Bolesław Orliński Bolesław Orliński ( 13 April 1899 - 28 February 1992 ) was a Polish aviator , military , sports and test pilot . He was born on the family estate in Niwerka , Podole . During World War I he was commissioned in the Russian Army , and fought in an infantry Regiment on the German front , becoming a NCO . In 1918 he joined the newly formed Polish 1st Corps of Gen . Józef Dowbór - Muśnicki . When the corps was disarmed by the Germans in May 1918 he went to the Ukraine and briefly served in the army of the Ukrainian People ' s Republic . He returned to Poland after independence and joined the Polish Army . He served in the cavalry during the Polish - Soviet war , and then volunteered for the air force . He completed pilot training in Bydgoszcz and Grudziądz and in 1923 became an instructor in Grudziądz . From 27 August to 25 September 1926 , with mechanic Leon Kubiak , Orliński flew from Warsaw to Tokyo ( 10 , 300 km / 6 , 400 miles ) and back in a Breguet 19 A2 . On the way back the plane was damaged by wind in Byrka and its left lower wing was broken and propeller was cracked . The Polish aviators shortened the opposite wing and repaired the propeller with glue and wire , and thus repaired flew the 6680 km to Warsaw . For the feat Orliński was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun 6th class , French Legion of Honor and was promoted to Captain . In 1928 he quit the service and became a test pilot with the Polish PZL aviation works in Warsaw . He test - flew all PZL fighter prototypes , from the PZL P . 1 designed by Zygmunt Puławski in 1928 , through the PZL P . 6 , PZL P . 7 , PZL P . 8 , PZL P . 11 , PZL P . 24 to PZL P . 50 Jastrząb in 1939 . He also tested the sports planes PZL . 19 , PZL . 26 , passenger planes PZL . 4 , PZL . 44 Wicher , and liaison plane PZL Ł . 2 . Apart from his test pilot work , he took part in numerous aviation contests and presentations of Polish aircraft abroad . Flying the PZL . 5 he participated in the Challenge 1930 international touring planes contest , but failed to finish due to engine failure on 26 July . In December 1930 he presented the fighter PZL P . 6 at the Paris Air Show . Flying the P . 6 , Orliński won National Air Races in Cleveland from 29 August - 7 September 1931 . Flying the PZL . 19 he took part in the Challenge 1932 contest , but had to withdraw due to illness . On 28 June 1934 he set a world speed record for radial engined fighters of 414 km / h , flying the PZL P . 24 . During this time he survived several crashes and emergency parachute jumps . After the outbreak of World War II and German invasion on Poland , he volunteered for the Polish Army . On 8 September 1939 he was sent to Romania inprepartion to receive British - built fighters . Via Yugoslavia , Italy and France he got to Great Britain , where the remnants of the Polish Air Force was serving . Because of his age he could not be a fighter pilot and became an instructor . In 1943 he joined No . 305 Polish Bomber Squadron , flying the de Havilland Mosquito fighter - bomber . From 1 August 1944 to 31 January 1945 Wing Commander Orliński was the commander of No . 305 Squadron . He flew 49 operational sorties , mostly at night . From 1 February 1945 until the end of the war in Europe he was rested from combat . After the war he decided not to return to Poland and settled in Toronto , Canada . During his career he flew 92 aircraft types and spent some 7 , 000 hours in air . He died in Canada at the age of 93 and was buried in Poland .