Franciszek Żwirko Franciszek Żwirko ( 16 September 1895 – 11 September 1932 ) was a prominent Polish sport and military aviator . Along with Stanisław Wigura , he won the international air contest Challenge 1932 . He was born in Święciany , near Wilno currently in Lithuania ( at that time part of the Russian Empire ) and attended school in Wilno . During World War I , he volunteered for the Russian Army , graduated from an officer school in Irkutsk , and served in infantry , fighting against the Germans . He was awarded with the Order of St . Anna , 4th class . In 1917 he joined the Polish corps of Gen . Józef Dowbor - Muśnicki , formed in Russia . After the corps was disbanded in 1918 , he enlisted in Gen . Anton Denikin ' s Volunteer Army and fought against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War . He completed an air observer course then . After the Bolsheviks ' victory in the war in 1921 , Żwirko fought his way to Poland across the Soviet - Polish border . In Poland , he completed an aviation school in Bydgoszcz in November 1923 , and a higher pilotage school in Grudziądz . He became a fighter pilot in the 18th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Air Regiment , with a rank of " porucznik pilot " ( flying lieutenant ) . He also became active in sports aviation . Żwirko distinguished himself as a very skilled and calm pilot . In August 1927 , flying a Breguet 19 military plane , he took the 2nd place in the " 1st air contest of the Little Entente and Poland " in Yugoslavia , and the 1st place in its rally part . From 1929 he was assigned as a liaison officer in the University Aeroclub ( " Aeroklub Akademicki " ) in Warsaw . Thanks to his new post , he could increase his sporting activity , meeting young aviation enthusiasts - mostly students of Warsaw University of Technology . He especially made friends with young engineer Stanislaw Wigura , one of designers of the RWD team . They often flew together from then , Wigura as a mechanic and second pilot . Between August 9 and September 6 , 1929 , Żwirko and Wigura flew the RWD - 2 prototype across Europe , on Warsaw – Paris – Barcelona – Milano – Warsaw 5000 km route , and on October 6 they won in the 1st Rally of South - Eastern Poland . On October 16 , 1929 , Żwirko and Antoni Kocjan set an international FAI altitude record of 4 , 004 m ( 13 , 136 ft ) in the light tourist plane class ( below 280 kg or 616 lb empty weight ) on that plane . In July 1930 Żwirko and Wigura took part in the International Tourist Plane Competition Challenge 1930 , flying the RWD - 4 , but they had to withdraw on July 25 due to engine failure , after an emergency landing in Spain . In September and October 1930 they won two contest in Poland ( the 2nd Rally of South - Eastern Poland flying RWD - 2 and the 3rd Light Aircraft Contest , flying RWD - 4 ) , and in October 1931 they won the 4th Touring Planes Contest , flying on a prototype RWD - 5 . On August 7 , 1931 Żwirko and Stanisław Prauss tried to break another altitude record , on RWD - 7 , climbing at 5 , 996 m ( 19 , 672 ft ) , but it was not recognized by the FAI due to a non - standard recording device . In December 1931 Żwirko was assigned a training escadre commander in an aviation school in Dęblin . In April 1932 he was selected for the Polish team for the International Tourist Plane Competition Challenge 1932 , taking place between August 20 - August 28 , 1932 , and he chose Wigura as his crewmate . They won the competition , over favourite German and other teams , flying the new RWD - 6 , and became heroes in Poland . The success was brought by Żwirko ' s pilotage skills and high quality of the plane , designed among others , by Wigura . On 11 September 1932 , flying to an air meeting to Prague , and Wigura fatally crashed in their RWD - 6 in the forest at Cierlicko near Cieszyn in Czechoslovakia , when the wing broke in a heavy storm . The two men were buried in the Avenue of the Meritorious in Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw . Honours and awards . On September 14 , 1932 the President of Poland posthumously awarded Żwirko the Knight ' s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta " for his contribution in the field of propaganda in the international aviation " and , on March 12 , 1933 , he received a posthumous promotion to captain with seniority from 1 January 1933 . He had also been decorated with the Gold and Silver Crosses of Merit and the Russian Order of St . Anna , class IV ( combat merit ) .