International Fighter Pilots Academy [SEP] inception
International Fighter Pilots Academy
The International Fighter Pilots Academy (IFPA) was originally established in the Slovak Republic (Central Europe) in early 1993 as an official training unit (55 Squadron under the 5th Training Wing) permitting civilian visitors to participate in flying activities on operational military aircraft. The unit was originally formed to raise money for the "cash-strapped" Slovak Air Force. Aircraft available include jet fighters (L-39C, MIG-21UM, MIG-29UB) and helicopters (Mil Mi-2, Mil Mi-17, Mil Mi-24) at the various
graduating class in 1926 was the noted aviator Fausto Cecconi. 
By 1928 the officers' school was supported by separate schools for aircraft mechanics and meteorologists, then further specialized training for bomber pilots and fighter pilots.
From 1926 through 1943 the academy was housed in the Palace of Caserta, a Baroque royal palace of the 18th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 1942 film "The Three Pilots" provides a glimpse of the palace as an aviation school. The Academy also trained international students, for instance a