| Cosimo Rennella | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 February 1890 Secondigliano, Naples, Italy |
| Died | 3 May 1937 Quito, Ecuador |
| Allegiance | Ecuador/Italy |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Sergente |
| Unit | 31a Squadriglia, 32a Squadriglia, 45a Squadriglia, 48a Squadriglia, 78a Squadriglia |
| Awards | Medal for Military Valor |
Sergente Cosimo Rennella Barbatto was an Ecuadorian World War I flying ace of Italian heritage. He was credited with seven confirmed aerial victories flying for Italian aviation during the war; however, his pioneering aviation activities both before and immediately following the war were probably even more important than his martial career.
Contents |
He was born in Italy, but in 1892, the infant accompanied his family when they emigrated to Ecuador. In 1911, Rennella was so enthralled with aviation that he got a local sportsman's club, the Club Guayas de Tiro Aviacion (Guayas Shooting and Aviation Club), to sponsor his pilot's training; his aim was to be the first flier in Ecuador. The club underwrote Rennella's journey to Pau, France to learn to fly. There the young tyro became a pilot using French Bleriot military airplanes.[1]
By the time Rennella and his two traveling companions returned to Central America with an airplane, the first flight in Ecuador, which was by Chilean Lieutenant Eduardo Molina Lavín, had taken place in their absence. Rennella's new airplane was a knockoff of a French Nieuport, built by Navaro and Valgoi of Torino, Italy. On 15 December 1912, having been forbidden to fly across the Isthmus of Panama by U. S. officials, he flew an unauthorized flight in this plane over Panama City, leafletting the town with fliers thanking the populace for their support of his flight, in may have been the first aerial pamphlet drop in history.[2]
In the middle of January 1913, he was welcomed home in Ecuador. Once there, he accepted the obligation of returning to Italy for more training while he supervised the manufacture of a Chiribiri monoplane for his Club sponsors. He brought this plane, dubbed Patria No. I, back to Ecuador.[3]
On 8 October 1913, at Guayaquil, Cosimo Rennella became the first Ecuadorian citizen to fly in his own nation. A followup exhibition scheduled for the 19th dwindled away amid controversy over potential gate receipts.[4]
Rennella returned to Italy to serve in Italian aviation during World War I. Between 24 September 1917 and 31 August 1918, he flew with Squadriglia 78a of the Corpo Aeronautico Militare, scoring six confirmed solo aerial victories, plus one shared with fellow ace Antonio Riva. Rennella also had one victory claim that was unconfirmed.[5]
In February 1920, Rennella was involved in a local business enterprise at La Guaira, Venezuela. On February 27, he flew a Hanriot HD.1 fighter at Caracas. The next day, Rennella flew from Caracas to Maracay. Continuing his operations through March, he subsequently pioneered inter-urban flights in Venezuela; he also flew at least one airmail flight. He is sometimes mistakenly credited with the first Venezuelan military flight because he used a war surplus fighter for his flights.[6]
Today, the celebrations held in Guayaquil for 86 years of FAE, a replica of the biplane parades through the streets together with that of a Kfir fighter. At Air Force Base Simón Bolívar is instead scheduled an air show involving over 50 aircraft of different types.