Free as A Bird: The Aviation Museum Relaunched
It's Sunday, and your neighbour is hammering nails into the wall. He knows there's no better time to put up a new string of shelves than at 7 in the morning. Ah, the bliss of communal flats.... But shelves aside, one wonders just how a certain Mr Eugene Pieniazek managed to avoid getting clobbered by his neighbours, 40 years ago. Because back in the winter of 1970-71, in the provincial town of Leszno, Mr P. had his entire toolbox on the go, week in week out. And who could have guessed that what he was actually constructing - in an eight-square-metre room - was a full fledged airplane?
The purpose for putting together this plane was not strictly recreational. Indeed, Mr. Pieniazek was planning to do no less than defect from communist Poland. And on September 13th, 1971, he took off on a one way journey out the country.
It was treacherous weather that day, but the plucky pilot managed to fly his "Kukulka" (Cuckoo) - with a few awkward scrapes in Yugoslavia on the way - to freedom. He ultimately emigrated to Sweden, where he lived until the fall of the communism. However, on the 34th anniversary of his fabled flight, Mr. Pieniazek donated the Cuckoo to Cracow's Aviation Museum, where it's just one of scores of remarkable aircraft which visitors can savour, from Spitfires to Sopwith Camels. The museum has a new spring in its step, as on September 19th, a sleek new pavilion was opened as a centre-piece to the ensemble. Head on over to find out more.
The Aviation Museum, which lies a little to the east of the city centre, can be visited at al. Jana Pawla II 39. Closed Mondays.
Cracow Aviation Museum