Back in 1965, a rebellious decade when it was popular to oppose the rules, even when it was dangerous. Or more precisely, even crazy.
Such was the case with the Soviet pilot Valentin Privalov, who performed an incredible and unimaginable feat – he flew over a bridge by plane. And not just any airplane, but a MiG-17 military.
The scene was the Ob River bridge in western Siberia. The arch of the bridge was only 30 meters high, about 120 meters wide, so no sane pilot would dare to go under it in a fighter jet, but Valentine was not any kind of pilot, but he was a fearless “joker”.
The event itself was described by witnesses who were present at the event, although on several occasions later there was doubt about the credibility of the famous photograph from the feat.
Still, the story remains. It was a sunny day on June 4, 1965, and the pilot flew under the central part of the Communal Bridge in Novosibirsk. The river bank was full of pedestrians, tourists who were there on vacation, but also officers from a nearby base who came to enjoy the sun, reports “Vintage News”.
Then, suddenly, a silver jet appeared in the sky and it was obvious that he was performing some stunts. Everyone was amazed, looking up. Suddenly, the plane landed abruptly, and before anyone could understand it, it crashed under the bridge. It was an act of great skill, for a MiG flight with such precision had never been seen before.
It was reported that Privalov did so on his own initiative and without any orders. The crowd gathered on the bridge began to applaud spontaneously, but the pilot’s superiors were not overjoyed. He received a suspension.
The feat almost cost him his career in the Soviet Air Force. He was threatened with disciplinary action, but Marshall himself, Rodion Malinovski, considered his venture a good advertisement for the military. People were amazed, and the story of what he did spread throughout the USSR.
Privalov was sent to the elite Moscow squadron at the Kubinka military airport.
A photo of the event has recently started circulating on the Internet, so it has found its way to the world’s attention through various Russian language forums. Although the origin of the photograph is controversial, the event shown does not appear to be.
Pivallov reportedly flew about 700 miles per hour that day at a speed of 1.126 km per hour. Some argue that the photo was taken only to illustrate the event, as it happened without warning, so it was impossible to document.
It was published in Soviet newspapers and even resonated in the American press when the article of August 27, 1965 was mentioned.
Valentin Privalov continued his lavish and successful career in the Soviet Air Force, retiring as deputy chief of the Russian Air Traffic Control Center in Moscow. Little is known about his personal life and whether he is still alive or not, but his venture remains legendary.
