Italy celebrated 50 years of the Tricolors Arrows, the aerobatic patrol of the country’s Air Force, with two days of flights on Saturday and Sunday.

The major military aerobatic teams in the world, like the British Red Arrows, the Spanish “Patrulla Aguila” and the Jordanian Falcons, joined the air show at Rivolto Air Force Base in northern Italy.

A display with military and historical airplanes of the Italian armed forces and civilian aircraft was also set up for a passionate public of some 300,000 people coming from various countries.

Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa and other officials attended the event. “Italy feels proud of its Tricolor Arrows, and our government won’t stop supporting them,” La Russa said.

With nine aircraft and a solo, the Italian patrol has the largest number of airplanes of any aerobatic team in the world.

It was formed in 1961 as an Air Force team, replacing unofficial teams that had been sponsored by various commands by the end of the 1920s.

The patrol flies the Aermacchi MB339, a two-seat fighter- trainer craft capable of 898 km/h speed at sea level.