Riccardo Mortara

Riccardo Mortara (born May 3, 1947 in Turin, Italy) is an Italian aviator. On January 29, 2010 he will attempt to break the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the earth.
The record is currently 67 hours, one minute and ten seconds (held by Steve Fossett). Mortara has stated he will attempt the record in a 1980 Sabreliner 65 - a mid-size private jet which seats seven passengers. It requires a two-man crew to fly. The co-pilot on the circumnavigation mission will be Frenchman Flavien Guderzo.
Mortara is the proprietor of Sonnig SA, a private jet charter company with bases in Geneva, Moscow and Turin. He holds Italian, Swiss and French citizenship.
His father, Gregorio Mortara, was an Italian flying ace during World War II, and a recipient of the Silver Cross for bravery. In 1972, having completed university degrees in engineering, law and French, Riccardo began to fly, tutored by one of his father’s military colleagues.
Mortara played ice hockey for the Italian national team until he was 26, and raced a works Volvo 142 in the World Rally Championship between 1968 and 1971.
His son, Edoardo Mortara, races in Formula One’s feeder series, GP2, and won the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2009.
Mortara has two sons, Gabriel and Edoardo. He lives in Geneva.

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