The Apennines - Bologna to Reggio Calabria
The Apennines, also called the Apennine Range, is a chain of mountains that forms the spine of the Italian Peninsula (also called the Apennine Peninsula). At just over 900 miles in length, they are anchored in the north at their juncture with the southern Alps, and they extend to the 'tip of the boot' at the southern extremity of the peninsula. The range is composed of terrain that ranges from rolling lowlands to sheer cliffs and knife-edge ridgelines. The highest point of the Apennines is Corno Grande, which lies in the central portion of the range 27 miles inland of the Adriatic Sea. Rising to 9,554 feet above sea level, Corno Grande is home to one of Europe’s southernmost glaciers, the tiny Calderone.
The Apennines bush trip begins in the northern end of the range at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (LIPE), just northwest of the city of Bologna. From there, the route weaves its way southward along the backbone of the Italian Peninsula, visiting cities, villages, lakes, forests, and parks, passing by some of the great peaks of the range.
The journey comes to a close by traversing the shoreline of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the southernmost reaches of the peninsula, then ends at Reggio Calabria Airport (LICR), just outside of the city of Reggio Calabria, on the shore of the Strait of Messina.
Assistance on the trip will be available in the form of a 'Back on Track' button on the VFR Map -- however, be advised that using this will disable achievements tied to the activity.
Total Legs: 9 Total Distance: 565 Total Time(125kts): 4 hours 31 minutes
Leg 1
Borgo Panigale to Peretola
Leg Distance: 51.58 Approximate time at 125kts: 25 minutes.
Borgo Panigale(LIPE) to Bologna(POI1)
Distance: 2.9NM Bearing: 135° 1 minutes
Ahead lies the adventure of the entire Italian Peninsula, flown along the corridor of its geographic spine, weaving a path that passes by its highest summits to its southernmost extremity where it meets the water in the heart of the Mediterranean. After launching from Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, fly to the southeast, over Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region of the country.
Bologna(POI1) to Sasso Marconi(POI2)
Distance: 7.1NM Bearing: 210° 3 minutes
From Bologna, turn to the southwest, and fly to the town of Sasso Marconi. Use the river Arno, along the banks of which the town was built, as a visual reference.
Sasso Marconi(POI2) to Monte Sole Regional Park(POI3)
Distance: 4.94NM Bearing: 191° 2 minutes
From Sasso Marconi, head south-southwest, passing over the confluence of the river Arno and the river Setta to Monte Sole Regional Park, passing to the left of Monte Sole, 2,191 feet above sea level.
Monte Sole Regional Park(POI3) to Castiglione dei Pepoli(POI4)
Distance: 10.7NM Bearing: 189° 5 minutes
Continue on course to the small town of Castiglione dei Pepoli, named after the Pepoli, a local aristocrat family, using the A1 highway as a visual reference.
Castiglione dei Pepoli(POI4) to Lago Bilancino(POI5)
Distance: 10.41NM Bearing: 156° 5 minutes
From Castiglione dei Pepoli, Turn to the south-southeast and pass over the A1 Highway and the village of Barberino di Mugello to reach Bilancino Lake, a man-made reservoir created with the damming of the river Sieve.
Lago Bilancino(POI5) to Prato(PRATO)
Distance: 8.7NM Bearing: 224° 4 minutes
From Lago Bilancino, turn to the southwest and fly just to the right of a ridge of peaks of the Calvana Chain of the Apennines. Continue to the city of Prato, the capital of the Tuscan province of the same name, and the second largest city in Tuscany after Florence.
Prato(PRATO) to Sesto Fiorentino(POI6)
Distance: 5.01NM Bearing: 118° 2 minutes
Turn southeast and skirt the base of the mountains, keeping them to your left, to Sesto Fiorentino, a town created by the Romans that lies on the outskirts of the Florence metropolitan area.
Sesto Fiorentino(POI6) to Peretola(LIRQ)
Distance: 1.82NM Bearing: 168° 1 minutes
At Sesto Fiorentino, turn to the south-southeast and immediately descend to land at Florence Airport (LIRQ).
Leg 2
Peretola to Arezzo
Leg Distance: 38.12 Approximate time at 125kts: 18 minutes.
Peretola(LIRQ) to Florence(POI7)
Distance: 3.61NM Bearing: 119° 2 minutes
After launching from Florence Airport, set a course to the southeast, keeping the river Arno to your right, to the heart of Florence.
Florence(POI7) to Incisa Val d'Arno(POI8)
Distance: 12.06NM Bearing: 132° 6 minutes
Turn slightly to the south, passing over the river Arno, and then roughly parallel the A1 Motorway to the town of Incisa Val d'Arno, built on the western bank of the river Arno.
Incisa Val d'Arno(POI8) to Lago di Castelnuovo(POI9)
Distance: 4.69NM Bearing: 176° 2 minutes
Turn due south from Incisa Val d’Arno, flying above a gentle valley, to reach Lago di Castelnuovo. The lake is the largest and southernmost among a cluster of four, and lies just to the south of a paved road.
Lago di Castelnuovo(POI9) to River Arno(POI10)
Distance: 12.68NM Bearing: 101° 6 minutes
From Lago di Castelnuovo, set a heading to the east-southeast, passing over the town of Montevarchi and then the A1 Motorway where it closely parallels the river Arno. Continue on course to where the river Arno is dammed to form Invaso della Penna, a long, winding lake.
River Arno(POI10) to Arezzo(LIQB)
Distance: 5.08NM Bearing: 115° 2 minutes
After passing over the lake, turn slightly to the south into a southeasterly heading, begin descending, and land at Arezzo Airport (LIQB).
Leg 3
Arezzo to San Egidio
Leg Distance: 40.16 Approximate time at 125kts: 19 minutes.
