Mathias Rust -30 years on
I thought that ,although historical, recalling this incident might stir a few responses here.
Many will remember this 19 year old young man flying though Russian Air Defences and putting a Rheims Cessna 172 down on a bridge next to Red Square on 28th May 1987 as a "gesture towards peace". At the time I thought he had just taken off from a German flying club and flown low level across the IGB then on to Moscow: this itself being a feat for a novice.
Do look this incident up on Wikipedia as apparently:
He had a total of around 50 hours ( how many solo?)
The Club 172 had had long range tanks fitted ( why?).Rear seats removed for this ( Rear c of g for an inexperienced 172 pilot?)
He flew solo from just outside Hamburg to Keflavik Iceland, then to Bergen Norway, then on to Helsinki Finland.
He then flew low level ( presumably) to Moscow, apparently without aids or proper mapping, on the one day that PVO Strany were on low alert, to land on a bridge in the middle of the City which had just had obstructive telephone wires removed.
His arrival was filmed by a visiting peace activist.
Call me old fashioned but........alone and unassisted?
I welcome informed comments.
Last edited by Haraka; 27th May 2017 at 17:06.