{"id":4076,"date":"2026-03-03T13:19:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/?p=4076"},"modified":"2026-06-26T11:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:40:00","slug":"alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pilot Who Crawled 18 Days Through Snow \u2014 Then Flew Again On Prosthetics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n\n<em>In April 1942, Soviet fighter pilot Alexey Maresyev was shot down behind enemy lines over the forests of Novgorod Oblast. What followed was one of the most extraordinary \u2014 and largely untold \u2014 stories of human endurance in the history of aviation.<\/em>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines<\/h2>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_4080\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-opt-id=510756004  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4080\" class=\"wp-image-4080 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/alexeimaresiev2016stampoftransnistria.webp\" alt=\"Aleksey Maresyev on a stamp of Transnistria\" width=\"900\" height=\"637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:900\/h:637\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/alexeimaresiev2016stampoftransnistria.webp 900w, https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:480\/h:340\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/alexeimaresiev2016stampoftransnistria.webp 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 900px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4080\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aleksey Maresyev on a stamp of Transnistria<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nMaresyev was flying his Yak-1 fighter on a combat patrol when he was engaged by German aircraft and hit. His plane slammed into the frozen tree canopy deep in the forests of western Russia. He survived the crash. Both his legs did not.\u00a0He was alone, wounded, behind German lines, in the middle of a Russian winter. There was no rescue team coming. No radio signal to send. No trail to follow home. There was only the cold, the snow, and the faint hope that if he kept moving west \u2014 toward Soviet lines \u2014 someone might find him before the frost did.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">18 Days Crawling Through the Snow<\/h2>\r\nMaresyev crawled. For 18 consecutive days, through deep snow, in temperatures well below freezing, dragging himself through the wilderness on shattered legs. He navigated by the sun during the day and the stars at night. He survived on whatever scraps of food he could scavenge from the frozen forest floor \u2014 berries, bark, and at one point, a hedgehog he caught with his bare hands.\u00a0His legs swelled to twice their normal size. The tissue began to die. By the time Soviet partisans from a nearby village finally stumbled upon him \u2014 barely conscious, half-starved, frostbitten \u2014 gangrene had spread through both limbs. Military surgeons had no choice. Both legs were amputated below the knee.\r\n\r\nMost men would have accepted a medical discharge and considered themselves lucky to be alive. Maresyev refused.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Learning to Walk \u2014 Then Dance \u2014 Then Fly<\/h2>\r\nWhat happened next is arguably even more remarkable than the survival crawl itself. Fitted with crude prosthetic legs, Maresyev threw himself into months of agonizing rehabilitation. He learned to walk again. Then he learned to run. Then, in a move that left his doctors speechless, he learned to dance.\r\n\r\nThe dancing wasn't vanity \u2014 it was strategy. Maresyev knew that to be cleared for combat flying again, he would need to pass a rigorous military medical board evaluation. The board would be looking for proof that his coordination, balance, and reflexes were still sharp enough to handle a high-performance fighter aircraft. So he practiced the foxtrot and the waltz, hour after hour, until he could glide across the dance floor without anyone noticing the prosthetics beneath his trousers.\r\n\r\nThe plan worked. In June 1943 \u2014 barely fourteen months after losing both legs \u2014 Alexey Maresyev was officially cleared to fly combat missions again.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Back at the Front: Flying on Prosthetic Legs<\/h2>\r\nHe returned to the front lines flying the Lavochkin La-5, one of the most demanding single-seat fighters in the Soviet arsenal. Operating a fighter aircraft requires constant, precise footwork on the rudder pedals \u2014 the kind of fine motor control most people assumed would be impossible without natural legs. Maresyev proved them wrong.\r\n\r\nOn his very first mission back, he shot down two German Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. Over the course of the war, he flew 86 additional combat missions and claimed a total of 11 confirmed aerial victories \u2014 all on prosthetic legs, all requiring that precise, unforgiving footwork on the rudder pedals at speeds exceeding 600 km\/h.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A Story That Became a Legend<\/h2>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_4082\" style=\"width: 536px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-opt-id=1739911026  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4082\" class=\"wp-image-4082 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/540457160_122211196934283794_5750353304820986387_n.jpg\" alt=\"Aleksey Maresyev with prostethic legs\" width=\"526\" height=\"691\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:526\/h:691\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/540457160_122211196934283794_5750353304820986387_n.jpg 526w, https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:480\/h:631\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/540457160_122211196934283794_5750353304820986387_n.