Whereas it’s widespread for folks to attempt to enter america in hopes of a greater life, this needs to be one of many extra uncommon makes an attempt to enter the nation…
Antonov An-2 flies from Cuba to USA
On Friday, October 21, 2022, a 29-year-old Cuban man flew an historical Soviet-era crop duster from Cuba to america, presumably in search of asylum. The person has been recognized as Ruben Martinez.
The person flew a single-engine Forties Antonov An-2 crop duster from Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, to Dade-Collier Coaching and Transition Airport, within the Florida Everglades. I’ve written about this airport prior to now, as a result of at one level there have been plans for this to be the world’s largest airport.
Round 11:30AM on Friday, after flying 270 miles, the person radioed air visitors controllers, claiming to be low on gas and requesting permission to land. A person who was fishing off Islamorada even captured video of this airplane buzzing the water.
Upon touchdown on the airport, the person took an image in entrance of the airplane. He appeared to also have a pilot uniform on! The person allegedly used this airplane for work again in Cuba, as he did fumigation.
Cuban man now in custody
The person is now within the custody of US Customs and Border Safety officers, and Homeland Safety is investigating the incident. Authorities are actually attempting to determine how precisely he managed to fly by the Naval Air Station Key West and the Homestead Air Reserve Base with out being detected.
Primarily based on the video footage of the airplane close to Islamorada, plainly he flew very low, possibly too low to be detected on radar.
I’m actually not an knowledgeable on the US immigration and asylum course of, however I’d suppose that he’d be eligible to at the very least have a listening to, earlier than being deported.
The person’s mom (who lives in Cuba) claimed she didn’t know he was planning on leaving the nation, and he or she wasn’t detained by authorities. In accordance with her:
“These are selections he made. I don’t agree with them. I’m from this nation, I’m an previous girl set in my methods, however the youth make their very own selections and observe their path.”
Whereas lots of people attempt to journey from Cuba to america to hunt asylum, it’s way more widespread for this to occur by boat than airplane.
No matter how one feels about totally different strategies of immigration, my coronary heart hurts for somebody who does one thing this drastic, risking their life and freedom, and likewise leaving their household behind with out warning, presumably by no means having the ability to see them once more.
Backside line
A person flew an Antonov An-2 from Cuba to america, and ended up touchdown on the Everglades’ fascinating airport. The person evaded authorities in the course of the flight, however was detained upon touchdown. I’m rooting for him to remain — in any case, we’ve a pilot scarcity, and this man is aware of what he’s doing!
What do you make of this Antonov An-2 flight from Cuba to america?
