From Greece’s stand in 1940 and World War II to the Korean War and the dramatic story of Sifis Migadis.
On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at 22:00 Athens time, Stavroula Karali continues Voice of Greece’s tribute to the history of Greek aviation on “Remarkable Personalities.” The second installment revisits key events, lesser-known episodes, and the personal stories of aviators who made their mark in Greece and abroad.
Joining her are Konstantinos Lagos, a professor at the Hellenic Air Force Academy, and Pantelis Vatakis, a retired Hellenic Air Force brigadier general and pilot.
The episode opens with the Greco-Italian War, when Greek pilots faced a numerically superior enemy. It recounts how Marinos Mitralexis brought down an Italian bomber by striking its tail with his aircraft’s propeller and highlights the vital role of Air Force technical crews in wartime operations.
The story continues with the German invasion of Greece, the air battles of 1941, and the operations of Greek squadrons in the Middle East. The guests recall Sotiris Skatzikas, who took part in the legendary Great Escape from a German prisoner-of-war camp, and Stefanos Molyvadas, a Greek aviator whose story echoes that of “The English Patient,” the film starring Ralph Fiennes that won nine Academy Awards.
Lagos and Vatakis also trace the stories of members of the Greek diaspora who flew with Allied air forces. They look at the Greek Air Force’s role in the Korean War, with particular attention to aviator Akrivos Tsolakis, and revisit the history of Greek aerobatic teams that distinguished themselves at international air shows.
The tribute closes with a story from civil aviation. In August 1978, a serious problem during takeoff put hundreds of lives at risk aboard an Olympic Airways Boeing 747 and on the ground below. The episode recounts how Captain Sifis Migadis and his crew brought the aircraft safely back to Athens.
Across generations, these stories reveal the courage, training, composure, and love of flying that have shaped Greek aviation.
Presented and edited by Stavroula Karali
Sound editing by Kostas Palios
