Mira Slovak, a fearless Airplane pilot Exactly who Won Versatility, Then Races, Passes away on 84

Mira Slovak, exactly who given that an early airline airplane pilot inside 1953 fled Communist Czechoslovakia by the hijacking his personal commercial trip in order to Western loveaholics Tipy Germany, passed away to the June 16 on his home inside the Fallbrook, Calif. Slovak, exactly who proceeded to become a beneficial hydroplane race champion, an effective stunt flyer and you may a trip pilot, try 84.

The reason is tummy malignant tumors, said David Williams, the latest exec manager of the Hydroplane and you will Raceboat Art gallery in the Kent, Wash. Williams had questioned Slovak repeatedly lately having an excellent structured biography.

Slovak, upcoming within his early 20s, is actually the latest captain out of a Czechoslovak Airlines DC-step three when, towards the night of March 23, 1953, the guy and some someone else on-board accomplished new hijacking. They had invested months believe they.

Shortly after takeoff, with well over 20 guests on board, Slovak closed his co-airplane pilot out from the seat. Then got this new jet to the a-sharp diving to greatly help subdue others and to drop the fresh new airplanes to lower than step 1,one hundred thousand base, where radar won’t choose they.

New airplanes, booked in order to fly away from Prague to help you Brno, Czechoslovakia, arrived from the an army ft in Frankfurt about an hour later. Slovak said he previously navigated the evening trip for the help out-of moon over and you can neon lighting off people less than, digital evidence which he got inserted the west.

Mr

Asking for governmental asylum, he was questioned inside Europe plus the You for several weeks before being permitted to live freely in america. However, their reputation once the a Communist very first averted your off taking a professional pilot’s licenses, Williams said. Very Slovak receive the easiest way to fly one to needed couples back ground: dusting vegetation.

Till the several years are complete, he’d flown collect dusters for the efforts over the Western, doused wildfires from the sky and worked because an individual pilot to have Expenses Boeing Jr., son of your own Boeing Organization’s originator.

Boeing delivered him so you can hydroplanes

By later 1950s, Slovak are skimming across the water’s skin from the more 150 mph en route in order to football-page fame, the it at the helm out of Boeing’s watercraft, Miss Wahoo.

In 1958, Slovak obtained a nationwide title operating Skip Bardahl, belonging to an excellent Seattle oil business. The next seasons he was riding Skip Wahoo when he won brand new President’s Cup with the Potomac Lake within the Arizona, D.C. The guy continued racing by way of 1967, effective several other federal tournament. (The guy grabbed their last lap inside a beneficial hydroplane in the ages 81, getting together with 140 yards.p.h.)

When you look at the 1959, as he decided to go to benefit Continental Air companies because the a beneficial pilot; he paid off, relatively speaking, undertaking just the unexpected stunt in the an effective biplane. Traveling below links, ugly and you can palms over, is just how the guy relaxed. His daring feats attained him the nickname the fresh new Traveling Czech.

Mira John Slovak was given birth to toward October. twenty five, 1929, regarding city of Cifer, which had been upcoming from inside the Czechoslovakia and is now in the Slovakia. His mothers was farmers just who hid Jewish refugees inside the Nazi career. Slovak informed Williams one to a rail range holding Jews to concentration camps enacted close the home. The guy recalled bringing smoking cigarettes and you will dining to Nazi soldiers so you’re able to win its believe, upcoming providing tobacco and you may dinner into the Jews towards illustrate.

The guy inserted the latest Czechoslovak Air Push just after World war ii, as he are 17, and you will flew bombers during the 19. He had been marketed so you’re able to master on 21, partly since the fresh Communist bodies is replacement officers whom was actually aimed that have Allied pushes into the battle. By the point he had been 21, he had been piloting commercial flights for Czechoslovak Airlines.

He’s endured by the their mate Ingrid Bondi, an old airline attendant having Continental having whom the guy stayed to own almost 3 decades. Slovak’s a couple marriage ceremonies finished inside the split up.

Williams said Slovak got flown 38,five-hundred hours in various planes, though in most cases are to the much time routes for Continental. The guy made more than 800 Pacific crossings to your flight just before retiring into the 1986. The guy later on brought in and you can offered planes, some of them built in Czechoslovakia.

Slovak endured numerous injuries in vessels and you can planes. For the hydroplane racing he bankrupt a supply, a leg and his straight back; shed a lot of their teeth; and damaged his kidneys in advance of he had been away from his 30s. The guy spent his peace and quiet considered his come back to brand new seat, even as certain competitors to the h2o died rushing.

For the 1968, he installed a system out-of a Volkswagen Beetle into the a beneficial glider and travelled they more than 8,one hundred thousand miles, out-of Western Germany to California. He crashed 19 base regarding the runway at his latest destination, Santa Paula. He invested several days when you look at the an effective coma.

“I’m crazy about one person,” Slovak advised Sporting events Depicted for the 1966. “That is Mira Slovak. I don’t must kill myself, but one thing can take place once you fool around that have rates. The law regarding averages captures up.

“Us,” he additional, “was basically banged up, burnt, bounced as much as. We are all ready to face the consequences. I have i am also, but I go back for lots more.”