 These would form the first unit, initially known as "Aviación del Tercio", and set out at dawn on 30 July from Cagliari–Elmas on Sardinia, where they had picked up three officials from the "Scuola di Navigazione di Altura" at Orbetello, the "gerarca" Ettore Muti, and Lieutenant Colonel Ruggero Bonomi.The aircraft crews and the specialists were all volunteers from 7th, 10th and 13th "Stormo" and were provided with civilian clothes and fake documents.All Italian insignia on the planes had been blotted out to avoid an international incident with pro-Republican European governments.