Alessandro Guidoni (July 15, 1880 – April 27, 1928) served as a general in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force). Guidonia Montecelio , the small town and comune where he died while testing a new parachute , was named after him in 1937.
14-567: Guidoni is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: Alessandro Guidoni Dorival Guidoni Junior (born 1972), Brazilian retired footballer Jean Guidoni (born 1952) French singer Stefano Guidoni (born 1971) Italian footballer Umberto Guidoni (born 1954), Italian astrophysicist, science writer and a former ESA astronaut, See also [ edit ] 10605 Guidoni , asteroid Guideschi Valter Giuliani [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
28-520: Is an Italian medal awarded "for acts and enterprises of singular courage and skill aboard an aircraft in flight." Instituted in 1927, it is awarded at three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The medal may be conferred on both Italian and foreign persons and entities and on both civilians and members of the Italian armed forces. It can also be awarded posthumously. Proposals for a medal awarded to aviators had begun as early as 1913 but were put on hold with
42-627: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Alessandro Guidoni Guidoni was born in Turin , Italy , on 15 July 1880. He obtained his degree in engineering at the Turin Polytechnic in 1903 and in 1905, while serving in the Navy Engineering Corps, took his second degree in naval engineering. In 1909 he developed a keen interest in the newborn Corpo Aeronautico Militare ("Military Aviation Corps") of
56-581: The Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) celebrated Guidoni ' s passion for flight 26 April 2006 with these words: “A perfect fusion of military engineer and scientist, General Guidoni ( ITAF ) represents more than anyone else in our country the passion of man to conquer space, reach other planets, and investigate stars.” Gold Medal for Aeronautic Valor Medal of Aeronautic Valor The Medal of Aeronautic Valor ( Italian : Medaglia al valore aeronautico )
70-533: The Regio Esercito (Italian Royal Army), joining many aviation pioneers. Guidoni served in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912 as a pilot trainee, soon achieving a full certification and flying "hydroplanes" ( seaplanes ). He then started studying weaponry and developed a new gyroscope -guided bomb to be delivered by planes against distant targets. In 1912, as a captain , he experimented with
84-603: The Regia Aeronautica , he became a member of the new service, and achieved the rank of general. On the morning of 27 April 1928, being dissatisfied with its design, Guidoni tested personally a new model of parachute at the Regia Aeronautica airfield at Montecelio , Italy, and was fatally injured when it failed. Guidoni posthumously received the Medaglia d’Oro al Valore aeronautico ("Gold Medal for Aeronautic Valor"). The third Dornier Do X flying boat built,
98-651: The X3, registered as I-ABBN , was named Alessandro Guidoni in Guidoni ' s honor, and entered service in May, 1932. A private airline, Società Anonima di Navigazione Aerea (SANA) flew it initially; the Regia Aeronautica later operated it. In the 1930s a town was built around the airfield at Montecelio to house military personnel. Benito Mussolini , the Italian Duce , laid the town ' s founding stone on 27 April 1935,
112-443: The surname Guidoni . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guidoni&oldid=898921548 " Categories : Surnames Italian-language surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
126-592: The South Atlantic. Grosschopff was cited as "an admirable example of selflessness, comradeship, and a sublime disregard of danger." Recipients of the medal in the 21st century include three Italian astronauts : Roberto Vittori , Maurizio Cheli , and Luca Parmitano . Kingdom of Italy From 1927 to 1945: Italian Republic In the early days of the Italian Republic, the medals were minted privately without an officially decreed design. One of
140-689: The air-launching of torpedoes by dropping weights from a Farman biplane . He also drew the plans of the seaplane carrier Europa , which entered service with the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) in 1915. In 1920, Guidoni joined the Italian Embassy in London as military attaché with the rank of colonel . When the Corpo Aeronautico Militare separated from the army in 1923 to become an independent service,
154-613: The country became the Italian Republic in 1946. In 2010, the medal was absorbed into the Italian Military Code. The principal change was the restoration of eligibility to civilians. In 1928 the first medals, all Gold, were awarded to Alessandro Guidoni , Arturo Ferrarin , and Carlo Del Prete . Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the recipients were primarily those who had distinguished themselves in air races or had set speed and distance records. However,
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#1732791893572168-409: The medal was also awarded for participation in daring air rescues. It was awarded in 1928 to Roald Amundsen (one of the few civilians and non-Italians to be awarded the medal) and his pilot René Guilbaud for their ultimately doomed flight to rescue the airship Italia . In 1938 it was awarded to Lufthansa airline pilot Kurt Grosschopff for his rescue of Mario Stoppani whose plane had crashed in
182-533: The outbreak of World War I . Discussions resumed with the official formation of the Regia Aeronautica Italiana (Italian Royal Air Force) as a separate service in 1923. The medal was finally instituted by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy 's decree of 27 November 1927. The criteria for conferral remained virtually unchanged until 1939, when a decree restricted its award solely to members of the Italian military. The restriction remained in place after
196-483: The seventh anniversary of Guidoni ' s death. In 1937, Montecelio and the surrounding comune were renamed Guidonia Montecelio in Guidoni ' s honor. Only a military airfield exists at Guidonia Montecelio today, but a memorial to Guidonia stands on the exact spot where he died in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Guidoni's passion for flight was celebrated publicly by General Ermanno Aloia of
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