Fiorenza de Bernardi
Fiorenza de Bernardi (22 May 1928 – 8 May 2020) is the first commercial airline pilot of Italy, and one of the founders of the airline, Aertirrena.
Biography
Fiorenza was born on 22 May 1928 in Florence to Mario de Bernardi, a colonel of the Italian Air Force.
She acquired her first three licenses in 1951 and was hired in 1967 by the airline, Aeralps by employer General Garetto.[1][2]
In the 1960's she received her glider pilot certificate. She was the first women in Italy to receive a glacier pilot certificate.[3]
She founded the airline, Aertirrena in 1966 along with Piotr Ivanov, an Aeroflot employee.[4][5] During her time as a pilot, she was experienced in flying the Twin Otter, Yak-40, and the DC-8 in a total of more than 6,500 hours.[6]
She was then president of the Association of Women in the Air (ADA).[7] She is also vice-president of the European Pilot Federation and a member of the 99 (an association to which all the world's pilots are in) and is one of the members of the ISA (International Association of Airline Pilots). She reached her age of retirement, which was anticipated after a car accident.[4] She died on 8 May 2020.
Sources
- ^ "Lo spot di Alitalia sulle donne pilota". Il Post (in Italian). 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "L'intervista con... | Un pomeriggio con Fiorenza de Bernardi". www.cybernaua.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "Fiorenza de Bernardi - Women in Aviation International". www.wai.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ^ a b "Fiorenza de Bernardi". www.fiorenzadebernardi.it. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "I-JAKA". www.edcoatescollection.com. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "'AI COMANDI DI UN JUMBO ANCHE LE DONNE ITALIANE' - la Repubblica.it". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 1988-05-11. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "Fiorenza De Bernardi – www.donnedellaria.it" (in Italian). 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2025-03-21.