ARTURO FERRARIN 1895-1941

Arturo Ferrarin Italian Air Force Historical Office Courtesy of Don Fiore

BIOGRAPHICAL BRIEF from Don Fiore, 8-31-03      Arturo Ferrarin enlisted in the Royal Italian Army air service in 1916 and served with distinction as a fighter pilot during the First World War. Restless after the Armistice, he and Guido Masiero (also a veteran) satisfied their lust for adventure by embarking on an 11,000 mile aerial odyssey from Rome to Tokyo in 1920. Both men started off in war-vintage Ansaldo SVA biplanes. Masiero's weather-beaten aircraft gave up the ghost in China, and he had to complete the trek in a substitute plane. But Ferrarin endured all the way to Japan.      Ferrarin was absorbed into Italy's Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) when that organization was created in 1923 (the world's second, wholly independent national air arm, preceded only by Britain's RAF). He served principally as a test pilot, but also as a participant at various international air competitions, including the Schneider Trophy series.      Accompanied by Capt. Carlo del Prete, Ferrarin set a new world's long distance record in 1928 by flying non-stop to Brazil in a Savoia Marchetti SM-64 monoplane.      Ferrarin was nicknamed "Il Moro" (the Moor) owing to his dark complexion.      Ferrarin was born at Thiene, Italy on Feb. 12, 1895.      He died on Sept. 13, 1941 when a prototype aircraft he was test-flying crashed at Guidonia, Italy.

 

REQUEST FOR HELP via email from François Melcion, 4-23-07 Dear Sir,      I found your address and the interest you have about Arturo Ferrarin.      I have just bought a 1932 Alfa Romeo whose first owner was Arturo Ferrarin and I am looking for any informations about this car. Perhaps you could help me in finding some infos and photos. I live in France ( Paris) and I am very interested in knowing the story of this car and the different owners especialy the first one.      I don't know how to reach the family who perhaps have photos in the family albums.      You can reach me on this e-mail and I hope you can help me . Waiting hearing news from you, Best regards François Melcion Editor's Note: If you can offer any help to François in his search for more information on the Alfa Romeo, please contact him through my email address. Thank you very much.

 

Arturo Ferrarin in Sesto      Trovata con grande fatica nella mia disordinata raccolta. Al volante mio Padre con al fianco mio zio Ferruccio Ferrarin a Sesto di Pusteria. Qui c'è anche la targa facilmente leggibile. Ma l'anno è veramente 1930 ? . Mio Padre era molto amico dell'Ing. Gobbato che è arrivato in Alfa nel 1933 , quindi può darsi che la data scritta dietro la foto sia sbagliata.Poi ho trovato anche questa anonima e quasi illeggibile.      Found with great difficulty in my messy collection. At the wheel on the side with my father my uncle Ferruccio Ferrarin to Sexten. Here's also easy to read the plaque. But the year is really 1930? . My Father was a close friend of Eng. Gobbato who arrived in 1933 in Alpha, so it may be that the date written on the back of the photo is wrong. Then I found this anonymous and almost unreadable Contributed by Carlo Ferarrin, 12-19-11

 

Sesto Contributed by Carlo Ferarrin, 12-19-11

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for Arturo Ferrarin using the Google search engine, (8-26-03), you will find about 823 links! If you restrict the search to "Arturo Ferrarin +aviation" you will find about 45 links. Among the more useful are the following.

Book Report: Italian Aviators Rome to Tokyo in 1920 by Lt. Gen'l. (Ret.) Domenico Ludovico report by Jim Schubert      This article, obsolete as of 3-21-07, was found on the website of the Seattle chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS), is a very comprehensive revue of the 1920 flight from Rome to Tokyo made by Arturo Ferrarin and Guido Masiero. It tells their story in great detail and makes for fascinating reading. You can access the recovered copy of the article by clicking on the title above.

 

Rome to Tokyo Followup: Two Photos of Arturo Ferrarin by Greg Reynolds      This article, also found on the website of the Seattle chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS), is a very important resource of information on Arturo Ferrarin. It includes a brief biography of his career, and two beautiful photographs. One shows him on the float of his M.39 at Hampton Roads and the others shows him welcomed by a crowd in Tokyo. I hope the webpage will remain online for the foreseeable future, for it is a very valuable addtion to the story of Ferrarin. You can access it by clicking on the title above.

 

Pilots retrace historic 1920 flight By Martin Hellicar      This interesting article is found on the The Cyprus Mail website. It reports on the plans of six aviators to retrace the the historic 1920 Rome to Tokyo flight made by Arturo Ferrarin and Guido Masiero.      "The experience for me is very beautiful, because it makes me remember the flight of our old pilots," Antonello Filippone, one of the six pilots taking part in the challenge, told reporters at Larnaca.      You can enjoy the story by clicking on the title above.

 

THE GULF TODAY Tuesday, July 31, 2001 Pilots stop over on way to Tokyo to 'remake history'      This article on the Sharjah International Airport website, offers a progress report on the flight which was introduced on the previous website. I found it to be an interesting story which contrasts the flight by Arturo Ferrarin and Guido Masiero in 1920 and these adventurers in 2001. You can access the site by clicking on the title above.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

ARTURO FERRARIN uomo e pilota Gianni Mantelli size 28 x 20 cm 220 mages – more than 300 b/w pictures hardcover Italian/English text. Euro 36,00 A photo story of the famous Italian airman from his flight to Tokyo to the latest flights as test pilot. More than 300 b/w photos, many exclusive from family’s album. AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER Editor's Note: This announcement was found, using Google, (8-31-03), on the Giorgio Apostolo website, Twenty Years of Italian Aviation Publishing - 1980 to 2000. You can access the English version by clicking on the title just above.      The company offers some 20 books, most of them profusely illustrated, many with both Italian and English texts. They also offer many magazines, including the recently revived AeroFan which is available in a bilingual edition. You will be well rewarded by visiting their website.

 

FAMILY NOTES via email from Rod Liddiard, 10-6-05      I work at the Agusta Helicopter plant at Vergiate, Italy formerly the 'new' factory of SIAI Marchetti (built 1936/37) at Vergiate. The original factory in Sesto Calende has been used as a store for many years but is now undergoing a face lift to become the centre of Italy's aeronautical training for pilots (and engineers eventually).      I digress my reason for this e-mail is that I live (rent) a house in Sesto Calende from the son of Arturo Ferrarin . Carlo is himself an aero design engineer now retired. He never talks of his father as he must have been very young when his father died.      The house overlooks Lake Maggiore about a mile 'upstream' from the old SIAI launch ramp. The lake servicing shed and the ramp area are now a local park called ' Parco Europa'.      You may wonder why an English guy is working in Agusta.. Well I've been here 8 years now as Westland Helicopters Production Rep. The two companies have now merged. All started by building the EH101 helo as a joint venture. Now selected as the next US Presidential Transport under Lockheed Martin auspices.      Paid a visit Victorville (CA) a few months back. We have a development EH101 there flying with the new up rated GE engines on test. Now moved to Leadville (Colorado) for 'Hot and High' Regards, Rod Liddiard. Editor's Note: I thank Rod for this bit of information and will hope that Carlo will agree to share some of his personal recollections of his father, perhaps even some memorabilia.

 

He died on Sept. 13, 1941 when a prototype aircraft he was test-flying crashed at Guidonia, Italy. Personal communication from Don Fiore - 8-31-03

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this Early Aviator, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back