Cesáreo Leonardo Berisso

Cesáreo Leonardo Berisso Pascal (6 November 1887 – 28 July 1971) was a Uruguayan aviation pioneer and general who was the first Uruguayan to perform a solo flight.

A dominant figure in early Uruguayan aviation, Berisso was one of the first Uruguayans to attend an aviation school and in 1913 he performed his first solo flight - the first of any Uruguayan. When the school at Los Cerrillos closed, he was sent by the government to Argentina to continue developing his aviation skills. He won the first international air race in the Americas in 1916 and in 1917 became the first Uruguayan to cross the Río de la Plata in a hot air balloon. Berisso became an instructor at the Military School of Aeronautics in Uruguay and later its director from 1922 to 1931, and again from 1946 to 1947. In his aviation career, he flew flights to multiple South American countries and crossed the Andes numerous times. His most ambitious flight, Montevideo to New York, ended in failure in 1929 when he and his crew crashed into the Colombian jungle.

A general in the Uruguayan army, Berisso served on several government commissions including one tasked with determining the location of a Carrasco Airport that was renamed in his honour in 1994.

Early and personal life Berisso was born in Piedras Blancas, Montevideo, the son of Cesáreo Berisso and Mariana Pascal, on 6 November 1887. His father served as the Civil Governor of Canelones. Berisso married Ana Isidra Viera on 21 July 1915 and together they had seven children: María Isolda, María Teresa, César Leónidas, Felicianos Luis Ana María, Rivera, and Artigas. Berisso was characterized in his life as a calm and serious individual. Boiso Lanza, a friend of Berisso, attempted to follow him but was held back. It was the only solo flight performed at the school as in the same month, the aviation school was closed when the Ministry of War and Navy failed to renewal its contract with Paillette. However, Berisso and nine others still graduated. The flight was completed in a Castaibert aircraft. After the plane was retired in December 1919, it was later restored and placed on display at Carrasco International Airport. On July 27, the Argentine government granted Berisso the title of Senior Military Aviator. He later became the school's director from 4 May 1922 to 24 June 1931. Twenty-seven students graduated in that time.

Concurrent to his directorship, Berisso continued flying. In 1921, he flew from Montevideo to Rocha on Uruguay's eastern coast. He completed another flight across the Río de la Plata between Montevideo and Buenos Aires in 1922. Most importantly, the fuel tanks were improved to allow it to carry at least of fuel. The plane was named Montevideo. They arrived in Buenos Aires with only a minor defect. The next leg was a non-stop flight to Santiago. Unlike in 1925, the trio managed to cross the Andes and land in Santiago where they were greeted by the Uruguayan ambassador Eugenio Martínez Thedy. Molí later remarked that crossing the Andes was calmer than what they all thought. This was the first non-stop flight between the two cities. From Santiago, they flew to Antofagasta then Arica. Air pressure differences when flying over the Atacama Desert caused the Montevideo to frequently shake. and progressed to Tumbes in Peru's north.

On the issue of which day the Uruguayan Air Force should be commemorated on, Berisso submitted a letter on 14 October 1947 proposing November 15 as the date He went on to elaborate more in another letter dated to October 24 that November 15 was the date the Military School of Aeronautics was established.

In 1974, the Cesáreo Berisso Foundation was established as a not-for-profit organisation named in his honour that seeks to provide support to air force personnel and their families, with a particular focus on supporting their children.

Carrasco International Airport, Uruguay's main international airport, was opened in 1947. In 1994, it was renamed the Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport in Berisso's honour. A small monolith was also erected at the airport's entrance to pay tribute to him. In both 2017 and 2021, the Colorado Party presented bills attempting to name the passenger terminal in honour of former President Jorge Batlle which would relegate Berisso's name to the cargo terminal. The airport also includes a small museum dedicated to Berisso.

The Uruguayan Air Force's military base in Canelones Department, Base Aérea General Cesáreo Berisso, was established in 1947 and was renamed in Berisso's honour on 1 December 1994.