Vittorio Sanseverino

Vittorio Sanseverino (September 29, 1917 – November 30, 2010) was an Italian pilot. Besides his combat experience in World War II, he is known for having test-flown a large part of the aircraft built by FIAT for the postwar Italian Air Force, including the Fiat G.91, the Fiat G.222, the North American F-86D Sabre and the F-104 Starfighter.

Biography

Early training After leaving the Gymnasium he was admitted into the "Nunziatella" Royal Military Academy and into the Sparviero (Sparrow) course of the Royal Italian Air Force Academy in Caserta. He was trained to fly on Breda Ba.25s and I.M.A.M. Ro.41s at Capua airfield. He first flew solo on 7 February 1938.

Having committed an act of indiscipline in flight, he was moved to the Malpensa Bombardment School as a punishment measure. There he flew Fiat BR.20s and Savoia-Marchetti S.M.81s. In 1940 he was assigned to 65 Squadriglia, 31 Gruppo of 18 Stormo based at Aviano airfield. he left the Air Force with the rank of Colonnello (Colonel), and was hired by Fiat Aviazione where he worked as a test pilot for Vittorio Valletta and Giuseppe Gabrielli. He tested the first all-Italian jet aircraft, the Fiat G.80, and later the Fiat G.82 and the licence-built North American F-86K. He also flew the Aeritalia G-91Y for the first time, as well as all the Italian-made F-104 Starfighters. On 18 July 1970 he participated in the maiden flight of the Aeritalia G.222 prototype with co-pilot Pietro Paolo Trevisan. He remained in service until 1977 when the early tests of the Panavia Tornado began.