"The dedication of his aeronautical skills to the successful flight testing of Canada's first supersonic aircraft resulted in outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation.”
Janusz Zurakowski
"The dedication of his aeronautical skills to the successful flight testing of Canada's first supersonic aircraft resulted in outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation.”
Janusz Zurakowski attended high school in Poland where he learned to fly gliders and later joined the Polish Air Force in 1934. At the outbreak of the Second World War he was an instructor in a Polish fighter squadron. He escaped to England in 1939 and flew with Nos. 234 and 609 Squadrons, RAF. In 1945 he was posted to the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment where he tested Britain's first jet fighter, the Meteor.
During his career Zurakowski also demonstrated a new air stunt called the "Zurabatic Cartwheel" and established a new air speed record in 1950 between London-Copenhagen-London. He emigrated to Canada in 1952 to join Avro Aircraft Limited at Toronto as chief development pilot. In this position, he test flew the CF-100 aircraft and completed the first supersonic flight of the Avro Arrow.
Born: 12 Sept 1914, Ryzawka, Russia Died: 9 Feb 2004
