Milos Anthony Navratil

And I was standing there and suddenly as if something came over me and said: “Now, go.“ So I started walking between the two buildings and soon I was on the open field where the airplane was standing. Everywhere there were people doing some work or guards but I knew I had to walk on towards the plane. I didn´t need to turn my head right or left, I just walked on to the stairs leading to the plane and climbed inside. There was nobody there, it was completely empty. I looked around quickly to see where I could hide. I walked to the very back and squeezed into a tiny space behind a seat and waited. It was getting dark, it was late afternoon. I was still waiting and suddenly someone entered, walked through the plane looking around if anybody was in there, but didn´t se me in the corner and left again. The door closed. Then they pulled the plane towards some hangars further from the main building. The plane was supposed to leave the next day but it seemed there was something wrong with the plane or they might have waited for a spare part, no idea, but in the end the plane stayed there for three days. It was 19th December 1962 when I entered the plane and it took off as late as 21st December. So I had to be waiting there for two nights and one entire day. After the plane was moved away to the hangar, there was silence, the people left. Then I started to look for a place to hide. On the floor I found a kind of amanhole cover, I lifted it and saw there was a space where one could crawl through between the space for luggage and the outside part of the fuselage. So I crawled in and placed the cover back. I crawled all the way to the rear of the plane where I spent the three days waiting. It was in December. Outside there was a bit of snow and it was very cold, not as pleasant as in your bed at home but I was already there and couldn´t go back. I was in the dark, waiting. I also needed to use the toilet. I knew I had to climb up, I also found some biscuits in the plane to have something to eat and I think there was also some blanket around. I took it to make myself feel warmer. Then I crawled back to the place of hiding. There was nothing else to do but wait.

The second night came. Again I had to use the toilet so I got out through the manhole cover. Suddenly I heard some noise, the door opened and some people walked into the plane. No idea what to do. The lights in the toilet switched on, the door opened and a man was standing there saying: “El mecanico checo!“ He was Cuban and was saying: “Here is the mechanic!“I couldn´t think or do anything. It seemed they thought I was a Czech mechanic. They came to do some work on the plane. No idea, maybe they just got the spare part or something like that. In fact, they wanted me to help. Of course, I had no idea what they were saying in Spanish, but to add some explanation I should say that before I set out, my father had a Spanish dictionary. I learned a few words and phrases so I could speak a little bit. They worked in the plane for over an hour or so testing the engines, switching them on and off again. They asked me if I could be of help but I didn´t understand so they let me stand there. When they finished the work, they said or indicated that: “Let´s go, you must leave with us.“ I had to follow them down the stairs and, again, I was out of the plane. To show them I had a place to go to, I headed towards a hangar. They went another direction. I hid behind a corner and waited to see what would happen. It was at night, in the dark and when it was peace and quiet again, I went back to the plane thinking how to get inside. At first I tried to climb the front wheel, which was nonsense, of course. This is not the way to get in but I didn´t know that. When I was climbing down I saw a man approaching. He asked: “What are you doing there?“ I knew that much Spanish to say: Yo no hablo checo. Yo hablo espaňol que..“ And he said: „Ó, aha.“ And left. He thought I was Cuban. I had no idea how it came to me like that.