Mario De Bernardi
Encyclopedia
Mario de Bernardi was an Italian World War I
fighter pilot
, seaplane
air racer
of the 1920s, and test pilot of early Italian experimental jets.
, Italy. In 1911, at the age of 18, he served in the Italian armed forces during the Italo-Turkish War
(1911–1912), where he witnessed the first military use of airplanes in combat. He returned to Italy resolved to become a pilot, and he received his pilots license in 1914.
in 1915, de Bernardi was in the 2nd Regiment
of the Piedmont Royal Cavalry. He joined the Italian Air Service
and became the first Italian credited with destroying an enemy aircraft in the air when he shot one down over Verona
. By the end of the war in November 1918 he had received credit for the destruction of four Austro-Hungarian aircraft with an additional one unconfirmed kill.
De Bernardi later became an aircraft parts inspector and the director of the experimental airfields at Guidonia Montecelio
, Furbara, and Vigna di Valle.
de Bernardi, representing Italy, won the Schneider Trophy
race at Hampton Roads
, Virginia
, in the United States. He completed the course in a Macchi M.39
with an average speed of 396.698 kilometres per hour (246.5 mph) on a 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) circuit; this was a new world speed record for seaplanes. Four days later, on November 17, 1926, he broke his own record, attaining a speed in the same M.39 of 416.618 kilometres per hour (258.9 mph) over a circuit of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) at Hampton Roads.
On 26 September 1927, de Bernardi again was among the pilots representing Italy in the Schneider Trophy race, this time held in Venice
, Italy. Flying a Macchi M.52
racing seaplane, de Bernardi was forced to retire early from the race with engine trouble. However, again flying an M.52, he set a world speed record of 479.29 kilometres per hour (297.8 mph) over a course of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) on November 4, 1927. He went on to set yet another world speed record on March 30, 1928, flying a Macchi M.52R racing seaplane 512.776 kilometres per hour (318.6 mph) at Venice, becoming both the first person to exceed 500 kilometres per hour (310.7 mph)and the first person to exceed 300 miles per hour (482.8 km/h).
company at Taliedo
, near the present-day Malpensa airport, serving as a test pilot and technical consultant . In 1931 he won the world aerobatics
championship at Cleveland
, Ohio
, in the United States.
In 1933, de Bernardi piloted a Caproni Ca.111
reconnaissance aircraft
/light bomber
with five passengers on board on a flight of 2600 kilometres (1,615.6 mi) from Rome, Italy, to Moscow in the Soviet Union
.
In 1939, de Bernardi moved to Rome, where he resided for the rest of his life. In 1940 he began to participate in the development of the first remotely controlled aircraft intended for use as flying bombs.
On August 27, 1940, de Bernardi piloted the Caproni Campini N.1 - sometimes called "Caproni Campini CC.2" - experimental motorjet
aircraft on its first flight; the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
considered it the first successful flight of a jet aircraft
until news of the August 1939 flight of the German Heinkel He 178
jet later became public. On November 30, 1941, de Bernardi flew an N.1 from Milan
to Guidonia Montecelio in about two hours carrying aerogram
s with canceled postage stamp
s, becoming the first pilot to carry air mail in a jet aircraft.
awarded at the time - as Italys outstanding aviator of that year.
De Bernardi received the Gold Medal of Valor (Aviation), given to "Reward acts of singular courage, skill, and philanthropy committed on board aircraft in flight." De Bernardis achievements also led the Italian military to name the Italian Air Force
s largest base, Pratica di Mare Air Force Base
, located southwest of Rome, after him as "Colonello Mario de Bernardi" in 1959.
In March 2006, a plaque honoring de Bernardi was placed at Via Panama 86 - his home from 1939 to 1959 - in Rome as his daughter Fiorenza looked on.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
, seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
air racer
Air racing
- History :The first ever air race was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1908. The participants piloted the only 4 airships in the U.S. around a course located at Forest Park...
of the 1920s, and test pilot of early Italian experimental jets.
Early life
De Bernardi was born on July 1, 1893, in VenosaVenosa
Venosa is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata, in the Vulture area. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Ginestra, Lavello, Maschito, Montemilone, Palazzo San Gervasio, Rapolla and Spinazzola....
, Italy. In 1911, at the age of 18, he served in the Italian armed forces during the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
(1911–1912), where he witnessed the first military use of airplanes in combat. He returned to Italy resolved to become a pilot, and he received his pilots license in 1914.
World War I
When Italy entered World War I (1914–1918) on the side of the AlliesAllies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
in 1915, de Bernardi was in the 2nd Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Piedmont Royal Cavalry. He joined the Italian Air Service
Italian Air Force
The Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
and became the first Italian credited with destroying an enemy aircraft in the air when he shot one down over Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. By the end of the war in November 1918 he had received credit for the destruction of four Austro-Hungarian aircraft with an additional one unconfirmed kill.
