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Decennial Air Cruise

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Route of the Italian Air Armada during the Decennial Air Cruise

The Decennial Air Cruise (Italian: Crociera aerea del Decennale) was a mass transatlantic flight from Orbetello, Italy, to the Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. The expedition, organized by the Italian Regia Aeronautica, began on July 1, 1933, and ended on August 12 of the same year.[1]: 354–355  It consisted of 25 Savoia-Marchetti S.55X seaplanes crossing the Atlantic Ocean in formation, forming the greatest mass flight in aviation history.[2] The Italian squadrons, led by General Italo Balbo, were welcomed enthusiastically in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Canada, and particularly in the United States of America, where they became known as the Italian Air Armada .[2] A publicity success for Italy,[3] Balbo further viewed the expedition as a pioneering step towards commercial flights across the Atlantic.[4]: 231

Background<br>[edit]

International public opinion in the early 1930s was fascinated by the progress of aviation, with attempts to fly across the ocean widely covered by the media. Pilots such as Francesco De Pinedo were so popular internationally that monuments were dedicated to them abroad. Even minor details of flights, such as delays due to bad weather, were covered by the international press.[5] Aviation was the domain of heroes rather than part of normal daily life.

In 1928, when he was appointed General of the Air Force, Balbo was determined to make Italy the most advanced country in the world when it came to aviation.[1]: 281  Being opposed to the stardom of individual pilots common at the time, he wanted each of them to develop a sense of belonging to a larger organization, the Air Force.[4]: 179

Balbo was very fond of the United States, and was motivated to establish a "permanent link" between the Italian and the American aviation.[6]: 11–12  He was "delighted" by the way he was received during his visit in 1929 and hoped to fly back there.[7]

Between 1928 and 1931, three Italian mass flights took place, one per year: across the Western Mediterranean,{{rp|pp=329–331}}"},"2":{"wt":"group=\"Note\""}},"i":0}}]}'>[Note 1] the Eastern Mediterranean,{{cite book |last1=De Felice |first1=Renzo |title=Mussolini il fascista: L'organizzazione dello stato fascista, 1925-1929 |date=1966 |publisher=Einaudi |isbn=9788806139919 |page=26}}{{cite book |last1=D'Avanzo |first1=Giuseppe |title=Ali e poltrone |date=1981 |publisher=Giarrapico |location=Roma |page=102}}{{rp|p=205}} The route was: Orbetello, [[Taranto]], [[Athens]], [[Istanbul]], [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] ([[Bulgaria]]), [[Odessa]] (then [[Soviet Union]]), and the planes used this time were 40.{{cite book |last1=Wohl |first1=Robert |title=The spectacle of flight : aviation and the Western imagination, 1920-1950 |url=https://archive.org/details/spectacleoffligh0000wohl_k9q4 |url-access=registration |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0300122657 |page=[https://archive.org/details/spectacleoffligh0000wohl_k9q4/page/70 70]|date=April 2007 }}"},"2":{"wt":"group=\"Note\""}},"i":0}}]}'>[Note 2] and one crossing the Southern Atlantic Ocean.{{rp|p=13}} Balbo led 12 aircraft and 50 men across the Southern Atlantic from Orbetello to Rio de Janeiro. This crossing was considered easier because of more predictable weather patterns.{{rp|pp=215–216}} The flight took place between 17 December 1930 and 15 January 1931, making the news worldwide. Balbo wrote an account of the expedition for the [[New York Times]].{{cite journal |last3=Press |title=BALBO SUMMARIZES LESSONS OF FLIGHT; Italian Air Minister Praises Machines and Men Who Made Epochal Journey. HARD TO KEEP FORMATION His Orders Were \"Arrive With Plane or Don't Arrive\"--Hints of New Flight Here. Calls Percentage of Loss Low. Take-Off Was Dramatic. Flight Through Darkness. Praises Motors and Radio. |journal=The New York Times |date=January 18, 1931 |pages=13 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/01/18/archives/balbo-summarizes-lessons-of-flight-italian-air-minister-praises.html |issn=0362-4331}}"},"2":{"wt":"group=\"Note\""}},"i":0}}]}'>[Note 3]

Up to 1933, the history of transatlantic flights recorded only 28 successful attempts out of 78 to cross the Northern Atlantic, all of which individual flights. A mass formation crossing had never been tried before.[12] The ten years anniversary of the March on Rome (1922–1932) was deemed by the Italian government the right occasion to attempt the mass flight, hence the expedition was dubbed Decennial Air Cruise . Although the organization of the flight took longer than expected, ending in 1933, the name was kept in celebration of another decennial, the establishment of the Royal Italian Air Force...