The bridge over the Vistula became the scene of an extraordinary aviation experiment on January 28, 1930 — a daredevil flew under it three times. The aviator who performed this crazy feat was 22 years old and had held his pilot’s license for only a few months! His name was Jan Sołtykowski, and he was a co-founder of the Kraków Aero Club.
The day after these events, the Kraków press wrote: “In the afternoon hours, a small aircraft was observed flying several times under the spans of the bridge over the Vistula near Dębniki. Its pilot was […] severely punished for the said flight, which involved impermissible risk both for the pilot and for bystanders who found themselves near this spectacular but reprehensible display of skill.” The DKD IV aircraft were used for training and promotional flights (e.g., during ski competitions in Zakopane). They also participated in the South-Western Poland Flight in 1929 and in the Podhale Light Aircraft Rally in Nowy Targ on August 3, 1930. In the 3rd National Light Aircraft Competition in 1930, the DKD-IV bis took 11th place. DKD-IV No. 2 SP-ABL was overhauled in 1934 and converted to a single-seater, with the fuselage covered in canvas directly over the framework, making its sides flat. After the overhaul, the aircraft was used by the Kraków Aero Club from May 1934 to July 1935.
