The change founded big satisfaction between the Clipper’s members!

In the eve of 5 years of Clipper’s activity, we have seen a strong consolidation of our Association. We tried to understood and answered immediately at every suggestion advanced from our members through common interest solutions. The subject matter of "Transponder World" was in fact the common solutions about requirements of our members. On "Transponder World" you can found News about general aviation, technical arguments, presentation of new airline livery arrived in MXP/ LIN / BGO and other airports, bimonthly plan of all Clipper’s events.

Through the availability of the S.E.A’s Management’s, E.N.A.V. and other public organisations, we have made and consolidated the activities of Clipper in the airports of Malpensa and Linate. We are extremely grateful to Alitalia, Air Europe, Swissair, Klm, SriLankan, Gulf Air, these Companies has shown extreme sensibility in our Association and they permitted to visit their airplanes. Every year we give out some Certificates of Merit to our associates that during the year have collaborated with the heads office for availability, inventiveness, generosity and so on.

Today the CLIPPER Association does not arrange still in a stable "Head Office". In effects, as it happens for all the Associations, we can find for us a centre from municipality. We for the moment have preferred postpone the problem, with the objective to find a suitable place, which, we seems to be an inside space into the airport area. This hypothesis at the moment seem of impracticable realisation, but we always confide that the Society of Airport Management (S.E.A.) could start as soon as possible with the program extended to the realisation of the spaces devoted to keen on in aviation. Today we could anticipate that now something is moving and we give our availability to collaborate, we could suggest our acquired experiences inside other international airports, this because we hope that in Malpensa Airport will realise more vanguard’s structures. Now CLIPPER is the only Association in Italy able to promote a plan of popularisation of the civil aeronautical commercial culture actively. At present the Association counts about 140 "Supporters" and difficulty, with the actual means we will decide to increase the general number of members. We prefer apply an equitable distribution in the visits, in relationship to the quality of the "services" offered and to the available places during the visits, we prefer satisfy all and wait good times….

A special thanks to all associates that from far away there send images and news. All slides are collected in the Association's file. Periodically they have viewed or projected in occasion of our meetings. About the pictures, they are collected in the album, with the negative in case of requests of duplicates.

We created an association’s sticker, and a peaked cap.

English text by Davide Picco

Last update/ultimo aggiornamento: 11-01-2008

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