Recently, the Spanish press enthusiastically celebrated the world record set by the Patrulla Acrobática Paracaidista del Ejército del Aire (Papea)who performed a flag jump of 1,350 square metres. This event has aroused admiration and pride, but there is one crucial detail that has been overlooked: the real world record holder is Italian.
The (false) Spanish record
On 15 May 2024, the Papea made a spectacular jump into the skies over Murcia, carrying a flag measuring 1,350 square metres and weighing 60 kilos. The protagonists of this feat were the Military Parachutists Christian Moltó e Miguel Antonio Gómezwho performed a complex 'mirror jump' manoeuvre after intensive training. This type of manoeuvre, which requires great experience, has been part of Papea's performances for eight years, but never before has it been performed with such a large flag.
The real record. All Italian.
Although the Spanish feat is remarkable, it is important to remember that the real world record for the largest flag used in a parachute jump belongs to Italy.
1 December 2019, Parachutist Colonel Paolo Filippiniofficer of the Folgore, now on leave, set a record with an Italian flag measuring 1,600 square metres and weighing 120 kilos. The launch took place over the airport of Ampugnano, in the province of Siena.
Filippini, who has over 16,000 jumps to his credit, is a multiple world and Italian skydiving sports champion. His feat was not only a demonstration of technical skill, but also a symbol of national pride.
The Importance of the Record
The world's largest parachute-launched flag by Paolo Filippini is a record that deserves to be remembered and celebrated. It is an example of how Italy has a long tradition of excellence in parachuting and how our athletes continue to proudly represent our country throughout the world.
In conclusion, while Papea's recent feat is undoubtedly impressive, it is essential to recognise the true world record holder: Parachutist Colonel Paolo Filippini and its 1,600-square-metre tricolour flag. A record that must not be forgotten and must serve as a warning to inspire new achievements in the world of parachuting.
The precedent: the Guardia Civil and the world's fastest lookout
In 2023, the Spanish Guardia Civil announced the construction of their new lookout 'Río Flumen', presented by the Spanish media as the fastest sea police unit in the worldcapable of reaching 60 knots. However, this claim turned out to be exaggerated and inaccurate.
In Italy, there is a vedetta that has held the real speed record in European waters for years. La Vedetta Velocissima V.6000 of Guardia di Finanzain service since 2001, exceeds 70 knots, making her the true queen of fast patrol vessels. With a top speed that can exceed 70 knots, this Italian vedette has been an example of advanced engineering and excellence in maritime operations for over 20 years.
Only a few months after the announcement of the 'Río Flumen', several Spanish newspapers acknowledged the errorconfirming that the Italian V.6000 is the true queen of the sea in terms of performance.
Will they recognise the error this time as well? We shall see...
