"I will tell one incident that happened to me in Zvolen. We flew on that "Béčko" once. We were divided into groups in the squadron, and there were eight groups in each squadron and four groups. Whatever plane was released, it went up. That was continuing training, from Olomouc we went to Zvolen, where we flew S-199 planes, they were German Messerschmitts. It was already a combat plane, the Germans had already used it in the Second World War. Very good fighters. Those were fighter planes. Equipped with a radio and retractable chassis. They had one big disadvantage, they had a very powerful M211 engine, I remember that well, and the hull was unstable in comparison. Three-bladed propeller, also bladed. When I started on the two types, I could see in front of me. But I couldn't see the Messerschmitt in front of me. It was built in such a way that only when I put it in a certain position, only then could I see in front of me. This was very dangerous when adding gas. When he added the gas more sharply, the propeller pitch was large and so it always turned to the left. Whoever didn't catch it, it happened to me too, it was fatal. My left undercarriage leg buckled, the plane overturned and I was stuck under it. Fortunately, it was still at the airport before the start. I was lucky the plane didn't catch fire. If it gets caught, they won't get me out of there and I'll just be a scratch. I was very lucky.'
0:36:58 - 0:40:00 - The accident that ended Alojz's promising career as a pilot
"We had a vineyard, 1 900 vineyard roots. Parents had And later they were not enough. Mom died and dad was no longer enough to support himself. I could not attend to it from here. We offered to have someone take it. Free. Old 40-year-old vineyard, wine was. Nobody wanted it. Sometimes there were even 1 200 liters of wine. When he wanted to transfer the land to the cooperative, he had to uproot the entire vineyard. Well, I took that, I took the workers, they took their vacation. Four to a car, I already had a car then. And we weeded the vineyard all day. I was almost in tears when we were destroying that old born vineyard. Nobody wanted to have one disadvantage that it was close to the main road and the village. When it was born, someone had to stay there to prevent it from being stolen or destroyed. That land went to the cooperative."
2:18:20 - 2:20:00 - Liquidation of the vineyard and transfer of the land to the cooperative
"In 1993, when the republic was dividing. I did not agree with this. It's true, everyone has to admit that to a certain extent we paid extra. That's true, no one can deny that. But if we turn a few pages back, when the Republic of Czechoslovakia was established, there was almost nothing, almost no industry in Slovakia. There were no schools, there was nothing. Slovakia was, as they say, peasants, farmers. When the Czechs, teachers, and gendarmes arrived, they brought industry from Pilsen to Martin, Dubnice, and Detva. He started in that industry. The Czechs helped us a lot in that. They trained the cadres. In this regard, we must be grateful to the Czechs. Even though I admit that we paid extra for something, but how can the dirt fit in. I did not agree with the division of the republic and I do not agree even now. If it was now about whether we will unite with the Czechs, then I am in favor. I have my whole family there, son, daughter. I would never divide Czechoslovakia, because Slovakia is such a small country."
1:08:16 – 1:10:47 – Disagreement with the division of Czechoslovakia
Alojz Novák was born on October 20, 1932 in Trakovice near Hlohovec as the ninth and last child of Anton and Terézia. As a child, he remembers the downing of an American plane near his village during World War II. After the war, he studied in Trnava, later he started lerning in Harmanac and in the officer training school in Rožňava. He trained as an aviator and wanted to become a fighter pilot, but an unfortunate incident at the end of his training in July 1954 prevented him from doing so. From an early age he was inclined towards sports, especially cycling and table tennis. After the training, he got a job in Trenčín in the 32nd combat regiment. For a while he worked in Košice and Prague, but in 1963 he definitively returned to Trenčín to aircraft repair factory. His position entailed the obligation of party membership. In August 1968, he worked as the head of the airport defense unit and learned about the arrival of the Warsaw Pact troops only on the second day at work. He was threatened with dismissal from the army because of his opinion on their arrival. In November 1989, he was being treated in the Tatras, he did not agree with the division of the republic in 1993. He was dedicated to cycling and table tennis all his life, both as an athlete and as an official. He is the holder of several awards, he worked as a referee for many years. He is involved in sports even at the advanced age of 90 years.
Hrdinové 20. století odcházejí. Nesmíme zapomenout. Dokumentujeme a vyprávíme jejich příběhy. Záleží vám na odkazu minulých generací, na občanských postojích, demokracii a vzdělávání? Pomozte nám!
