11 March 2007: The Eruption from AboveThis page shows the eruption from the helicopter of the Italian Civil Defense. We thank Nino Ragusi, editor of «Volcanoes of Light», for contacting Civil Defense, and overall the Press and Information Department of the Italian Civil Defense, organizing the flight on 11 March 2007 from 10.20 to 10.40am (local time = GMT + 1hr). All photos taken by a fisheye 16mm lens and a S3 digicam (equivalent focal length of 20mm on 24x36 film). | |||
 Collapsed NE crater from NE. Note deep fissures in the foreground and the steaming eruptive fissure joining the NE crater and the active vent.
|  Sections of Sciara del Fuoco, in the foreground, has subsided by about 30m since the eruption begun (left). Flying north over the active vent on the right.
|  For the best views some risk had to be taken... This photo was taken "straight down"!
|  Above Sciara del Fuoco: Strombolicchio and Stromboli village (left) and a complete view of the eruptive theater from the NE crater to the sea (right).
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 Flying over Ginostra, great views of Vancori (right), Fossetta and Portella di Ginostra (center). Stromboli village in the background.
|  Note the new path reaching Liscione (bottom right), the helipad, then Pizzo (center), and the descent route through Portella delle Croci and Forgia Vecchia (bottom left).
|  Circling above the island: Sciara del Fuoco with the active vent (bottom right). Note the deep fissures South of the NE crater.
|  Another vertical photo taken through the open helicopter door: complete view of Sciara del Fuoco from the Crater Terrace (left) to the Sciara's shore (right).
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 Close passage over the active vent. Note the 400m helipad and path (top left).
|  Near the lava delta; note the steaming vent, at right, of NE crater active on 9 March and narrow black lava flow.
|  Flying opposite the 9 March flow, well visible on the right of a brown landslide, in the middle of Sciara del Fuoco.
|  Returning towards San Vincenzo, passing the lava delta.
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 Cameraman Salvatore Renda takes the last frames during this flight.
|  Landing at the Centro Operativo Avanzato of Italian Civile Defense (San Vincenzo).
|  4 March, 16h, f=50mm. Another helicopter leaves for an observation flight.
|  6 March, 16h, f=50mm. Helicopter near the lava delta.
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| Copyright: M. Fulle. | |||