The Decennial Air Cruise () 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. It consisted of 25 Savoia-Marchetti S.55X seaplanes crossing the Atlantic Ocean in formation, forming the greatest mass flight in aviation history. 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. A publicity success for Italy, Balbo further viewed the expedition as a pioneering step towards commercial flights across the Atlantic.
Background 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. 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. 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.
Balbo was very fond of the United States, and was motivated to establish a "permanent link" between the Italian and the American aviation. He was "delighted" by the way he was received during his visit in 1929 and hoped to fly back there.
Between 1928 and 1931, three Italian mass flights took place, one per year: across the Western Mediterranean, the Eastern Mediterranean, and one crossing the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
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. 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 (1923–1933).
Preparations It was decided to double the number of aircraft and men that took part in the earlier transatlantic flight: this time 24 aircraft and 100 men were to be employed.
The initial plan was to fly around the world through: the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, India, China, Japan, Kuril Islands, Kamchatka Krai, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, California, Panama, Florida, New York, Newfoundland, Ireland, and Italy. Captain Enea Silvio Recagno was sent to the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka Karin in May 1931 to explore the area, and he singled out Attu Island as the most appropriate base for the squadrons. The plan had to be discarded due to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the cost, deemed too high by Balbo given the financial crisis. Not willing to abandon the idea of pursuing the North Atlantic route, Balbo decided that the Italian planes had to reach the International Exposition in Chicago, whose motto A Century of Progress he considered particularly suitable.
Recagno was sent once again to survey the area, this time to Greenland, in April 1932. Travelling by motorboat from Godthaab to Julianehaab, he studied the meteorology of the area as well as its geography, and identified a lake in the proximity of Julianehaab as a potential base for a water landing in Greenland.
Captain Renato Abbriata instead reached Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador with some difficulties. Having travelled to St. John's, he met an American aviator who took him to Cartwright on a small de Havilland Moth airplane. The American died while flying on his way back, and was described by Balbo as a "glorious victim in the cause of aviation and of human solidarity". Abbriata spent three weeks in Cartwright, gathering meteorological data and studying the coast.
Major Stefano Cagna, very much trusted by Balbo and an important participant in all previous mass flights, was considered the best candidate to plan the European leg of the expedition. During his exploratory flight, Cagna flew from Orbetello to Reykjavík via Amsterdam and Derry on a S55, the same flying boat used for the transatlantic flight.
Balbo organized the Transoceanic Fliers Conference of 1932 in Rome, with the goal of gathering as much information as possible for the upcoming expedition. He also thought that the conference would have proved useful to establish a regular airplane service between Europe and the Americas in the future.
Recruiting and training the pilots at the Scuola di navigazione aerea d'alto mare (SNADAM), established specifically for the expedition and led by Brigadier general Aldo Pellegrini, took two years. Seventy officers were recruited, most of which young. About a dozen veterans of the expedition to Brazil were also chosen, in order to mentor and inspire the younger officers. The practical part of the training included the expertise required to handle a flying boat on water such as sailing, as well as waves and wind movement. The winter of 1932/1933 was spent mountaineering in Misurina to prepare the men for the skills that might have been needed in case of water landing at extreme northern latitudes. The aviators learned about the various components of the seaplanes directly at the factories producing them. On the academic side, the officers took courses in mathematics, physics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, English, and navigation. The training was hard: half of the original applicants failed and got replaced. The SM.55, which already proved its reliability during the Brazil and Eastern Mediterranean expedition, was chosen once again. Differently from all previous flights, the engine of choice this time was the Isotta Fraschini Asso 11R.
In May 1933 the expedition was nearly ready to depart, but had to wait for weather conditions to improve over the Alps and northcentral Europe.
