Albatros Airfield

The primary trigger for the closure was a tragic and fatal accident involving an ultralight aircraft on November 29, 2014. This event led to an investigation by the ANSV (Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo - Italy's National Agency for Flight Safety). Following the investigation and likely facing insurmountable regulatory and economic pressures, the owners decided not to reopen, leading to the permanent decommissioning of the airfield.

The site has been completely repurposed and is no longer recognizable as an airfield from the ground. The former grass runway and adjacent areas have been converted into a large ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant (a solar farm). Satellite imagery clearly shows rows of solar panels covering the entire length of the former operational area. While some of the original buildings or hangars may remain on the periphery, the core aviation infrastructure has been removed and replaced by the solar energy facility.

Albatros Airfield was not a commercial airport but an 'Aviosuperficie', a type of private airfield common in Italy for general aviation and recreational flying. Its significance was primarily local. It served as a vital hub for the general aviation (GA) and ultralight (ULM) community in the province of Pesaro and Urbino. The airfield hosted the 'Scuola di Volo Albatros' (Albatros Flight School), providing training for private pilot licenses and ultralight certificates. It was a base for local pilots to hangar their aircraft and engage in sport and recreational flying, contributing to the local aviation culture.

None. The prospect of reopening the site as an airfield is considered nil. The complete conversion of the land into an industrial-scale solar farm represents a permanent change in land use. The cost and legal complexity of decommissioning the power plant, removing all related infrastructure, and recertifying the land for aviation use would be prohibitive, making a return to its former function unfeasible.