In 1927 shortly after Mussolini had begun the expansion of Italian air power, 9 soldiers with their equipment made a group parachute jump over the airport of Cinisello. About that year the Italians started a course for 256 jumpers. From the first Italian standard parachute, "Aerodiscensore," was developed the "Salvatore" type that has subsequently been used in the Italian Air Forces. The dropping of supplies by parachute to the dirigible Italia stranded near the North Pole in 1928 foreshadowed successful Italian practice in both the conquest of Ethiopia and in the Spanish Civil War.