Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg

Hauptmann (Captain) Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg (16 June 1890 – 29 October 1964) was an Austro-Hungarian fighter ace with 28 victories to his credit during World War I. He was the third ranking ace of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His honours and decorations included the Order of the Iron Crown, Order of Leopold, Military Merit Cross, Military Merit Medal, Gold Medal for Bravery (Austria-Hungary) and the Iron Cross. He was also a technical innovator who pioneered the use of machine guns, radios, and cameras in airplanes. His forty-year aviation career also included aircraft manufacture, airport management, and the establishment of commercial airlines.

Early life Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg was born in Vienna to an aristocratic family with a tradition of military service. His father was an artillery officer and his brother in naval aviation. Fiala attended primary and secondary school in Vienna, and went on to major in mechanical engineering at the local University of Technology, becoming an Ingenieur. but was initially refused aviation service, instead being gazetted as an officer in the engineers and assigned to Fort Artillery Regiment 1 in 1910.

In November 1914, Fiala took charge of the locomotive of a supply train and drove it to safety even though it was under attack by Russian troops and he was wounded in the action. He was awarded the Silver Military Merit Medal for this. On 10 November, he also received a most unusual promotion to leutnant (Second Lieutenant) ahead of his sequence in seniority.

Although trained as an observer, Fiala's duties in this beginning of the war consisted mainly of arming planes with machine guns, and experimenting with aerial cameras. He also rigged a 30 kilogram (66 pound) radio transmitter in an unarmed plane. It was used in May 1915 on the Russian Front, during the Battle of Gorlice-Tarnow: by sending corrections to a receiver on the ground, it successfully adjusted mortar fire. Fiala was briefly attached to the testing section of the air arsenal before being reassigned to a flying unit. killing the entire crew of six.

The engineer turned fighter pilot had flown on two fronts which had more hazardous flying conditions and less opportunity for air combat than the Western Front in France. His victory roll included a dirigible, three observation balloons, and a predominance of enemy fighters among the planes he had felled. He claimed at least five unconfirmed victories. He had won the Order of the Iron Crown, Order of Leopold, Military Merit Cross, Military Merit Medal, Gold Medal for Bravery, and the Iron Cross.

He died in Vienna on 29 October 1964 and was buried in the Fiala-Fernbrugg family vault in Vienna's Central Cemetery. The Austrian air force base at Aigen im Ennstal is named for him.

Awards and decorations Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold with war decoration and swords (Austria) Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd class with war decoration and swords (Austria) Gold Medal for Bravery (Austria-Hungary) Silver and Bronze Military Merit Medals (Austria-Hungary) Military Merit Cross, 3rd class (Austria-Hungary) Iron Cross of 1914, 2nd class

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