On September 3, at the Museum of Aeronautics in Point Cook in Australia, An international ceremony was held to commemorate the One hundred years since the transoceanic raid completed in 1925 by Lieutenant Colonel Francesco De Pinedo and from his driver Ernesto Campanelli, who, with their SIAI S.16 seaplane, nicknamed “Gennariello”They linked Sesto Calende, Melbourne, Tokyo and Rome in an ideal way.
The event was organized by’Military Attache's Office of Canberra, in collaboration with’Embassy of Italy, It Consulate General of Italy for Victoria and Tasmania and the Royal Australian Air Force, With the participation of Italian and Australian civil and military authorities, representatives of the combatant and arms associations, and a large representation of the Italian community in Australia.
Among those present was Air Force General Silvano Frigerio, Commander of the Air Force Command and 1st Air Region, Air Vice Marshal Harvey Reynolds, Deputy Commander of the Royal Australian Air Force, the’Chargé d’Affaires of the Italian Embassy in Canberra, Dr. Roberto Rizzo, Mr. Nicola Carè, the Consul General Chiara Mauri, numerous representatives of the Combatant and Arms Associations of Victoria and Tasmania, and many members of the large Italian community in Melbourne.
In his welcome address, the Dr. Roberto Rizzo, on behalf of the Italian Ambassador in Canberra, H.E. Paolo Crudele, He recalled that the undertaking of De Pinedo and Campanelli had a meaning that went far beyond the technical and aeronautical aspect: “The transoceanic flight had a profound moral significance also for the Italian community in Australia at the time – more than 20,000 people awaited De Pinedo and Campanelli upon their arrival in Melbourne, and among them were our fellow immigrants, enthusiastic and with tears in their eyes. The crowd that then welcomed the Italian hydrofoil should make all the representatives of the Associations of the Armed Forces, the Committee of Italians Abroad, and the large Italian community of Vittoria proud even today.”.
It General of the Air Force Silvano Frigerio, speaking on behalf of the Air Force, ,“ he emphasized the universal value of that mission: "Celebrating the centenary of the De Pinedo and Campanelli raid today means paying tribute to an achievement that was much more than an aviation triumph. That epic flight not only demonstrated technical capabilities and a spirit of sacrifice, but also united peoples and continents, strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Italy and Australia. It is a legacy of values and vision that still guides the Royal Australian Air Force in its journey towards the future.”.
In addition to the initiative, the public was able to admire photographs and historical materials made available by the archives of the Italian Air Force and the Ministry of Defense. Royal Australian Air Force, which has returned the evocative impression of one of the most extraordinary aviation feats of the twentieth century.
