Guido Carestiato 1911-1980

Guido Carestiato was born in Favaro Veneto (Venice) on 17 January 1911. He joined the Italian Air Force while very young and received his military pilot license in 1929. Initially assigned to attack units, he was transferred to the 1st Fighter Wing at Campoformido (Udine). He was then called to participate in various air shows, including the acrobatics event at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the 1937 tour of Latin America with the official Italian Air Force acrobatics team. He joined Aeronautica Macchi as test pilot on 18 April 1939 and served until late 1971, testing numerous prototypes and series aircraft. In the pre-war and war years Carestiato tested all the aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi, ranging from the prototype of the MC 100 trimotor seaplane airliner to the MC 201, MC 202 and MC 205 fighters. During his career he received a Silver Medal for Military Valour and one for Aeronautical Valour, plus two Bronze Medals for Aeronautical Valour. When Aeronautica Macchi resumed aircraft production in 1947, Carestiato test-flew the prototype of the MB-308, which he then flew to victory in the first Air Tour of Italy. In the following years he made the first flights of the MB-320 twin-engine passenger aircraft, MB-323 basic trainer and MB-326 jet trainer. Carestiato also made acceptance flights of aircraft built or overhauled by Aermacchi, including the De Havilland Vampire and Lockheed T-33. In 1961 he set the World altitude record for planes in the MB-326 category. Carestiato flew over 70 different types of aircraft during his career and was a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP). He passed away in December 1980.