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.