Born in Naples in the 1890, De Pinedo completed in 1925 the great flight from Italy to Australia with return through Japan on board the seaplane Savoia-Marchetti S.16ter, which he named "Gennariello", in honor of San Gennaro, patron of his hometown. With the inscription superstitious on the "Ibis redibis" carlinga, that is to say "I go and return", 55.000 km of flight were covered and De Pinedo was promoted to colonel of aviation.
In the 1927 the intrepid aviator performed his most famous feat, performing with the second pilot Carlo Del Prete and the motorist Vitale Zacchetti the transvolved from Europe to the two Americas and back with the seaplane Savoia-Marchetti S.55 named, in memory of the company of Christopher Columbus, "Santa Maria". Later he was promoted to general air division and appointed sub-chief of the General Staff of the Royal Air Force.
In 1933 he traveled to the United States to break the world record with a flight from New York to Baghdad. But in this undertaking he found death, in the take-off phase, on board a Bellanca machine, called "Saint Lucia".
In memory of the great aviator, on a day characterized by disturbed weather and strong gusts of wind, the "Sparviero" boat of the Aeronautical Academy won in the Mini-Altura class in front of "Artiglio" of the Italian Naval League - Naples Section and "Mary Poppins" of the Torre del Greco Nautical Club. After four races, the three boats dominate in the general classification.
The traditional presence of the Air Force Academy at the top of the winter sailing championship, despite the constant renewal of the crews, is the result of attention to sport and its values, characteristic of the training institute. At the helm of "Sparrowhawk" in the last two victorious editions, the same commander of the Air Force Academy.
The calendar of the Winter Sailing Championship of the Gulf of Naples will end at the end of March and will involve all five regattas in the regattas of Campania, Remo and Vela Italia, Club Nautico della Vela, Canottieri Napoli, Royal Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia , Torre del Greco Nautical Club; the two Sailing Sections of the Navy and the Aeronautical Academy; the Naval League Section of Naples and the Committee of Levante.
Source: Aeronautical Academy - chap. Giulio Finotti
