Giorgio Pessi (alias Giuliano Parvis) | |
|---|---|
 Giorgio Pessi circa 1919 | |
| Born | (1891-11-17)17 November 1891 |
| Died | 18 July 1933(1933-07-18) (aged 41) Lost at sea |
| Allegiance | Italy |
| Branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Tenente |
| Unit | 78a Squadriglia,82a Squadriglia,91a Squadriglia |
| Awards | 2 Silver awards ofMedal for Military Valor, FrenchCroix de Guerre |
TenenteGiorgio Pessi (aliasGiuliano Parvis) (17 November 1891 – 18 July 1933) was aWorld War Iflying ace born inAustria-Hungary who chose to fly forItaly. He was credited with six aerial victories.[1]
Giorgio Pessi was born on 17 November 1891 inTrieste, when it was part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire. He attended the local technical high school before studying engineering inVienna and architecture in Munich. After World War I began, he fled toVenice in January 1915. When Italy finally entered World War I, Pessi volunteered to serve as aSottotenente in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the Italian army.[2]
Pessi transferred to aviation service. On 10 October 1916, he received his advanced pilot's license, having qualified onNieuport 10s atMalpensa. He was retained there as an instructor until May 1917. On 3 May 1917, Pessi adopted thenom de guerre of Giuliano Parvis; he wanted to avoid repercussions from the vengeful Austro-Hungarians who considered him traitorous. Pessi then completed gunnery school atSan Giusto. On 25 May 1917, he was posted to command of82a Squadriglia despite his inexperience. On 13 June, he transferred to the78a Squadriglia. The following month, he transferred to91a Squadriglia. He would fly aSpad VII fighter emblazoned with his personal marking of a crescent moon.[2]
Pessi scored his first aerial victory on 2 August 1917. He staked his eighth claim on 23 November 1917. All of his claims were for victories shared with such aces asFerruccio Ranza,Giovanni Sabelli, andFrancesco Baracca. He served with91a Squadriglia until 16 March 1918. He was then transferred to the General Commissariat of the air force. It seems probable he upgraded his pilot's training in the next several months, as he arrived in the United States on 20 August 1918 as aCaproni Ca.5 pilot and saw out war's end there.[2] The Caproni he brought to the United States was characterized as the world's largest flying machine.[3]
On 1 February 1919, the evaluation committee of the aviationmilitary intelligence section released its list of victory confirmations for Italian pilots. Giorgio Pessi was credited with six aerial victories.[4] One of the denials was for a 6 November 1917 claim where the Austro-Hungarian victim had fallen within his own lines; it was later proven that aceRudolf Szepessy-Sokoll had died in that crash. Also in 1919, Pessi flew the Caproni Ca.5 heavy bomber under theBrooklyn Bridge.[2]
By 1922, Pessi had returned from America and set up a flying school inAnatolia, Turkey. In 1926, he joinedAero Expresso Italiana as its manager of theBrindisi toIstanbul line. On 18 July 1933, Pessi was flying this route, aboardDornier Wal serial I-AZEE, when he disappeared on an overwater approach toRhodes.[2]
Rhodes Maritsa Airport (Greek: Αερολιμένας Ρόδου - Μαριτσών) (IATA: LGRD) is a military airport located on the island of Rhodes in Greece. The airport is located 14 km south west of the capital city of Rhodes, near the village of Maritsa, and 3 km south of the new Rhodes International Airport.[citation needed]
The airport was built in 1938 during the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese as a base for the Regia Aeronautica and was called Aeroporto di Martisa "G.Pessi Parvis" and its Italian airport code was 801.[citation needed]