Hello, I found this cover the other day and thought some readers might enjoy seeing it and reading a little about this amazing aviation achievement
In 1920, the Italian aviators Arturo Ferrarin and Guido Masiero made a multi-stop, 11,000-mile flight from Rome to Toyko in a pair of Ansaldo SVA 9 planes – a WWI bi-plane. They had overcome various difficulties and they had been the only two out of 11 pilots that had begun the journey to complete it. They had left their planes behind in Japan and returned to Italy by ship.
The Italian aviator Pinedo proposed to explore the idea that a seaplane would have been a better choice for the trip by making a flight from Rome to Australia and Tokyo and then back to Rome. A journey over three times as long as the 1920 trip. For his flight he chose a SIAI S.16ter flying boat which he named Gennariello. This was a single engine seaplane designed by the Italian company Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) capable of carrying 5 passengers.
On 21 April 1925, Pinedo and his mechanic, Ernesto Campanelli, departed Rome aboard Gennariello. They made 26 stops before arriving in Melbourne Australia on 10th June where they stayed for 36 days before a flying back to Rome.
This cover commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Pinedo's flight to Melbourne. It is backstamped on arrival in Fiumicino, Rome on the return flight. see below
Enjoy your aerophilately and the incredible history of some early aviators.
Michael
Posted 09/28/2017 06:40 am