Aircraft
+ Crew List Registration Commander Crew (Second Pilot, Radio Operator, Mechanic) I-ABBR Capt. Abbriata Renato Lieut. Nicoletti Aldemaro, Sgt. Arcangeli Dino, A1C D'Amuri Vincenzo I-ARAM Capt. Aramu Mario Lieut. Orsolan Raffaele, Sgt. Maj. Bonaccini Cesare, A1C Frusciante Elio I-BALB Gen. Balbo Italo Lt. Col. Cagna Stefano, Maj. Pezzani Carlo, Lieut. Cappannini Gino, Sgt. Berti Giuseppe I-BIAN Capt. Biani Vincenzo SLt. Moretti Ireneo, Sgt. Suriani Amedeo, A1C Manara Igino I-BISE Capt. Biseo Attilio Capt. Cupini Samuele, Sgt. Maj. Giulini Davide, Sgt. Parizzi Dario I-BORG Capt. Borghetti Bruno Capt. Fraili Ottavo, A1C Balestri Edmondo, A1C Leone Ernesto I-CALO Capt. Calò Carducci Jacopo Lieut. Palmiotti Michele, Sgt. Mascioli Tito, A1C Pinelli Oscar I-CANN Capt. Cannistracci Lettiero Capt. Rossi Giorgio, Sgt. Maj. Tiraboschi Ettore, Sgt. Simonetti Alfredo I-DINI Capt. Baldini Mario Lieut. Novelli Amelio, Sgt. Quintavalle Ugo, Sgt. Joria Demetrio I-GALL Capt. Gallo Luigi Capt. Clingheri Luigi, Sgt. Bartolini Piero, A1C Pelosi Osvaldo I-GIOR Capt. Giordano Gennaro Capt. Fiori Umberto, Sgt. Maj. Viotti Vittorio, A1C Negro Gaetano I-LEON Capt. Leone Leonello Lieut. Revetria Secondo, Sgt. D'Amora Pasquale, A1C Fabbrini Remo I-LIPP Capt. Lippi Antonio Capt. Ceccotti Giuseppe, A1C Bisol Mario, A1C Mastronardo Angelo I-LONG Lt. Col. Longo Ulisse Capt. De Vittembeschi Ivo, Sgt. Maj Bernazzani Cesare, Sgt. Maj. Ometto Guglielmo I-MARIReserve Crew Capt. Trimboli Stefano Lieut. Beltramo Ernesto, A1C Cuturi Arturo, A1C Delle Piane Mario I-MIGL Capt. Miglia Alessandro Lieut. Fisicaro Sebastiano, Sgt. Maj. Lettini Pietro, A1C Cubeddu Giovanni I-NANN Capt. Nannini Umberto Capt. Accardo Fernando, Sgt. Maj. Vaschetto Ezio, A1C Filipponi Florido I-NAPO Capt. Napoli Silvio Lieut. Sarlo Francesco, Sgt. De Donno Francesco, Sgt. Virgilio Giuseppe I-PELL Brig. Gen. Pellegrini Aldo Capt. Bonino Guido, Slt. Pifferi Mario, Sgt. Alberi Ettore I-QUES Capt. Questa Luigi Lieut. Marrama Goffredo, A1C Antonante Domenico, A1C Zoppi Felice I-RANI Capt. Ranieri Celso Lieut. Squaglia Enrico, Sgt. Maj. Cremaschi Luigi, Sgt. Boveri Aldo I-RECA Capt. Recagno Enea Capt. Cadringheri Remo, A1C Chiaramonte Francesco, A1C Muzi Ugo I-ROVI Capt. Rovis Umberto Lieut. Aini Giuseppe, Sgt. Cipollini Carlo, A1C Martinelli Spartaco I-TEUC Capt. Teucci Giuseppe Capt. Marini Luigi, A1C Gasperini Ferrer, A1C Romeo Vincenzo I-VERC Capt. Vercelloni Alessandro Capt. Frabetti Marcello, A1C Mansani Rolando, A1C Murolo Ottavio
The North Atlantic route
With the weather finally cleared during the night of June 30 to July 1, Balbo set reveille at 4:15 AM for the first leg of the flight between Orbetello and Amsterdam. The aircraft flew over the Alps in formation, and after seven hours reached Amsterdam. In the Dutch city, a large number of journalists and sightseers was waiting for the water landing, during which Sergeant Mechanic Ugo Quintavalle lost his life. The seaboat flipped over, likely due to an error made by the pilot of the I-DINI aircraft Captain Mario Baldini. While three of the crew and a passenger were saved, Quintavalle died trapped in the wreckage. In Amsterdam the aviators were welcomed with public ceremonies, and Balbo was given the keys to the city. In a message to Mussolini, portrayed in an American cartoon, Balbo said: "They gave us everything but rest and sleep".
The second leg of the flight took place the day after from Amsterdam to Derry, covering the 625 miles between the two cities in 6 hours and 12 minutes. The Italian aviators traveled on a Royal Air Force speedboat through cheering crowds and were received by the Mayor at Guild Hall.
On July 5 the Armada flew from Derry to Reykjavík, encountering heavy fog for about half an hour. By dropping to an altitude of 30 meters, at which the waves were visible, they managed to fly past the fog and eventually reach the Icelandic capital safely at 6PM. Thousands of Icelanders assembled at the waterfront to welcome the airmen.
After 6 days in Reykjavík due to bad weather, on July 12 the squadrons took off with destination Cartwright, the hardest leg of the journey. In case of difficulties, the aircraft could have stopped half-way through in Julianehaab at the repair and supply depot prepared at the location identified by Captain Enea Silvio Recagno during the preparations. That was unnecessary however, and after 12 hours of flight the expedition reached Newfoundland; the number of aviators that successfully crossed the Northern Atlantic went from 28 to 127. The six hours flight from Cartwright to Shediac was uneventful amid good weather. In Shediac, where at the time the population was around 10,000, a crowd of 30,000 awaited the Italians.
On July 14 the Armada covered the distance between Shediac and Montréal in about five hours. The flight in this case was almost entirely above land, meaning that the aviators had to rely entirely on the engines as emergency water landings were not possible. At his arrival in Longueuil Balbo was furious because of various small boats flitting about in the area where the armada had to land. As a newsman approached him with a microphone, Balbo let fly a few "unparliamentary invectives", which he thought might have gone through on the radio. In Montréal the Italians were welcomed by Canadian Minister of Marine Alfred Duranleau.