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 526px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4082\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aleksey Maresyev with prostethics<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nMaresyev's story caught the attention of Soviet war correspondent Boris Polevoy, who embedded with his unit and recorded the pilot's account in detail. In 1946, Polevoy published <em>A Story About a Real Man<\/em>, a novel based on Maresyev's experiences. It became one of the most widely read books in the Soviet Union, selling millions of copies and inspiring generations of readers. The story was later adapted into an opera by the legendary composer Sergei Prokofiev.\r\n\r\nMaresyev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union \u2014 the highest military honour in the USSR \u2014 and became a symbol of the Soviet wartime spirit: an embodiment of the idea that willpower could overcome anything the war, the enemy, or nature could throw at a person.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A Life Devoted to Those Who Came After<\/h2>\r\nAfter the war, Maresyev didn't fade into retirement. He spent decades advocating for disabled veterans, working to ensure that those who had sacrificed their bodies in the war received the care and recognition they deserved. He remained active into old age, a living reminder of what the human spirit is capable of when pushed to the absolute edge.\r\n\r\nAlexey Maresyev passed away on 18 May 2001, at the age of 84. He outlived the Soviet Union, outlived most of the men he flew with, and outlived every expectation anyone had of what was possible after that crash in the Novgorod forest in the spring of 1942.\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why This Story Still Matters<\/h2>\r\nIn aviation, we talk a lot about skill, training, and technology. We talk about aircraft performance and mission readiness. What we talk about less often is the rarest ingredient of all: the kind of will that simply refuses to accept what everyone around it has already accepted as inevitable.\r\n\r\nMaresyev didn't just survive \u2014 he came back. He didn't just come back \u2014 he excelled. In a single-seat fighter, at altitude, in combat, against skilled opponents, with prosthetic legs operating controls that demand feel and sensitivity and precision. And he did it after crawling through 18 days of frozen wilderness on those same shattered legs just to stay alive.\r\n\r\nThe next time something seems impossible, it's worth remembering that a man with no legs once outflew enemy aces in a single-engine fighter at 600 km\/h \u2014 and danced the waltz to earn the privilege.\r\n\r\n<strong>Some humans simply refuse to accept limits.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<em>Want to experience aviation history from the cockpit yourself? At MiGFlug, we offer the chance to fly in some of the most iconic military jets ever built \u2014 including Russian fighters with a direct lineage to the aircraft Maresyev flew. <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/\">Explore our jet flight experiences here.<\/a><\/em>\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Who was Alexey Maresyev?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Alexey Maresyev was a Soviet fighter pilot of World War II who was shot down behind German lines in April 1942, lost both legs, and astonishingly returned to combat flying on prosthetic legs. His endurance made him one of the most celebrated heroes of the Soviet war effort.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What happened to Alexey Maresyev after he was shot down?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>After his Yak-1 was downed over the forests of Novgorod Oblast, the badly injured Maresyev crawled west toward Soviet lines for 18 days through deep snow before villagers found him. Severe frostbite and gangrene meant both his legs had to be amputated.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Did Maresyev really fly again without legs?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Yes. After being fitted with prosthetic legs, Maresyev trained relentlessly to fly again and returned to frontline combat, reportedly scoring further aerial victories. His determination became legendary and inspired the popular Soviet book \"The Story of a Real Man.\"<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What aircraft did Maresyev fly?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Maresyev flew the Yakovlev Yak-1, an early Soviet single-engine fighter, when he was shot down in 1942. It was part of the broader <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-worlds-only-yak-7b-takes-flight-at-wanaka\/\">Yak fighter family<\/a> that became a backbone of Red Army aviation throughout the war.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How did Maresyev survive 18 days in the forest?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Stranded behind enemy lines in winter, Maresyev crawled and rolled westward, eating bark, berries and whatever he could find, driven by the hope of reaching Soviet territory. Villagers eventually discovered him near death and brought help.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What other pilots survived against impossible odds?