As the father of the modern Italian Air Force, the Aeronautica, during the years 1926-33, Balbo attained the rank of Duce's Air Marshal and secured a place in aviation history as the initiator of four spectacular flights of Savoia-Marchetti flying boats—two across the Mediterra- nean, and another two across the Atlantic. Unique in their day, they have never been repeated, nor are they likely to be.