139:
pressurized suit and an airtight helmet, just like a modern astronaut. In the
Caproni hangars in the meantime work went on ceaselessly to produce a new version of the aircraft, the Ca161bis designed by engineer Verduzio. Its cockpit was embedded in an air-tight shell, the first one to be built in the history of flight. The great expectations on this machine were soon fulfilled: on 22 October 1938 Pezzi attained a new world record for altitude in a propeller-driven, piston-engined aircraft (17,083 m, 56,047 ft), a record still unbeaten today.
108:
replace the officer responsible for the ITAF Ammunition
Research Unit, a branch of the Service dealing with rockets and missiles too. I answered that it was not my field, my field being airplanes, not rockets. Pezzi objected: "Then give me the name of some top brass who is expert in that field". I answered again no, I did not know anyone with such a capability. "Well, then the job is yours" was Pezzi's conclusion.
138:
On 7 May 1937 Pezzi took off from the
Guidonia-Montecelio base in a Caproni Ca161 aircraft powered by a 14 cyl. double stellar engine supercharged by a double centrifugal 750 hp compressor. Piloting this aircraft he climbed to 15,655 m (51,362 ft). Pezzi wore a special electrically heated
107:
to lead the ITAF Ammunition
Research Unit, responsible for rockets and missiles research, leading the way to future space exploration in Italy. Broglio himself described that meeting with Pezzi: "In 1956, secretary-general of ITAF Pezzi, the man famous for his altitude flight records, asked me to
294:
174:, and in 1934 he had been named commander of the unit for the record flight from Montecelio. He became a high official and received many decorations. In the post-war period he was general secretary of Aeronautics and subsequently head of Cabinet of the Defense Ministry.
20:
142:
In those years
Americans, Germans, English and French fought for this record, and Italy entered the contest with 14,433 m (47,355 ft) in 1934 from Donates on his
135:
motor and pressurised airtight cabin, wearing a special pressure suit and reaching a height of 17,083 m (56,047 ft). This record still stands today.
334:
167:
On 22 October the following year, Pezzi achieved his still-valid world record for propeller aircraft with a height of 17,083 m (56,046.6 feet).
103:
Pezzi is rightly considered an aeronautics and astronautics pioneer in Italy not only for his altitude records: he was the man who chose
164:
In 1937, the
Englishman M.J. Adam in his turn exceeded it with 16,440 m (53,940 ft) to edge ahead once again in the Bristol 138.
339:
329:
239:
275:
100:. From 1950-1955, Pezzi worked as Head of Cabinet of the Minister and, subsequently, General Secretary of Aeronautics.
37:
known worldwide for his flight in which he achieved greater height than any other pilot in a propeller-powered
309:
81:
267:
The
Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future
324:
161:; but in the same year Pezzi surpassed this, reaching 15,635 m (51,300 ft) aboard a Ca.161.
50:
319:
314:
154:
8:
221:
70:
271:
213:
66:
58:
225:
203:
97:
265:
143:
125:
303:
217:
104:
74:
24:
158:
93:
117:
19:
170:
As a young man, Pezzi had entered a career in aeronautics, becoming a
208:
191:
89:
62:
38:
171:
132:
128:
85:
54:
34:
147:
121:
80:
After Pezzi's record flight, he was decorated with the
49:
Pezzi was born on 9 November 1898. He had one brother,
65:
in
October 1917, and the next year earned the rank of
77:, rising to Cabinet of the Defense Ministry in 1931.
33:(9 November 1898 – 26 August 1968) was an Italian
301:
73:in 1926. The next year he became part of the
335:Recipients of the Medal of Aeronautic Valor
157:achieved 15,230 m (49,970 ft) with a
207:
18:
270:. Smithsonian Institution. p. 47.
263:
302:
240:"Flight in the Depression Timeline"
116:Pezzi established his record above
13:
14:
351:
288:
192:"The World's Air Altitude Record"
23:Mario Pezzi in his high-altitude
264:Launius, Roger D. (2018-10-23).
111:
96:as well as Chief of the General
340:Italian aviation record holders
330:Flight altitude record holders
257:
232:
184:
82:Gold Medal of Aeronautic Valor
1:
295:Enrico Pezzi's Family Website
177:
44:
7:
53:, who also grew up to be a
10:
356:
202:(3532): 56. 1937-07-01.
153:In 1936, the Englishman
88:. Later he also became
27:
22:
155:Francis Ronald Swain
61:. Mario joined the
69:. He received his
28:
277:978-1-58834-637-7
67:second lieutenant
59:Italian Air Force
347:
310:Italian aviators
282:
281:
261:
255:
254:
252:
251:
236:
230:
229:
211:
209:10.1038/140056a0
188:
355:
354:
350:
349:
348:
346:
345:
344:
300:
299:
291:
286:
285:
278:
262:
258:
249:
247:
238:
237:
233:
190:
189:
185:
180:
114:
71:pilot's license
47:
17:
16:Italian aviator
12:
11:
5:
353:
343:
342:
337:
332:
327:
325:Caproni people
322:
317:
312:
298:
297:
290:
289:External links
287:
284:
283:
276:
256:
231:
182:
181:
179:
176:
144:Caproni Ca.113
126:Caproni Ca.161
113:
110:
46:
43:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
352:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
313:
311:
308:
307:
305:
296:
293:
292:
279:
273:
269:
268:
260:
245:
244:HowStuffWorks
241:
235:
227:
223:
219:
215:
210:
205:
201:
197:
193:
187:
183:
175:
173:
168:
165:
162:
160:
156:
151:
149:
145:
140:
136:
134:
130:
127:
123:
119:
112:Record Flight
109:
106:
105:Luigi Broglio
101:
99:
95:
91:
87:
84:and promoted
83:
78:
76:
75:General Staff
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
42:
40:
36:
32:
26:
25:pressure suit
21:
266:
259:
248:. Retrieved
246:. 2008-07-25
243:
234:
199:
195:
186:
169:
166:
163:
152:
141:
137:
115:
102:
79:
48:
30:
29:
320:1968 deaths
315:1898 births
159:Bristol 138
124:) aboard a
94:Aeronautics
31:Mario Pezzi
304:Categories
250:2023-04-20
178:References
118:Montecelio
218:1476-4687
90:commander
45:Biography
226:45241605
63:Infantry
39:airplane
150:motor.
146:with a
133:Piaggio
131:with a
129:biplane
86:colonel
57:in the
55:general
35:aviator
274:
224:
216:
196:Nature
148:Pegaso
51:Enrico
222:S2CID
172:pilot
98:Staff
272:ISBN
214:ISSN
122:Rome
204:doi
200:140
92:of
306::
242:.
220:.
212:.
198:.
194:.
41:.
280:.
253:.
228:.
206::
120:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
