Skrzydlaci
January Roman
January Roman
He was born on September 5, 1936 in Kazimierz near Sosnowiec in the family of photographers Józef and Władysława.
During his school years he was involved in modeling in Katowice and was even a modeling instructor.
He studied at the Airframe Construction Technical School in Bielsko-Biała in the years 1950–1954.
While studying at a technical school, he began airplane training in 1953 and glider training in 1955.
From 1954 he studied at the Faculty of Aviation of the Warsaw University of Technology.
While still a student, he married his fellow student Elżbieta Jaworska.
On November 18, 1961, he obtained a diploma in "airframe construction".
He started his professional career at the Glider Experimental Station in Bielsko-Biała as a designer working on the design of the SZD-30 Pirat glider, the SZD-27 Kormoran glider and other gliders being built at that time.
At the same time, he flew intensively for sports purposes and improved his aviation qualifications.
He flew a lot of airplanes and in the years 1970–1973 he even became a member of the national team in rally-navigation flying.
He had the qualifications of a 1st class glider instructor and a 2nd class airplane instructor.
After the tragic death of MSc Eng. Stanisław Skrzydlewski on December 12, 1966, in 1967 J. Roman moved on to flight tests.
He took over as head of the Flight Measurement Department and performed flights as an observer.
In October 1970 he obtained the qualifications of a second class glider test pilot,
in May 1973 he extended it to motor gliders,
and in May 1975 he obtained the qualifications of a first class glider test pilot.
He directed and personally participated in the development and certification tests of all gliders built at that time.
Among the achievements of January Roman, M.Sc. Eng., is the addition of oscillographic recording methods for flight parameters to rapid processing using a miniaturized computer, which allowed subsequent measurements to be taken without the need for landing.
He personally performed the first flights on prototypes of new designs built at the Glider Works in Bielsko-Biała:
- motor gliders:
- SZD-45 Ogar (13 May 1973)
- SZD-45A Ogar A (23 April 1974)
- SZD-45-2 Ogar-F (March 13, 1979)
- gliders:
- SZD-48 Jantar Std 2 (December 10, 1977)
- SZD-51 Junior (December 31, 1980)
- SZD-48-3 Jantar Std 3 (February 9, 1983)
- SZD-48-3M Bravo (April 13, 1985)
- SZD-55 (August 15, 1988)
- aerobatic SZD-59 Jantar- Acro (August 9, 1991)
- built by other companies:
- Warsaw University of Technology:
- PW-2 Gapa (25 July 1985)
- PW-3 Bakcyl (14 August 1988)
- PW-4 Pelikan (December 23, 1990)
- PW-5 Smyk (5 September 1992)
- E. Margański:
- Swift S-1 aerobatic glider (January 11, 1991)
- motor glider V-03 Vindex Sweden (15 May 1985)
- light aircraft:
- J. Janowski: J-2 Polonez (22 August 1977), J-5 Marco (11 May 1985)
- A. Kurbiel : EOL-2 (November 2, 1992)
In addition to prototype development and certification tests, he completed over 850 flights of newly built production gliders, as well as over 120 gliders after major repairs.
He also acquired Polish gliders in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
In 1976, during a test flight of the SZD-38A Jantar 1 glider, a wing broke.
Due to a technological defect, the pilot was forced to save himself with a parachute jump, during which he almost slipped out of his harness.
He had:
- 2,789 flight hours on 70 types of gliders, including over 2,100 experimental hours
- 2052 hours on 23 types of aircraft
In the years 1990–1993 he was deputy director for technical matters of the Glider Experimental Station.
Apart from working at the Glider Works, in the years 1982–1986 he was a lecturer at the airframe construction technical school.
He was a member of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission and the State Examination Commission.
He also worked socially.
He was a member of the board of the Bielsko-Biała Aeroclub.
In 1993, January Roman, M.Sc., received the FAI Paul Tissander Diploma for his lifetime achievements in gliding.
He was respected in the community for his vast knowledge, passion for flying and unparalleled sense of humor.
Outside of aviation, he was interested in cars, electronics and DIY.
On June 30, 1993, he died during a forced landing during tests of a ULM EOL-2 aircraft in Iłownica near Bielsko-Biała.
He was buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery in Jaworze near Bielsko-Biała.
His wife, Elżbieta, also had a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She died in 1992.
They had two children: a son, Leszek, and a daughter, Sawa.
Trivia:
Versatile pilot and pioneer of first flights
- January Roman was the first pilot to fly many innovative glider and motor glider designs, including:
- PW-5 Smyk – a world-class glider, which first flew on September 5, 1992 in Bielsko-Biała.
- Swift S-1 – an aerobatic glider designed by E. Margański.
- EOL-2 – a motor glider whose first flight ended tragically in 1993.
Passionate aviation photographer
- He was an aerial photography teacher – he organized photo sessions in the air, including in the Tatra Mountains, where he flew next to the J-5 Marco aircraft in the Gąsienicowa Valley
Rescue parachute jump
- In 1976, during a test flight of the SZD-38A Jantar 1 glider, a wing broke. Roman saved himself by parachuting, although he almost fell out of his harness – one of the few such cases in Poland.
FAI Diploma Paul Tissandier
- In 1993, he received the prestigious FAI Diploma for his lifetime achievements in gliding – this award is given to people who have made special contributions to sports aviation.
A fan of hang gliders and amateur designs
- In the 1970s, he turned a blind eye to employee experiments with hang gliders (" rag planes "), even though they were not officially approved. He protected them from civil aviation inspectors.
Mentor and teacher
- He trained not only professional pilots, but also amateurs and young gliding aspirants.
- He supported amateur designers and was an active member of the Bielsko-Biała Aeroclub.
Interests outside of aviation
- Outside of flying, he was interested in cars, electronics, and tinkering – he was an engineer type with a passion for technology in all its forms.
