Mira Slovak, whom because the an early on airline airplane pilot in the 1953 escaped Communist Czechoslovakia by the hijacking his or her own industrial journey to West Germany, died to your Summer sixteen at their family for the Fallbrook, Calif. Slovak, who continued in order to become an excellent hydroplane race champion, a great stunt flyer and you will a flight airplane pilot, are 84.
The source are belly cancer, said David Williams, the manager manager of the Hydroplane and you will Raceboat Art gallery in Kent, Wash. Williams had questioned Slovak many times in recent years getting a good arranged biography.
Slovak, next in his early 20s, is the fresh chief off a Czechoslovak Air companies DC-step three whenever, for the nights March 23, 1953, the guy and a few others on-board carried out the brand new hijacking. That they had spent weeks thought it.
Immediately following takeoff, with over 20 passengers on-board, Slovak secured his co-pilot outside of the seat. Then he got the latest airplanes towards a-sharp plunge to help subdue others also to drop the fresh new airplanes to below 1,100000 ft, where radar would not find they.
The brand new airplane, arranged to help you travel of Prague to help you Brno, Czechoslovakia, got from the an army ft from inside the Frankfurt around an hour later. Slovak said he previously navigated the night time journey to your let away from moonlight a lot more than and neon lighting out of businesses below, electric research that he had registered south west.
Mr
Requesting political asylum, he had been asked inside European countries in addition to Us for several weeks prior to becoming permitted to live easily in the us. However, his reputation due to the fact a Communist first stopped your from delivering a commercial pilot’s license, Williams said. Thus Slovak found the easiest way to fly that necessary couples history: dusting vegetation.
Until the 10 years try complete, he’d flown pick dusters from inside the operate across the Western, doused wildfires on sky and you will worked given that a personal airplane pilot to have Bill Boeing Jr., son of your own Boeing Organizations creator.
Boeing produced your so you can hydroplanes
By the later 1950s, Slovak is actually skimming along the water’s epidermis at the more than 150 miles per hour en route to help you sports-page fame, some of they on helm from Boeing’s ship, Miss Wahoo.
For the 1958, Slovak claimed a national tournament operating Skip Bardahl, owned by good Seattle oil company. The next seasons he had been operating Skip Wahoo as he acquired the new President’s Cup for the Potomac Lake in Arizona, D.C. The guy went on racing compliment of 1967, profitable some other national tournament. (The guy got their past lap during the an effective hydroplane within many years 81, getting together with 140 meters.p.h.)
During the 1959, when he visited work for Continental Air companies because the a great pilot; he compensated down, relatively talking, starting precisely the unexpected stunt in a biplane. Traveling lower than bridges, ugly and you will fingers over, try how the guy casual. Their daring feats won him the new moniker the newest Flying Czech.
Mira John Slovak came to be into Oct. 25, 1929, from the town of Cifer, that was after that into the Czechoslovakia which is today inside the Slovakia. Their parents were farmers which hid Jewish refugees when you look at the Nazi job. Slovak told Williams you to a railway line carrying Jews in order to concentration camps introduced near its homes. He recalled taking tobacco and you can restaurants so you can Nazi troops in order to win the faith, upcoming providing cigarettes and you will eating into Jews to your train.
The guy entered the newest Czechoslovak Sky Force immediately following The second world war, as he was 17, and you will travelled bombers at 19. He had been advertised to help you captain at 21, simply as the the fresh Communist authorities is replacement officials who had been lined up with Allied forces inside the battle. By the point he was 21, he had been piloting commercial routes to own Czechoslovak Air companies.
They are survived because of the his lover Ingrid Bondi, an old flight attendant for Continental with just who the guy lived having almost thirty years. Slovak’s several marriage ceremonies concluded from inside the breakup.
Williams said Slovak got flown 38,five-hundred period in almost any airplanes, even in the 
event most of the time is towards the much time paths to possess Continental. He produced more 800 Pacific crossings towards the journey before retiring in 1986. The guy after brought in and you will ended up selling airplanes, many of them manufactured in Czechoslovakia.
Slovak survived several crashes for the boats and you can airplanes. When you look at the hydroplane racing the guy broke an arm, a leg and his straight back; destroyed most of their teeth; and you may busted their kidneys in advance of he was away from his 30s. The guy spent their peace and quiet believe their return to the seat, whilst particular competitors into the h2o passed away rushing.
For the 1968, he hung an engine regarding good Volkswagen Beetle into an excellent glider and you may travelled it more 8,100 miles, of West Germany to California. He crashed 19 feet regarding runway at their finally attraction, Santa Paula. He spent a few days within the an excellent coma.
“I’m crazy about someone,” Slovak told Activities Portrayed inside the 1966. “That is Mira Slovak. I don’t should destroy myself, but anything can take place when you fool around that have rates. The law out-of averages captures up.
“All of us,” he extra, “was banged up, burned, bounced around. We’re all willing to deal with the results. You will find i am also, but I always get back for much more.”