Mira Slovak, whom due to the fact an early airline pilot inside 1953 escaped Communist Czechoslovakia from the hijacking their own commercial flight so you can West Germany, died towards the Summer 16 on their house during the Fallbrook, Calif. Slovak, whom proceeded to be an excellent hydroplane race champion, a good stunt flyer and you will a journey pilot, was 84.
The reason try belly cancers, told you David Williams, the fresh exec manager of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum inside the Kent, Clean. Williams got interviewed Slovak several times nowadays having a good structured bio.
Slovak, up coming inside the early 20s, was the fresh master regarding a beneficial Czechoslovak Airlines DC-step three whenever, for the nights March 23, 1953, he and some someone else onboard accomplished the brand new hijacking. They had invested weeks planning it.
Once takeoff, with well over 20 individuals aboard, Slovak closed their co-airplane pilot outside of the seat. Then grabbed the latest flat towards the a-sharp diving to aid subdue others and miss the new airplanes to help you below step 1,one hundred thousand base, in which radar won’t position it.
The flat, arranged so you’re able to travel away from Prague in order to Brno, Czechoslovakia pricing match com, landed on a military ft in the Frankfurt about an hour later on. Slovak told you he had navigated the evening airline with the assist regarding moonlight over and you can neon lights regarding people less than, electronic proof which he had joined south west.
Mr
Requesting political asylum, he was expected inside the European countries while the All of us for some days in advance of getting allowed to live freely in america. However, his standing since the an excellent Communist initially stopped him from delivering a professional pilot’s licenses, Williams said. Very Slovak receive the easiest way to travel one to requisite partners back ground: dusting harvest.
Through to the several years is actually over, he previously flown crop dusters in services over the Western, doused wildfires regarding the heavens and you can spent some time working due to the fact a personal airplane pilot for Costs Boeing Jr., child of your own Boeing Organization’s creator.
Boeing lead him in order to hydroplanes
Because of the late 1950s, Slovak was skimming along side water’s skin from the over 150 miles per hour en route so you’re able to sports-web page glory, a few of they during the helm out of Boeing’s watercraft, Skip Wahoo.
In the 1958, Slovak acquired a nationwide championship driving Miss Bardahl, owned by a good Seattle petroleum providers. Next season he had been operating Skip Wahoo as he acquired the President’s Glass toward Potomac Lake inside Arizona, D.C. The guy continued race due to 1967, successful some other federal championship. (The guy took his past lap within the an excellent hydroplane at the many years 81, getting together with 140 m.p.h.)
Inside 1959, as he went along to work with Continental Airlines since an effective airplane pilot; the guy paid down, seemingly speaking, carrying out precisely the unexpected stunt inside a biplane. Traveling not as much as bridges, upside-down and you can arms overhead, is actually how the guy casual. Their adventurous feats received your the newest nickname new Flying Czech.
Mira John Slovak was born to your October. twenty five, 1929, regarding the town of Cifer, that was up coming during the Czechoslovakia that is today inside Slovakia. His mothers have been growers whom hid Jewish refugees in the Nazi career. Slovak informed Williams you to a railway range carrying Jews so you can amount camps passed near its home. The guy recalled providing smokes and you will eating so you can Nazi soldiers so you can victory the believe, then giving cigarettes and you will food with the Jews on illustrate.
He entered the new Czechoslovak Sky Push once World war ii, when he is 17, and you may travelled bombers at 19. He had been advertised to captain from the 21, to some extent as the newest Communist regulators was replacement officers which was lined up having Allied pushes into the war. Once he had been 21, he was piloting industrial routes having Czechoslovak Air companies.
He or she is lasted of the his partner Ingrid Bondi, a former journey attendant for Continental which have just who the guy lived to have almost 3 decades. Slovak’s a couple of marriage ceremonies concluded within the splitting up.
Williams told you Slovak got flown 38,five-hundred circumstances in almost any planes, even in the event more often than not are to your much time routes to possess Continental. The guy generated over 800 Pacific crossings to your airline in advance of retiring in 1986. He afterwards brought in and you may ended up selling planes, a few of them made in Czechoslovakia.
Slovak live multiple injuries during the boats and you may planes. When you look at the hydroplane race he bankrupt a supply, a toes with his right back; lost a lot of his white teeth; and you may damaged their kidneys before he had been off their 30s. The guy invested his down time planning their come back to the fresh seat, whilst particular competitors on the liquid died racing.
Within the 1968, the guy strung an engine out-of good Volkswagen Beetle on the good glider and you can travelled it over 8,100 kilometers, regarding West Germany in order to Ca. He crashed 19 legs throughout the runway within his finally appeal, Santa Paula. The guy invested a couple of days into the a beneficial coma.
“I am crazy about someone,” Slovak advised Activities Portrayed in 1966. “That is Mira Slovak. I don’t must destroy myself, but one thing can take place after you mess around having rate. Legislation away from averages grabs right up.
“Us,” he added, “were banged up, burnt, bounced to. We are all happy to face the consequences. I’ve i am also, however, I go back for lots more.”