How a Russian Pilot Defected With A Mach 2 MiG-29 Fulcrum Fighter

How a Russian Pilot Defected With A Mach 2 MiG-29 Fulcrum Fighter

Key Points and Summary – On a spring night in 1989, Soviet fighter pilot Aleksandr Zuyev staged one of the Cold War’s boldest defections—stealing a frontline MiG-29 “Fulcrum” and flying it to Turkey. Disillusioned with the Soviet system and convinced reforms wouldn’t fix it, he planned an audacious escape: disable pursuit, slip airborne, and reach NATO airspace before the alarm could tighten. Real MiG-29 at USAF Museum in Dayton. Image Credit: N…