How the most dangerous stunt with a plane landing on a highway was filmed in "The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia"

According to director Eldar Ryazanov, there is not a single combined shot in the film "The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia" - all the tricks were "clean". So that the viewer would not have the slightest reason to say: "This is a scam, we were deceived here, this is all film technique!" - this is what the creators decided. And the most difficult trick was the landing of the plane on the highway. In world cinema, there has never been such a shot made for real, not by combined shooting.

The thing is that when a jetliner lands on an airfield runway, the force of the impact is such that the thickness of the concrete or asphalt must be at least 70-80 centimeters. Highways with such a deep surface do not exist. Except for strategic, secret ones. The passage there was closed, not a single civil highway was suitable for landing the multi-ton Tu-134.

Having considered all possible options, the creators decided to "disguise" the airfield strip as a highway. Identification signs, searchlights and other aviation markings were removed from the runway. Painters drew white lines on the concrete, the kind usually painted on highways.

Trees were planted along the runway, traffic lights, kiosks, a kvass barrel, and a sign saying "Moscow - 140 km" were installed. But the main thing was to land the plane among moving cars. What pilot would dare to do that?

The stunt was filmed at the Ulyanovsk airfield, at the civil aviation pilot school. Deputy head of the school Ivan Tarashchan suggested: "Take a letter from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which will allow me to fly in violation of the instructions, and I will perform the stunt." But when the filmmakers mentioned this to the ministry, they simply did not talk to them. "This is mortally dangerous! This is prohibited!" they categorically stated there. No one wanted to take the risk. There was no madman among the civil aviation leaders. So Ryazanov and company came to Ulyanovsk without a letter from the ministry.

Pilot Ivan Tarashchan initially flatly refused to fulfill the request - to land the plane on a runway where cars would be driving. But somewhere deep in his soul, the remarkable pilot wanted to perform a trick that no one had ever performed before. Understanding the enormous responsibility that lay on him, he demanded: "Only cars, only pilots at the wheel: in this emergency situation, it will be easier for them to navigate instantly and accurately."

All pilots with personal cars were called and "mobilized" for filming. Cars were running towards each other along the edges of the runway, and Tarashchan landed the giant airliner flawlessly. The press sometimes mentions that the stunt was filmed in six takes, and Tarashchan landed the plane flawlessly all six times. But it is unlikely that the Italian producers, who were saving on everything, allocated funds for six takeoffs of the airliner. And the complexity and danger of the stunt itself exclude the possibility of repeating it six times.

Then the film showed footage of the Tu-134 driving along the highway, cars scurrying under its wings, overtaking, the plane driving along a small town street. These drives were filmed on the reserve runway of the airfield, where they built sets of houses and installed traffic lights. People were hurrying along the sidewalks, children were running, there was a line for kvass. And in all this natural street bustle, the giant plane looked like an independent, good-natured and funny giant among the Lilliputians - cars and people.