Alaexander Akopov rose to fame last week after he successfully made a blind landing on a commercial plane that had been severely damaged by an unexpected hailstorm.

While flying 121 passengers and six crew members from Istanbul to Ecran, Cyprus, the pilot of Atlasglobal Airlines raced into a storm that the weather radar had missed.

The hail smashed the windshield and battered the plane’s nose into a pulp. The plane’s autopilot stopped reacting, which made conditions worse.

Although all pilots receive training in instrument flight, few have ever had to put their skills to use in such challenging circumstances.

At Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, Akopov safely executed an emergency landing by turning the aircraft around.

The president of his adopted nation of Ukraine was so moved by his story that he got in touch with Akopov to present him with the Ukrainian Order of Courage.

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