The last owner of the fugitive plane: I sold it on Saturday to a company from Sofia, it seems they were Romanians or Ukrainians

The six-seater Piper, which on Wednesday disrupted the air defenses of six NATO countries and flew over part of Serbia, was sold to a company, most likely based in Sofia, just days earlier Saturday. This was stated to OFFNews by the last official owner of 60-year-old Piper PA-23-250 Aztec Bronius Zaronskis, whom we found at his home in Lithuania.

The 72-year-old man is an ace of Lithuanian aviation, graduated from the Moscow Aviation School, was a squadron commander in Panevezys, and after leaving the army is chairman of the local aviation sports club. During the events in Vilnius in 1991, he organized the rescue of the club’s aircraft from the Soviet army and participated in the resistance of the Lithuanians against the Soviet army. . He is now in the transport business. He can be seen in a military uniform with many awards and three stars, addressing him as an aviation captain.

Good morning, Captain. I’m calling from Bulgaria, maybe you can guess why. I will not hesitate if you allow me to say: how did your plane, the one from your avatar, the little Piper, suddenly end up in Bulgaria after a spectacular flight across Eastern Europe, the skies of six NATO countries and Serbia?

And how do I know? People bought it from me, and I don’t know where they flew.

When did this happen? When did you buy it?

They bought it ли was it on Saturday?

Now this Saturday that has passed?

Yes, yes.

And who are the buyers? What people?

Well, I don’t know, I don’t think they were Bulgarians. May from Romania or Ukraine.

Any names?

I do not know I do not know.

And then did you hear what happens to your plane after the sale?

Yes, yes. I heard.

How is it possible? I checked the plane, it was built in 1962, it is 60 years old. But more importantly, from what I saw in the registers that it was deregistered as an aircraft, it should not fly in practice?

What?

Well, it has been removed from the list of aircraft, despite having a registration number on the hull.

Yes, I had applied to be deregistered. To scratch it. But as far as it was pledged in a bank as collateral for a loan, once upon a time, now I went to the bank, they gave me a certificate to remove the mortgage, I went to a notary, but there are long queues, there is a long wait, now I’m waiting for my mortgage. Now, after June 20, they will remove it from the mortgage.

But look, without registration, could he fly at all? Was he right?

Well, he had the right to fly, only his registration had to be restored, permission had to be obtained from the Civil Aviation Administration.

What is the name of the person who bought it from you?

Well, I don’t know. They took it in the name of a company.

Do you remember the name of the company?

I don’t remember now, I have to look, there are documents, but they are not with me at the moment. I think he wrote that he was from Sofia. Contract, everything is there, handover protocol. Everything is legally formed.

Has anyone been looking for you from Bulgaria so far? Our authorities?

No.

The police?

No no. They say here almost… This is not a crime. You what? They flew – they flew. As far as I can see, they flew properly, in my opinion, only they didn’t have it, they didn’t get a flight plan, a permit.

And was the plane upright?

Upright, upright, upright.

Could he fly?

It was checked.

I know you’re an experienced pilot, an aviation ace, you were a squadron commander. Explain to me, civilians, how it is possible for them, now in military conditions, to take off from Lithuania, to pass through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, the skies of Bulgaria, all these NATO countries plus Serbia, and NATO not to nothing.

And NATO should not do anything. They see a civilian plane flying, a small plane. This is a problem of the bureaucracy more. To shape the flight. If they have to wait to get a layout, a month will not be enough for them.

The strange thing here is that they abandoned the plane. They abandoned him and fled.

I don’t know why they landed there and what happened. It is possible that something happened. I wouldn’t say they dumped him. They landed normally, then put on the cover, the case, they did everything right. And what to do and sit next to the plane? They went somewhere. At work for sure.

Remember what these people looked like, how old were they?

I don’t know exactly which one, but he was about 50 years old.

Was he a pilot?

Eee, of course, how else…

I mean, did you talk about flights, about experience?

Yes, we talked a little, they said that he had already flown on such a plane. Or he had. I do not know exactly.