Flight path of Orlinski and Kubiak from Warsaw to Tokyo, Orlinski Museum.

An Epic Flight! One Hundred Years Ago! In 1926, Pilot Bolesław Orliński and Mechanic Leonard Kubiak flew in an open-air plane from Warsaw to Tokyo and back across the wild trans-Siberian steppes – a first!

Col. Boleslaw Orlinski, courtesy of Orlinski Museum.

Colonel Orliński was a decorated Polish veteran of three wars and lifelong aviator. Bolesław Orliński spent his later years at Wawel Villa Seniors Residence in Mississauga – a proud Pole, a proud Canadian and a proud citizen of Mississauga. Orliński recorded this historic flight in detail in his book “To the Land of the Rising Sun.” The following poem is based on the very words that he wrote in that book. Read the poem and live again that incredible adventure, truly the flight of a lifetime:

Polish pilots K. Szajer, J. Zurakowski, B. Orlinski and W. Potocki at Wawel Villa Seniors Residence in Clarkson, Orlinski Museum.

The Flight of a Lifetime

The engine of our Omega roared this day
With the first crank of the Breguet starter
“All Clear” was the signal from the tower
Wind carried us to the East on our way

We welcomed a clear band of good weather
And the great splendor of the morning sun
Waved to Kubiak, mechanic bar none
We could only converse with hand gesture
We became the first airmen from Poland
To fly to Moscow in that Russian land

A mass of dark thunderheads followed us
So, we flew beneath the threatening clouds
Until we saw huge signal fires and crowds
Of people and those fire stars guiding us
Welcomed by my Russian host, his fine men
That night I fell quickly asleep amen

Fog came in from the far Urals steep
Not a hope or prayer for good sleep
After a few glasses of neat Vodka
We flew together over the Volga

The rising sun and a pure azure sky
While a few friendly clouds on us did smile
Later the foothills of the Urals high
Steep and green forested but not hostile
An endless sea of white fog meets the eye

Landed and greeted by a lonely Pole
One of thousands who fought and lost his home
Long in exile with all those years passing
but a lost Pole contains a Polish soul
Orliński pondered “What is this longing,
what is this emptiness as I roam?”

Next morning, an easy take-off, quick run
A green-blue carpet of virgin forest
Siberian taiga to the horizon

Along the Trans-Siberian railway
To beautiful, cold and deep Lake Baikal
Flying low close to the foaming spray
Caviar, vodka greeted our arrival

Landed hard, powerful side wind on our path
Met another Pole on our odyssey
Thankful for a clean shirt and a hot bath
An ‘old Pole” likes his drinks, a good party

The yurts of local nomads there below
Horses, herds of cattle and sheep on show

Flew over the highest Hinggan rugged hills
In Harbin, the Polish colony welcomed
Where all those who built the railway settled
With champagne, home-made liquors drank our fills
Pretty Polish woman slept in my dreams

We reached Seoul and speeches in Japanese
Took off our tired slippers, if you so please
Ladies gave flowers with much gaiety
Visited a “Geisha” society

We left the stormy Korean shoreline
The land of the Rising Sun first sighted
Sacred Mount Fuji Jama enlightened
Symbol of ancient beliefs like a shrine

Polish and Japanese banners waving
Welcome at Imperial Hotel waiting
Short speech in Polish our voyage relating
At receptions gold medals we received
Our plane a new propeller, we were pleased

Our faithful Breguet ready to return
“Sayonara! Arigato! Signals our turn
Arising we broke through the darkened clouds
Chimney-shaped funnels and watery shrouds

Again, poor visibility and rain
We were engaged in a devilish game
We both made it to Hejdzio, Korea
Sat on cushions, the very idea

I fell asleep like an innocent child
Warsaw felt quite close, weather was mild
Down below lay a boundless ash-gray plain
Then all of our precious oil did drain
|Bits of white metal in the main drive shaft
I craftily bought castor oil and laughed

And on we went in our healthy aircraft
Siberian bedbugs are no different
From those in our European continent
Several vultures over the steppes fled
As we landed in Byrka just ahead
We were by Abraham warmly greeted
A Jew from Bialystok undefeated
Soon to arrive was a barrel of oil
And friendly mechanics ready to toil

Good news doesn’t last, wind blew our airplane|
Over, wing broken Kubiak exclaimed
The fuselage torn, propeller damaged

Zygmunt, the old Pole and Kubiak worked
Hard to fix the broken plane till it hurt
Buryat women pulled needles and threads
Out of their saddle bags to fix the shreds
Went quickly to work on the torn linen
All praise to the Mongolian women

Kubiak demanded we stay on the flight
We lifted off the ground to reach the height
Boleslaw Orlinski messaged ahead:
“We made it to Chita. The plane is repaired.
I am continuing the flight to Warsaw.”

I have an angel on my shoulder
She then dropped us as if made to order
The middle of Lake Baikal with pleasure
We left OMSK in such beautiful weather
Our well-used motor grumbled angrily
Asia behind us, Europe finally
With many glasses of foaming cold beer
We greeted old friends with hugs and great cheer

Now on to Moscow a final crossing
The propeller moved, but smoking, coughing
The engine back-fired every so often
The oil was leaking ever more often

Poland! The sun shining unexpectedly
How could it shine so appropriately
The engine was rattling pathetically
“Omega” was acting ashamedly
The propeller was still turning effectively

My flying companions’ eyes soon teared up
It must have been the wind was rearing up
Crowds of people were running and cheering!
Wheels on the ground, off the engine turning!

Bolesław had a story worth telling
Fifty years on, I see faces peering
Out of the day of mist I smell burnt oil
A cheering welcome to a foreign soil
|Man’s optimism and determination
Even against death, that final station

Reproduction of Col. Orlinski's Order of the Rising Sun he received for his 1926 Flight, Orlinski Museum.

100th Anniversary of the First Trans-Siberian Flight from the Orlinski Museum

Come help us celebrate the legacy of this Mississauga hero! Join the Orlinski Museum on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 12 noon until 4 pm at Wawel Villa Seniors Residence, 880 Clarkson Road South as we commemorate their fantastic achievement. Program starts at 1 pm. Enjoy performances, speeches, refreshments, and vendors!

Date: Saturday, September 26th, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Opening remarks at 1:00 PM)

Location: Wawel Villa Reception, 880 Clarkson Road South, Mississauga

For more information, click here.