Mario de Bernardi
Memorial plaque on his house, in Via Panama, Rome
Born	1 July 1893 Venosa, Italy
Died	8 April 1959 Rome, Italy
Occupation	World War I fighter pilot Air racer Test pilot

Mario de Bernardi (1893 - 1959) was an Italian fighter ace, seaplane air racer, and test pilot of early Italian experimental jets.

Contents 1 Flying achievements 2 Death 3 Commemoration 4 Notes

[edit] Flying achievements

After the First World War, Bernardi began racing seaplanes in the international races being held at the time. Perhaps his greatest success in these races came on November 13, 1926, when Major Bernardi won the Schneider Trophy in Hampton Roads. He completed the course in a Macchi M.39 with an average speed of 396.7 km/h on a 350 km circuit.^[1]

[edit] Death

Mario de Bernardi would die of a heart attack in Rome at the age of sixty-five. He had gone out to a Rome airport to see a German light plane demonstration, and went up in the air in his own light plane, showing off his aerobatic skills. While up in the air, he began to experience a heart attack and settled the plane down to land, only to die minutes later.^[2]

[edit] Commemoration

de Bernardi's achievements led the Italian military to name their Rome center, Pratica di Mare Air Force Base, after him.

[edit] Notes

Persondata
NAME	de Bernardi, Mario
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Italian pilot
DATE OF BIRTH	1893
PLACE OF BIRTH	Venosa, Italy
DATE OF DEATH	1959
PLACE OF DEATH	Rome, Italy