Santa Rita Airfield

Santa Rita Airfield is a small general aviation strip serving the Cascia area in Umbria's mountainous Valnerina, and like many rural Italian aerodromes of its kind, it operates without a dedicated terminal building or commercial food service on site. Pilots and visitors arriving here should not expect an airside café or snack bar — this is a grass-strip field beloved by glider pilots and light aircraft enthusiasts, not a commercial hub with passenger lounges.

The real culinary reward comes the moment you step beyond the airfield perimeter. Cascia, just a short drive away, is a town of genuine Umbrian character where local trattorias serve dishes rooted in mountain tradition. Look for pasta al tartufo nero di Norcia, the celebrated black truffle that defines this corner of Italy, as well as hearty lentil soups from the nearby plains of Castelluccio and cured meats like corallina and mazzafegato, a spiced pork sausage unique to the region.

For the best sit-down experience near the airfield, head into Cascia's historic centre where family-run osterias offer fixed-price lunch menus that represent extraordinary value. Pilots based here for the day often pack a simple picnic sourced from the town's alimentari — crusty bread, local pecorino, and a wedge of torta al testo, a flatbread cooked on a stone griddle that makes the perfect cockpit companion. Plan ahead, bring cash, and embrace the unhurried pace — this is Umbria at its most authentic.