The late Dave Cannavo was a pioneer when it came to importing Eastern Bloc aircraft, having success in this endeavor even before the Iron Curtain fell. Over the years, we have mentioned Dave's name in several issues of Warbird Digest magazine, but we’ve never shared the back-story surrounding his check rides in the MiG-21 and MiG-23 - details of which he shared with the author on March 9, 2014.