711.6527/5
The Secretary of State to the Italian Ambassador ( De Martino )
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to Your Excellency’s note of December 20, 1928, requesting permission for certain licensed Italian aviators to pilot airplanes of the “Savoia Marchetti” type in demonstration flights in this country and suggesting the conclusion of a reciprocal agreement, by exchange of notes between the two countries, whereby aviators of either of the contracting countries would be permitted to pilot airplanes in the territory of the other.
I now take pleasure in informing Your Excellency that I am in receipt of a reply from the interested Department of this Government. No objection is found to granting temporary permission to a limited number of Italian pilots to demonstrate the particular airplanes in question. It would be necessary, however, for this Government to be advised of the identity of the pilots, their pilot’s license classification and numbers and for the flights to be limited to demonstration purposes, i. e., they should not engage in air commerce. Under the provisions of the Air Commerce Act of 1926,9 it would also be necessary for the Italian Government to agree to extend a similar privilege to pilots of the United States, should occasion arise and it would be advisable at the same time to indicate the duration of the temporary period for which authority to demonstrate the planes in question is desired. Perhaps a period of three months would be sufficient for the purpose, but this is merely a suggestion and is subject to variation.
Should Your Excellency’s Government desire to consider the question of complete reciprocity in the matter of pilots’ licenses, this Government is entirely agreeable to a discussion of the matter. The suggestion advanced in Your Excellency’s note under acknowledgment refers only to pilots’ licenses, but if the subject of reciprocity [Page 527] is to be discussed, it is believed advisable that it should include the reciprocal validation of airworthiness certificates for aircraft as well as pilots’ licenses.
Accept [etc.]
- 44 Stat. 568.↩