By The Star
THE history of aviation is filled with groundbreaking moments, but one early event stands out for its sheer audacity.
In the chaotic aftermath of a world war, a desperate individual took extreme measures to escape a volatile political situation.
Was the very first known aeroplane hijacking committed by the 'Father of Paleobiology'?
Verdict:
TRUE
On a clear November day in 1919, an extraordinary event took place that would later be recognised as the world's first known aeroplane hijacking.
Baron Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás, a Hungarian aristocrat, found himself facing the turbulent political climate of the nascent (but short-lived) Hungarian Soviet Republic in Hungary.
Being a nobleman, he was desperate to escape as the murders of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the rest of the Russian royal family by the Communists were still fresh in everyone's minds.
However, as he had served as a spy for the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I, he had a particular set of skills which proved very useful to him in his time of need.
Nopsca forged a set of documents from the Hungarian War Ministry that "authorised" him to requisition a small aircraft and a pilot, ostensibly for a flight from Budapest to Sopron.
After boarding the plane with his Albanian secretary, Bajazid Doda, Nopcsa produced a pistol and demanded that their course be immediately changed to Vienna.
The pilot, under duress, complied with Nopcsa's demands, successfully diverting the aircraft and landing them safely in Vienna.
As mentioned earlier, Nopcsa is often hailed as the “Father of Paleobiology”, as he was among the first to propose that dinosaurs were warm-blooded and exhibited social behaviours.
At a time when palaeontologists were mainly interested in assembling bones, he tried to deduce the physiology and living behaviour of the dinosaurs he was studying.
Another of his theories, which was ahead of its time, was that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
He also discovered and named several dinosaur species, including Magyarosaurus.
Aside from dinosaurs, Nopsca was also very passionate about Albania.
Beyond his scientific pursuits, Nopcsa harboured a deep fascination with Albania.
He became a fervent advocate for Albanian independence and culture, learning the language and travelling extensively through the region.
His comprehensive work, "Albania: A Study of Its Past, Present, and Future," published in 1925, remains a significant ethnographic and geological account of the country.
His ambition extended to politics, as he famously attempted to become the King of Albania in 1913, following the country's declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.
His life was a complex tapestry of scientific breakthroughs, political machinations, intrigue and personal struggles.
The aeroplane hijacking was a desperate measure taken amidst the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the rise of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, a final, dramatic attempt to escape his circumstances.
This audacious act allowed him to flee his troubles, marking a bizarre footnote in the history of aviation.
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