The third part of the interview, is in fact, from the second session. It details an after war training flight experience where he almost lost his life in an inverted spin.
“After the war, I flew in a 2 seats trainer with a new trainee. The guy was at least 10cm taller than me, much heavier, and blocked completely my front view. We reached 2000 meters, me strapped only in the belly straps, and than I passed the control of the plane to the trainee. I told him to pull the stick upwards, combined with weak pressure on the rudder, and than to recover from the situation.
The trainee pushed the rudder hard - all the way, and the plane inverted upside down – and started an inverted spin. I could not reach the pedals, because I was lifted from the seat (downwards in fact) and my head bounced against the cockpit glass. I ordered the trainee to react, but he just dropped his head on his shoulder and did not move – completely paralyzed. Meanwhile, the plane made at least two spins, and lost some 1000 meters.
I pulled myself with my hands strongly into the seat (upwards in fact), and tried to push the pedals. I could not because the trainee (who was bigger, heavier and stronger than me) would not let go. Finally I opened the glass between the seats, knocked him on the head strongly, and only than he let go of the pedals. I managed to level and recover at 200 meters.
The commander of the flight school came to see us right after we landed, to ask us what had happened, as he was watching us from the ground. He sent us to the clinic, as our eyes were filled with blood from the opposite G forces, and told me to take the rest of that day off.
As for the trainee – he was too afraid to fly again, and was sent to the AA forces, where he made a good career. He used to send me a greeting card every year, at the date of that event, to “our new birthday”. Many years later, I flew with some officers to the Ukraine where we were ordered suddenly to land at a certain airport. I was surprised to find the trainee, who has become a high-ranking officer in the AA forces, waiting. He saw my name on the flight list, and decided to take me for dinner!”
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