Mario Visintini, MOVM, (26 April 1913 – 11 February 1941) was an Italian military pilot, the first Regia Aeronautica flying ace of World War II.

Visintini tried to enter the Regia Accademia Aeronautica but did not pass the medical examination because he was declared "too weak and susceptible".

For his service in Spain, he was decorated with a first Medaglia d'Argento al valor militare(Silver Medal for military valour).

[9] On 12 June, two days after Italy entered World War II, flying from Gura, he claimed a Vickers Wellesley bomber K7747 of No.

It was the first of his 16 air victories during the conflict, in Eastern Africa[8] Two days later, on 14 June 1940, he intercepted a pair of Vickers Wellesleys from No.

Visintini shot down aircraft K7743, flown by Pilot Officer Reginald Patrick Blenner Plunkett.

Visintini and Baron were credited with another "probable" but in fact, the Wellesley I (L2667) of 47 Squadron managed to return to its base, but was so damaged that it was considered written off.

14 Squadron, flown by Sergeant Norris on a photographic reconnaissance sortie over Harmil Island, when it was intercepted and attacked by Fiat fighters, scrambled from Massawa.

[7] On 6 November, the British forces in Sudan launched an offensive against the Italian Gallabat and Metemma Forts, just across the border.

1 SAAF Squadron Gloster Gladiators and shot down 24-year-old Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Howard Savage (RAF no.

1 SAAF Squadron was attacked by Fiat biplanes that put his aircraft in flames and forced him to bail out but he did not survive.

South Africans claimed to have shot down two Fiats, but only Sottotenente Rosmino's aircraft was hit, returning with his parachute pack riddled with bullets.

[7] On 26 November, six Blenheim IV bombers of 14 Squadron went to attack the railway station at Nefasit, a town near Asmara on the road to Massawa.

This was Blenheim IV R2770 of 14 Squadron, piloted by Flying Officer Thomas G. Rhodes, that failed to return by a reconnaissance mission.

[7] On 12 December 1940, five CR.42s of 412ª Squadriglia and a Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 attacked the Goz Regeb airstrip (west of river Atbara, in Sudan), the home base of No.

[7] After the combat, Visintini landed on his airfield, refuelled and took off again, searching for his faithful wingman, Luigi Baron (an ace with a score of 12 kills, at the end of the war), who had been forced down by a storm.

Because of the same inclement weather, Visintini's Fiat crashed into Mount Bizen, near Nefasit, about 24 kilometres from Asmara, Eritrea.

His successes, his charm and his demise, during a gallant attempt to help his comrades, made Visintini a legend at the time.

In 1942, a volume of the series Eroi della nostra guerra (Heroes of Our War), entitled Il Pilota solitario ("The Lonely Pilot"), was dedicated to him.