We received yesterday night the news that Giancarlo “Blitz” de Paolis passed away.
Blue skies, Blitz… 
Very sad news, my regards to his family and 51… RIP Blitz, fly high my friend
Stevie
RIP Blitz, my next flight will be in your honour!
Rest in peace Blitz.
Very sorry to hear that
So sorry to hear this… RIP Blitz, and sending my condoleances and thoughts to the family.
Although I didn’t know him very well, my thoughts go to his family and flying friends
Sincere Condolences
I am sorry to hear that.
My condolances to all of you who knew him well.
Really sorry to hear it. My deepest condolences to his family.
I am also very sad to know a so long time friend has passed away, R.I.P. Giancarlo
Si è creato un vuoto nel 51° stormo dell’European Air Force.
Blitz ci ha lasciato
Ther’s a big void in European Air Force 51 stormo
Blitz left us.
Blitz con 2 delle sue grandi passioni gli aerei e i suoi cani (nella foto manca solo un contrabbasso, era un bravissimo musicista)
Blitz with 2 of his great passions, airplanes and his dogs (this photo misses just a double bass, he was a gifted musicians)
Vorrei ricordarlo con le parole di Chip che l’hanno descritto benissimo.
i would like to remember him with Chip’s words that perfectly caught his spirits
Giancarlo was special, i knew him from many years and he’s always been that way, as we knew him, straight, fragile, passionate, depressed, out of the common.
By all means life didn’t spare anything to him, and many time he found his fate by beating against it. He wasn’t an easy person, with a seemingly strong character but instead hiding a fragile spirit in need of help.
Help he sometimes accepted and sometimes refused, making you angry.
He was one of old EAFers, with us since the start, with his highs and lows, but certainly part of the team when carried away.
He never saved himself when he needed to do something for the group and his cooperative missions for the original il2 are still wonderful and engaging.
We spent many hours flying those missions and talking on how to get them better. He had a gift for those things and never stepped back, you can see it from the numbers still available on our website.
It’s really true, you miss a person when she’s not there anymore, you give it for granted that many things don’t happen, but when it does, you stay dazed, unwilling to believe and asking yourself if you could have done something more.
Now anywhere he’ll be, he’ll find the calm and peace that he missed on this earth. I wish for him that a place like that exists, made of light and peace were he could fly wing by wing with Italo.
Farewell Giancarlo, they say a pilot never dies, he just flies higher…
Giancarlo era una persona particolare, lo conoscevo da tanti anni ed è sempre stato così, come lo abbiamo conosciuto, diretto, fragile, entusiasta, depresso, fuori dal comune.
Certamente la vita non gli ha risparmiato niente e a volte il destino se lo è cercato correndogli incontro. Non era una persona facile, un carattere all’apparenza forte che nascondeva un animo fragile bisognoso di aiuto.
Aiuto che a volte accettava e a volte lo rifiutava in toto, facendoti a volte incazzare.
Uno dei “vecchi” dell’EAF, con noi sin dagli inizi, con alti e bassi ma certamente presente nel gruppo quando era spinto dall’entusiasmo.
Non si risparmiava quando c’era da fare qualche cosa per il gruppo e le sue missioni per IL2 sono ancora bellissime e coinvolgenti!
Abbiamo passato tante ore a volarle insieme e a discutere su come migliorarle per farle più immersive. Aveva un talento per queste cose e non si risparmiava di certo, lo si può vedere dal numero che ne ha fatte ancora disponibili sulla nostra pagina web.
E’ proprio vero, senti la mancanza di una persona quando questa non c’è più, dai per scontato che certe cose non accadono e quando accadono resti così, incredulo e stranito, domandandoti se potevi fare qualche cosa di più.
Ora dovunque sarà, avrà trovato la pace e la serenità che gli sono mancati su questa terra. Spero per lui che esista un posto del genere, fatto di luce e di pace, dove potrà volare ala contro ala con Italo.
Addio Giancarlo, dicono che un “pilota” non muoia mai, vola solo più in alto…
il link dove potere scaricare le coop mission di Blitz per il vecchio il2
Here’s the link for Blitz’s Coop Mission pack for the old Il2
http://www.eaf51.org/Download_mission.htm
Sad news.
Fair winds and clear skies, RIP Giancarlo.
V sad news indeed to start the week.
Blue skies, Blitz
This is very sad to hear.
My condolences and thoughts go to all of you who knew Blitz more closely, and furthermore to his dear family.
Blue Skies, Blitz.
Oh NO!!
I’m so very sorry to read this.
RIP Blitz.
Farewell Giancarlo, they say a pilot never dies, he just flies higher…
Well said Jimmi.
RIP Blitz.
Rest in Peace Blitz.
RIP Blitz Blue Skies
Blue skies Blitz