FRANCESCO DE PINEDO: A FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND THE TWO AMERICAS
Pilot of seaplanes unmatched in the history of flight, Francesco De Pinedo was born on February 16th, 1890 in Naples. A lover of literature, arts, and especially music, with a prominent and complex personality, not at all prone to compromise and easy solutions, De Pinedo is, to date, an unshakable reference point in the history of both global aviation and of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force). De Pinedo enlisted in the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) when he was only 18 and, after six years of service, he obtained in two months his pilot license, which allowed him to be transferred to the newly-formed Regia Aeronautica, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When he was only 33 years old, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s General Headquarters. Among his feats one must recall the Raid, of about 55,000 kilometers, which let him to reach Australia and Japan from Italy, taking off on April 20, 1925 from Sesto Calende and returning to Rome, ending with the sea landing on the Tevere river on November 7, 1925. Thanks to this venture, he gained the rank of Colonel and the title of Marquis.
Another memorable feat of De Pinedo was the Raid of the two Americas, aboard the “Santa Maria” S.I.A.I. Marchetti S.55 seaplane, accompanied by the Captain Carlo del Prete and the motor mechanic Sergeant Vitale Zacchetti. The take-off took place on February 13, 1927 from Cagliari and, after covering more than 43,000 kilometers in less than 280 hours, with 44 sea landings along the route’s stages, the flight ended in Rome on June 16. During the venture, the “Santa Maria” burst into flames, not because of sabotage, but of a frivolous and trivial human error: John Thomason, a young refueling assistant admitted, in fact, to throwing a cigarette butt in the water, right next to the Santa Maria, without noticing the light coat of gasoline floating on the surface. The new Santa Maria arrived on the 1st of May, and the technicians rapidly assembled all its components under De Pinedo’s watchful eyes. The plane was identical to the lost one, the only difference being the wording on one of the two wings: post fata resurgo (after death I resurrect), the motto of the mythological phoenix. De Pinedo wanted to finish his undertaking as soon as possible, before being emulated by other aviators like Charles Lindbergh, the little-known American pilot all the newspapers were talking about. New York, then Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Newfoundland, the coasts of Spain and Portugal and finally Italy, with the arrival in Ostia. The feat, widely reported by the world press, was inexplicably not commemorated philatelically by Italy, but only by Newfoundland, which overprinted 6 half sheets with 50 samples of the 1897’s 60 c. stamp, with carmine writing on three lines “AIR MAIL/DE PINEDO/1927” with which were postmarked the only 225 letters placed into the mailbag carried by the Marquis. In addition to the mentioned envelopes, only 75 samples in a mint status survived and those are considered to be among the world’s rarest and most coveted pieces of global aerophilately. It is worth noting that also 75 letters were transported, known as “Corriere supplementare” (additional courier), stamped with non overprinted stamps together with 20 letters, added at the last minute, with no cancellation. The aerograms include the cancellations at St. John (May 20) and Trepassey (May 21), as well as three different stamps affixed upon arrival in Rome. A letter dated February 22, 1928 written by Francesco de Pinedo to Mario D’Alessandri, residing in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, includes a short, but explanatory message: “I regret not being able to fulfill your wish, because I donated all those few stamps and envelopes related to my flight. Cordially believe me. Francesco de Pinedo”. The document confirms how immediately rare and sought after were the documents relating to the mission accomplished by the aviator. His promotion to Air Force Brigadier General, the preparation and the command of the first great mass aerial cruise through the Western Mediterranean in 1928, his appointment as Vice Chief of Staff of the Italian Royal Air Force, his promotion to Air Force Major General and, in 1929, the organization of the mass aerial cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean are the stages of a dazzling career. The life of the valiant aviator ended on September 3, 1933 in New York due to a tragic plane crash. A solemn funeral was held in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and his body was repatriated to Italy. He has since been universally celebrated among the major historical figures of Italian and global aviation.
BY Matteo Armandi
Another memorable feat of De Pinedo was the Raid of the two Americas, aboard the “Santa Maria” S.I.A.I. Marchetti S.55 seaplane, accompanied by the Captain Carlo del Prete and the motor mechanic Sergeant Vitale Zacchetti. The take-off took place on February 13, 1927 from Cagliari and, after covering more than 43,000 kilometers in less than 280 hours, with 44 sea landings along the route’s stages, the flight ended in Rome on June 16. During the venture, the “Santa Maria” burst into flames, not because of sabotage, but of a frivolous and trivial human error: John Thomason, a young refueling assistant admitted, in fact, to throwing a cigarette butt in the water, right next to the Santa Maria, without noticing the light coat of gasoline floating on the surface. The new Santa Maria arrived on the 1st of May, and the technicians rapidly assembled all its components under De Pinedo’s watchful eyes. The plane was identical to the lost one, the only difference being the wording on one of the two wings: post fata resurgo (after death I resurrect), the motto of the mythological phoenix. De Pinedo wanted to finish his undertaking as soon as possible, before being emulated by other aviators like Charles Lindbergh, the little-known American pilot all the newspapers were talking about. New York, then Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Newfoundland, the coasts of Spain and Portugal and finally Italy, with the arrival in Ostia. The feat, widely reported by the world press, was inexplicably not commemorated philatelically by Italy, but only by Newfoundland, which overprinted 6 half sheets with 50 samples of the 1897’s 60 c. stamp, with carmine writing on three lines “AIR MAIL/DE PINEDO/1927” with which were postmarked the only 225 letters placed into the mailbag carried by the Marquis. In addition to the mentioned envelopes, only 75 samples in a mint status survived and those are considered to be among the world’s rarest and most coveted pieces of global aerophilately. It is worth noting that also 75 letters were transported, known as “Corriere supplementare” (additional courier), stamped with non overprinted stamps together with 20 letters, added at the last minute, with no cancellation. The aerograms include the cancellations at St. John (May 20) and Trepassey (May 21), as well as three different stamps affixed upon arrival in Rome. A letter dated February 22, 1928 written by Francesco de Pinedo to Mario D’Alessandri, residing in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, includes a short, but explanatory message: “I regret not being able to fulfill your wish, because I donated all those few stamps and envelopes related to my flight. Cordially believe me. Francesco de Pinedo”. The document confirms how immediately rare and sought after were the documents relating to the mission accomplished by the aviator. His promotion to Air Force Brigadier General, the preparation and the command of the first great mass aerial cruise through the Western Mediterranean in 1928, his appointment as Vice Chief of Staff of the Italian Royal Air Force, his promotion to Air Force Major General and, in 1929, the organization of the mass aerial cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean are the stages of a dazzling career. The life of the valiant aviator ended on September 3, 1933 in New York due to a tragic plane crash. A solemn funeral was held in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and his body was repatriated to Italy. He has since been universally celebrated among the major historical figures of Italian and global aviation.
BY Matteo Armandi