Mira Slovak, also known as “The Poor Refugee,” passed away this week at the age of 84. While not very well known to our generation, Slovak became a legend when he won the very first National Championship Air Races’ Unlimited Category, flying an F8F Bearcat, in 1964. Slovak didn’t cross the finish line first, but won on points – a system that was later abolished.
Slovak’s entry into the aviation world was nothing but conventional. In the attached video, Slovak talks about his time as a budding pilot in Czechoslovakia. He started flying gliders and, while he never saw combat, he went on to fly airplanes such as the Messerschmitt 109, Heinkel He-111, and Junkers 52 in the military.