De Bernardi later became an aircraft parts inspector and the director of the experimental airfields at Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia Montecelio is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy.- Geography :The community of Guidonia Montecelio lies to the north-east of Rome, some kilometres from the Grande Raccordo Anulare - a ring-shaped motorway which forms a circle around the capital...
, Furbara, and Vigna di Valle.
Schneider Trophy races and world speed records
After World War I, de Bernardi began racing seaplanes in the international races being held at the time. Perhaps his greatest success in these races came on November 13, 1926, when then-MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
de Bernardi, representing Italy, won the Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
race at Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in the United States. He completed the course in a Macchi M.39
Macchi M.39
|-M.39 racer:-See also:-Bibliography:* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
with an average speed of 396.698 kilometres per hour (246.5 mph) on a 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) circuit; this was a new world speed record for seaplanes. Four days later, on November 17, 1926, he broke his own record, attaining a speed in the same M.39 of 416.618 kilometres per hour (258.9 mph) over a circuit of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) at Hampton Roads.
On 26 September 1927, de Bernardi again was among the pilots representing Italy in the Schneider Trophy race, this time held in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy. Flying a Macchi M.52
Macchi M.52
|-M.52bis or M.52R:-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
racing seaplane, de Bernardi was forced to retire early from the race with engine trouble. However, again flying an M.52, he set a world speed record of 479.29 kilometres per hour (297.8 mph) over a course of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) on November 4, 1927. He went on to set yet another world speed record on March 30, 1928, flying a Macchi M.52R racing seaplane 512.776 kilometres per hour (318.6 mph) at Venice, becoming both the first person to exceed 500 kilometres per hour (310.7 mph)and the first person to exceed 300 miles per hour (482.8 km/h).
Later career
At the turn of the 1930s de Bernardi joined the CaproniCaproni
thumb|right|300px|[[Caproni Ca.316]] seaplane at its moorings.Caproni was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1908 by Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni....
company at Taliedo
Taliedo
Taliedo is a peripheral district of the city Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 4 administrative division, located south-east of the city centre...
, near the present-day Malpensa airport, serving as a test pilot and technical consultant . In 1931 he won the world aerobatics
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
championship at Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in the United States.
In 1933, de Bernardi piloted a Caproni Ca.111
Caproni Ca.111
The Caproni Ca.111 was a long-range reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber produced in Italy during the 1930s. It was a derivative of the Ca.101.-Design and development:...
reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
/light bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
with five passengers on board on a flight of 2600 kilometres (1,615.6 mi) from Rome, Italy, to Moscow in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
In 1939, de Bernardi moved to Rome, where he resided for the rest of his life. In 1940 he began to participate in the development of the first remotely controlled aircraft intended for use as flying bombs.
On August 27, 1940, de Bernardi piloted the Caproni Campini N.1 - sometimes called "Caproni Campini CC.2" - experimental motorjet
Motorjet
A motorjet is a rudimentary type of jet engine which is sometimes referred to as thermojet, a term now commonly used to describe a particular and completely unrelated pulsejet design.- Design :...
aircraft on its first flight; the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
considered it the first successful flight of a jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
until news of the August 1939 flight of the German Heinkel He 178
Heinkel He 178
|-See also:*List of firsts in aviation-Bibliography:* Warsitz, Lutz: The First Jet Pilot - The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz, Pen and Sword Books Ltd., England, 2009, ISBN 9781844158188.-External links:...
jet later became public. On November 30, 1941, de Bernardi flew an N.1 from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
to Guidonia Montecelio in about two hours carrying aerogram
Aerogram
An Aerogram, Aérogramme or Air Letter is a thin lightweight piece of foldable and gummed paper for writing a letter for transit via airmail, in which the letter and envelope are one and the same. Most postal administrations forbid enclosures in these light letters, which are usually sent abroad at...
s with canceled postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s, becoming the first pilot to carry air mail in a jet aircraft.
Death
On April 8, 1959, de Bernardi went to a Rome airport to see a German light plane demonstration, and flew his own light plane, showing off his aerobatic skills. While in the air, he began to experience a heart attack. He managed to land the aircraft, only to die minutes later at the age of 65.Honors, Awards, and Commemoration
In 1926, de Bernardi received the National Trophy - one of the four Harmon TrophiesHarmon Trophy
The Harmon Trophy is a set of three international trophies, to be awarded annually to the world's outstanding aviator, aviatrix , and aeronaut...
awarded at the time - as Italys outstanding aviator of that year.
Italian Air Force
The Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
s largest base, Pratica di Mare Air Force Base
Pratica di Mare Air Force Base
Pratica di Mare Air Force Base is an Italian Air Force installation southwest of Rome, Italy. It was built in 1937, and in 1957 it was named after Colonnello Mario de Bernardi. It is the biggest Italian Air force base...
, located southwest of Rome, after him as "Colonello Mario de Bernardi" in 1959.
In March 2006, a plaque honoring de Bernardi was placed at Via Panama 86 - his home from 1939 to 1959 - in Rome as his daughter Fiorenza looked on.