The first Santa Maria, MM45043, flew from Italy to New Orleans via Brazil but burnt in Arizona. This replacement aircraft was shipped to New York and headed north to Boston on 8 May 1927. But this was merely a test flight or a gesture to the Italian community in Boston, for Francesco de Pinedo did not skip the stretch between New Orleans and New York. He flew back south along the coast to New Orleans, and then to Chicago via the Mississippi, rather than via the US west coast as originally planned. Then he flew back to Europe via Newfoundland and the Azores. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library
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