Author: Jerzy Jędrzejewski
Title: Polish experimental pilots
ISBN: 978-83-635390-5-4
Cover: hardback, sewn binding
The year of publication: 2014
Publisher: Scientific Publishers of the Institute of Aviation
Quantity pages: 779
Language of publication: polish
Description: The book is a compilation of pilots who performed test flights on glider, aircraft and helicopter constructions on Polish soil and pilots of Polish origin who performed test flights outside the country (e.g. J. Żurakowski, F.N. Piasecki, F.S. Gabreski). The book consists of 220 biographies of individual experimental pilots from the entry : Andrzej Abłamowicz to the entry: Czesław Żywocki. Additionally, the book contains about 800 photographs.
Fragment of the introduction:
“The common knowledge about the profession of an experimental pilot is very superficial and often distorted by sensational publications or films that shape images far from real. Aviation is relatively young. Motor aviation has exceeded mere one hundred years of existence.
The pioneers in the construction of aircraft heavier than air were forced to make their own attempts at flying. The Polish pioneer of sliding flights – Jan Wnęk in the years 1866-1869 on the wings he built on the model of bird wings, ended his life as a result of a fall during one of the trials. This was the case with the pioneer of gliding Otto Lilienthal, who personally made about two thousand ups on the gliders he had built and ended his life as a result of an accident during one of the tests in 1896, at the age of 48. This was the case with the first aircraft builders and pilots (first flight on December 17, 1903), the Wright brothers, of whom Wilbur lost his life as a result of an accident during trials in 1912. Similarly, many other builders of flying machines made their first attempts to fly in person. Undoubtedly, this had many reasons similar to those of many other pioneering human activities. In the history of Polish aviation we have had many great test pilots who have proved themselves and accomplished many works worthy of commemoration. Meanwhile, as a result of World War II and other war damages, our country lost most of its archival materials. The period after the Second World War, as a result of the policy pursued, not only did not contribute to the preservation of what had survived, but also, as a result of the secrecy rules applied, made it difficult to preserve the real achievements of that period.
