 I didn't tell anybody about my plan because I was convinced my family or friends would stop me. I didn't think much about what would happen afterwards. |
| My parents came to visit every two months and brought plenty of books. |
| I regret what happened. I saw no other possibility to achieve my goal. It was not hooliganism. |
| Imprisonment hit me so hard - much harder than I had thought. |
| Once this key conflict is eased, it will have a huge impact on the world. It will take time to find a solution. It's similar to the situation between East and the West at the time of my flight. |
| After that I couldn't show my face outside. I lost my identity and balance. I was still living with my parents, and they were my only friends. For so many people, this thing with the nurse was confirmation that I must be mad or mentally ill. |
| You have to be young to be able to do things like that. Now I'm more cautious. I'm proud that I was able to do what I did - psychologically it was a great wall to climb - but sometimes I regret it. |
| I had one companion. He was a teacher from the Ukraine who spoke English so we could communicate a bit. I learnt a few Russian words, but it was hard to concentrate. |
| My plan was to land in Red Square, but there were too many people and I thought I'd cause casualties. |
| I don't have my pilot's licence anymore, but I'm still very political. |
| I moved away for three years and went to Trinidad where I met my wife, Athena. |
| I approached Red Square three times, trying to find somewhere to land, before discovering a wide bridge nearby. I landed there and taxied into Red Square. |
| I got my private pilot's license in autumn 1986. |
| The defence and air defence ministers were both replaced and more than 2,000 officers lost their jobs. |
| I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB. |
| My parents were angry, but they were relieved that I was in good condition. They had been afraid the Russians would torture me. They told me not to do it again! |
| I had thought about landing in the Kremlin, but there wasn't enough space. |
| I now work for a finance company in Luxembourg with projects in South America and the Caribbean. |
| I ended up injuring her with a knife I had on me. I can't really remember what happened. |