Arezzo(LIQB) to Arezzo(POI11)
Distance: 1.61NM Bearing: 71° 1 minutes
Lift back into the sky and immediately head east-northeast to pass over Arezzo, the capital city of the Tuscan province Arezzo.
Arezzo(POI11) to Castiglion Fiorentino(POI12)
Distance: 7.33NM Bearing: 164° 4 minutes
After passing over Arezzo, turn into a south-southeast heading, flying over a north-south ridge of peaks to reach Castiglion Fiorentino, a walled town that traces its roots to the Etruscans of pre-Roman times.
Castiglion Fiorentino(POI12) to Lago Trasimeno(POI13)
Distance: 12.83NM Bearing: 136° 6 minutes
From Castiglion Fiorentino, turn slightly more to the east, flying just past Monte Le Cevitelle (1,886 feet above sea level). Pass by the town of Cortona, then over a small ridge of mountains to reach Lago Trasimeno, the fourth largest lake in Italy.
Lago Trasimeno(POI13) to Perugia(POI14)
Distance: 12.95NM Bearing: 105° 6 minutes
Turn into a southeast heading at Lago Trasimeno, passing over its eastern shore, then fly over the prominent Monte Malbe, at the eastern foot of which lies Perugia, the capital city of the central Italian region Umbria.
Perugia(POI14) to San Egidio(LIRZ)
Distance: 5.44NM Bearing: 94° 3 minutes
From Perugia, turn slightly to the north into an east-southeastern heading, pass over the river Tiber where it makes a prominent bend, and land at Umbria International Airport, just to the east of the river.
Leg 4
San Egidio to Preturo
Leg Distance: 68.24 Approximate time at 125kts: 33 minutes.
San Egidio(LIRZ) to Assisi(POI15)
Distance: 4.86NM Bearing: 105° 2 minutes
Lift back into the sky and head southeast to the town of Assisi, which lies on the northwest flank of Monte Subasio, one of the most prominent massifs of the northern portion of the Apennines.
Assisi(POI15) to Foligno(POI16)
Distance: 7.82NM Bearing: 147° 4 minutes
At Assisi, turn south and fly above the western margin of Monte Subasio to Foligno, a city with ancient roots that is built around the Topino River.
Foligno(POI16) to Spoleto(POI17)
Distance: 13.43NM Bearing: 169° 6 minutes
From Foligno, turn into a nearly due-south heading, following the base of this section of the Apennines and the river Maroggia to Spoleto, a city amid rolling hills adorned with vineyards and olive groves.
Spoleto(POI17) to Monteleone di Spoleto(POI18)
Distance: 10.78NM Bearing: 114° 5 minutes
Turn southeast, flying into the heart of this section of the Apennines. Pass over the river Nera, the largest tributary to the Tiber, then fly above Monte di Civitella, the highest peak in this region, to reach the remote town of Monteleone di Spoleto, located in an isolated valley.
Monteleone di Spoleto(POI18) to Lago di Scandarello(POI19)
Distance: 13.6NM Bearing: 89° 7 minutes
Turn into a nearly due-east heading, flying amid summits topping 6,000 feet above sea level, to Lago di Scandarello, a long, narrow, southwest-northeast trending reservoir tucked into a high Apennine valley.
Lago di Scandarello(POI19) to Amatrice(POI20)
Distance: 1.49NM Bearing: 108° 1 minutes
Turn to the southeast and pass over the mountain town of Amatrice.
Amatrice(POI20) to Lago di Campotosto(POI21)
Distance: 7.12NM Bearing: 146° 3 minutes
Form Amatrice, fly to the southeast into a prominent valley to the U-shaped Lago di Campotosto, an artificial lake created in the 1930s. The highest mountain in the Apennines, Corno Grande, lies 10 miles to the southeast.
Lago di Campotosto(POI21) to Preturo(LIAP)
Distance: 9.14NM Bearing: 193° 4 minutes
Turn into a south-southwest heading, passing over a broad valley and then land at L’Aquila-Preturo Airport (LIAP), which lies just south of the village of San Vittorino.
Leg 5
Preturo to Aviosuperficie Celano
Leg Distance: 28.76 Approximate time at 125kts: 14 minutes.
Preturo(LIAP) to L'Aquila(POI22)
Distance: 4.06NM Bearing: 108° 2 minutes
After launching, set a southeast heading, following the river Aterno to L’Aquila, the capital city of the province of the same name and the Abruzzo region of Italy.
L'Aquila(POI22) to Borgo San Lorenzo(POI23)
Distance: 5.8NM Bearing: 114° 3 minutes
Continue following the river Aterno to the small village of Borgo San Lorenzo.
Borgo San Lorenzo(POI23) to San Demetrio Ne Vestini(POI24)
Distance: 2.54NM Bearing: 114° 1 minutes
Continue from Borgo San Lorenzo on the same course and shortly reach the hamlet of San Demetrio ne’ Vestini.
San Demetrio Ne Vestini(POI24) to Torre degli Abbruzzi(POI25)
Distance: 6.11NM Bearing: 142° 3 minutes
Fly to the southeast, just east of the path of the river Aterno, to the town of Torre Degli Abruzzi.
Torre degli Abbruzzi(POI25) to Celano(POI26)
Distance: 8.33NM Bearing: 205° 4 minutes
Turn to the southwest, flying over a broad plain to the town of Celano, the location of which is marked by the intersection of a number of roads and a railroad.
Celano(POI26) to Aviosuperficie Celano(LIFP)
Distance: 1.92NM Bearing: 159° 1 minutes
Turn to the south-southeast and land at Celano Airstrip (LIFP), just south of the town.