Mario de Bernardi

Mario de Bernardi was an Italian World War I fighter pilot, seaplane air racer of the 1920s, and test pilot of early Italian experimental jets.

De Bernardi was born on July 1, 1893, in Venosa, Italy. In 1911, at the age of 18, he served in the Italian armed forces during the ItaloTurkish War , where he witnessed the first military use of airplanes in combat. He returned to Italy resolved to become a pilot, and he received his pilot s license in 1914.

Source: Wikipedia