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MiG; Three little letters conjure thoughts of the Cold War, combat, speed, and the unknown of Soviet technology. In the 1970s and 1980s, they were the showpiece of movies in which American action heroes battled the forces of communism.
Enlarge Photo Fredericton resident Harold Skaarup's new book, Canadian MiG Flights, works to pull back the Iron Curtain and details these deadly aircraft and the few Canadians fortunate enough to test them.
MiG stands for Mikoyan-i-Gurevich, the design bureau for Soviet fighters. The MiG was the fighter of choice for the Soviet Union and its allies from post Second World War II right through the 20th century. But it was during the end days of Soviet power that Canadians were invited to fly the infamous war bird.
An impromptu offer at an air show gave a Canadian pilot an opportunity to test fly a MiG 29. It was a taste of what the Soviet Union offered in fighters and a chance to discover what was before top secret.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc, more planes became available through donations to or purchases by museums and training facilities.
But this was not the first time that Soviet aircraft became available for inspection. Throughout the Cold War, defectors made their way from the Soviet Bloc and satellites to more "friendly nations" (Taiwan offered bounties to defectors) using the MiG as means to escape. These planes would be heavily inspected in hopes of gaining advantages in the air should the United States and the Soviet Union meet in direct conflict.
It was not only the technology that was valuable; it also gave insight into the tactics and priorities of the Soviet military. In this way intelligence personnel could develop possible scenarios and counter measures.
Dissemination of military assets goes backs as far as the two world wars, which Skaarup also details, as he does the Canadian pilots who flew them, such as the celebrated Billy Bishop.
Skaarup, an army intelligence officer, covers every detail of each aircraft with accompanying pictures of the aircraft and when and where they were used. It would have been nice if there were a standard outline to better compare the planes.
The author is commended for not skimping on facts but they would read better if they were couched in a more friendly narrative, not to embellish but to enhance.
For air and military enthusiasts, Canadian MiG Flights is good resource. |
