The Sky Hunters is based on the true story of Francesco Baracca, an Italian flying ace during the First World War
Sky Hunters is based on one true story: the docu-film, broadcast tonight on Rai 1, tells the life of Francesco Baracca. The character, played by Giuseppe Fiorello, was the Italian flying ace during the First World War, the first to win an aerial duel by shooting down an Austro-Hungarian Hansa-Brandenburg CI reconnaissance aircraft.
Born in Lugo, in the province of Ravenna, on 9 May 1888, Francesco Baracca studied at the military college of Modena, where he was admitted in 1907 and from which he left two years later as a second lieutenant in the Royal Army cavalry. After serving in the Army as a cavalry officer, he was transferred to the fledgling Air Force in 1915.
Baracca began his career as an observation pilot, but soon demonstrated an uncanny ability to hunt down enemy aircraft. In April 1916, he obtained his first aerial victory, shooting down an Austro-Hungarian Hansa-Brandenburg CI reconnaissance aircraft over the sky over Gorizia which, having received forty-five hits, was forced to land and the crew was taken prisoner. From then on, he continued to collect successes, becoming one of the most feared and respected pilots of his era. Francesco Baracca was the Italian flying ace during World War I, credited with 34 confirmed victories.
Baracca’s aircraft had a prancing horse painted on the side of the fuselage, inspired by the aviator’s family crest. This crest became a symbol of the Italian Air Force during World War I and has continued to be used by the Italian Air Force to this day.
In May 1918, Baracca was decorated with the Gold Medal of Military Valor for his courage and combat prowess. However, his career was tragically cut short on June 19, 1918, when he was shot down and killed during a reconnaissance mission over the Piave River. Baracca was hit by an unseen Austro-Hungarian biplane, or seen too late, when the ace had already been hit by the first of the two volleys fired by the observer. His death caused great mourning in Italy and throughout the aviation world, and marked the end of one of the most extraordinary careers in aviation history.
Since his death, Francesco Baracca’s name has been commemorated in many forms. A number of post-World War I Italian fighter aircraft bore his name, as did the squadron he commanded. In 1923, Baracca’s mother donated the prancing horse of her family’s emblem to the newborn Ferrari, which decided to use it as the logo for its famous racing cars. Even today, the prancing horse is one of the most recognizable brands of the Italian automotive industry.
The sky hunters will be broadcast tonight 29 March in prime time on Rai 1. The conference to present the project, which was attended not only by the director and actors, but also by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, General Luca Goretti, can be consulted at this link.
