Ze snů do oblak - Životopis českého pilota – Kvapil Miloš (2024)

I have thought a lot about the title of this narrative. I like 'My Life as a Pilot' – that's a book I have at home, published sometime during the war, and its author is Ernst Udet, one of the most successful German pilots of World War I, but later a general in the Nazi air force. He believed in Hitler, but in 1941 he committed suicide. His writing before the rise of Nazism is quite interesting, but my narrative cannot be named that. I often think about the fact that I had the opportunity to fly even under communist totalitarianism. I spent over 17,000 hours in the sky on 35 types of aircraft. In my family and with friends, we condemned the communist tyranny. Many citizens of Czechoslovakia quietly condemned the regime's crimes, but they carried out their jobs, which was the majority of the nation. Not everyone was an open fighter against totalitarianism. Yes, I was part of the majority. I was truly very lucky that I succeeded greatly in flying despite my bourgeois background. From a young age, I dreamed of flying, and to this day I love it throughout my life. However, I am convinced that if the unfortunate February of 1948 had not occurred, the aviation life of our generation would not have been worse. I can only recall the words of Jan Neruda, which truly fit my life: I was a little bit of everything in this divine world...