Sixty years ago, Derby native Alexander F. Trabka, performed a daredevil feat, that has never been duplicated, when he flew his Piper Cub airplane, underneath the Derby-Shelton Bridge.
His feat made national news. I remember reading about his daredevil stunt in a newspaper while residing in Georgia.
Trabka’s stunt has been forgotten.
The venturesome endeavor, at that time, put Shelton and Derby on the map, but he was not formally recognized for the feat.
Perhaps, in these times of deep economic pressures, it would be a nice gesture for both Derby Mayor Tony Staffieri and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti to finally recognize Trabka’s “Flying Daredevil Feat.”
Stan Muzyk has been a Derby resident since 1936. He attended Derby and Shelton Schools. He is a former Derby Police Commissioner and served on the Derby Middle School Building Committee. He is currently on the Greenway Committee. He and his father, Stanley, Sr., both managed finance and food businesses in downtown Derby. He is a dedicated advocate for “what’s good for the City of Derby!”
Note: This is commentary. Stan’s views are his own.
