History of Aero Club Torino
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1888. The Carnival in Piazza Vittorio Veneto was innaugurated by a balloon. Antonelli’s Mole can be seen in construction in the background
The first aviation meeting in the world, held in Rheims on August 28 1909
Preface
In 1978, at a little over 40 years of age, when I first adventured into the fascinating world of aviation via the Aero Club Torino, I would never have imagined that my passion for this sport would have also kindled an enormous interest in the history of aviation, and in particular that of Turin, which through its industry and its protagonists had played a major role in the industrial evolution of the city and in the birth of Italian aviation.
Curiosity spurred me to investigate the origins of this sector, discover the events and above all, find out about the main protagonists responsible for its development. In parallel, I sought to reconstruct the story of the Aero Club Torino. After having read the few publication on this theme which I could find, as well as the available documentation, I interviewed all the elder members, whose memories were of immense help, and slowly began to accumulate a collection of pertinent photographs.
As often happens, I also noted that in general, even those who worked at the airfield knew little of its history. Events that had occurred and the people who had contributed to them with passion, intelligence and ingenuity in the development of aviation were rarely given the credit they so amply merited.
I believe that it is in the general interest to recall the many contributions of these aviation protagonists, their inventions, daring flights and the events at the beginning of the 20th Century, the continuous evolution, the industries which took root, particularly in our region, and the fascinating story of those who participated in the life of the Aero Club Torino.
My researches have focused exclusively on the history of Piedmontese aviation, particularly that of Turin, as it would be impossible to go beyond this, given the thousands of books written on the subject.
I believe that it is useful to bring together in this volume all information which I have been able to collect, in order to share with the reader those interests and emotions which I discovered during my research.
They say that history is the master of life and it is thanks to a deeper understanding of the past, we create the foundations which make our passion for flight ever more interesting, even for those who practice it merely as a sport.
The beginnings of the Aero Club of Turin are almost coincident with the beginnings of aviation in Italy. This is why I have been unable to narrate the Club’s origins without covering, at least in broad terms, the scenario which underlay its evolution, particularly in the early years of its more than a hundred years of activity, e.g. the genesis of the Torinese aircraft industry (from 1909 until the end of the Great War) and the creation of the two airfields on which the Aero Club of Turin has always conducted its activities: Mirafiori (from 1911 to the end of WW II) and Torino-Aeritalia (from the 1950’s until the present).
My researches have now brought us to this 6th Edition, correcting errors and adding fresh detail to the five previous versions. I would like to hope that its contents, despite not being exhaustive, might contribute to a greater appreciation of Torinese aviation, possibly filling in some of the gaps in its history and providing fuller information to those today, who like myself at the time, are taking their first steps into the world of aviation.
Angelo Moriondo
to Chiara
1.000 metres of road won’t take you very far,
but 1.000 metres of runway opens the door to the world.
Only those who fly
Understand why birds sing
Understand why birds sing