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Aviation history is full of near-miraculous survivals, from Maresyev's crawl to Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-f-15-that-landed-with-one-wing\/\">landed an F-15 with one wing<\/a>. Such stories highlight the extremes of human endurance and skill in the air.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who was Alexey Maresyev?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Alexey Maresyev was a Soviet fighter pilot of World War II who was shot down behind German lines in April 1942, lost both legs, and astonishingly returned to combat flying on prosthetic legs. His endurance made him one of the most celebrated heroes of the Soviet war effort.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What happened to Alexey Maresyev after he was shot down?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"After his Yak-1 was downed over the forests of Novgorod Oblast, the badly injured Maresyev crawled west toward Soviet lines for 18 days through deep snow before villagers found him. Severe frostbite and gangrene meant both his legs had to be amputated.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did Maresyev really fly again without legs?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. After being fitted with prosthetic legs, Maresyev trained relentlessly to fly again and returned to frontline combat, reportedly scoring further aerial victories. His determination became legendary and inspired the popular Soviet book \\\"The Story of a Real Man.\\\"\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What aircraft did Maresyev fly?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Maresyev flew the Yakovlev Yak-1, an early Soviet single-engine fighter, when he was shot down in 1942. It was part of the broader <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-worlds-only-yak-7b-takes-flight-at-wanaka\/\\\">Yak fighter family<\/a> that became a backbone of Red Army aviation throughout the war.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How did Maresyev survive 18 days in the forest?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Stranded behind enemy lines in winter, Maresyev crawled and rolled westward, eating bark, berries and whatever he could find, driven by the hope of reaching Soviet territory. Villagers eventually discovered him near death and brought help.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What other pilots survived against impossible odds?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Aviation history is full of near-miraculous survivals, from Maresyev's crawl to Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-f-15-that-landed-with-one-wing\/\\\">landed an F-15 with one wing<\/a>. Such stories highlight the extremes of human endurance and skill in the air.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In April 1942, Soviet fighter pilot Alexey Maresyev was shot down behind enemy lines over the forests of Novgorod Oblast. What followed was one of the most extraordinary \u2014 and largely untold \u2014 stories of human endurance in the history of aviation. Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines Maresyev was flying his Yak-1 fighter on a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[628,638,666,664,636],"tags":[654,656,659,228,660,657,655,658,611],"class_list":["post-4076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amazing-aviation-stories","category-aviation-history","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation","category-wwii","tag-alexey-maresyev","tag-aviation-history","tag-eastern-front","tag-fighter-pilot","tag-la-5","tag-prosthetic-legs","tag-soviet-pilot","tag-survival-story","tag-wwii"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MiGFlug.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"403\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Philipp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u00c9crit par\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Philipp\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Philipp\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e07545dc7e668418f4d2b7d8cb683e7f\"},\"headline\":\"The Pilot Who Crawled 18 Days Through Snow \u2014 Then Flew Again On Prosthetics\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1303,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/03\\/images.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Alexey Maresyev\",\"aviation history\",\"Eastern Front\",\"fighter pilot\",\"La-5\",\"prosthetic legs\",\"Soviet pilot\",\"survival story\",\"WWII\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Amazing Aviation Stories\",\"Aviation History\",\"History &amp; Legends\",\"Military Aviation\",\"WWII\"],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/\",\"name\":\"Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/03\\/images.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/03\\/images.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/03\\/images.webp\",\"width\":700,\"height\":403,\"caption\":\"Aleksey Maresyev\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Pilot Who Crawled 18 Days Through Snow \u2014 Then Flew Again On Prosthetics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug.com Blog\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\/w:897\\/h:278\\/q:mauto\\/ig:avif\\/https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/06\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\/w:897\\/h:278\\/q:mauto\\/ig:avif\\/https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/06\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e07545dc7e668418f4d2b7d8cb683e7f\",\"name\":\"Philipp\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Philipp\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/fr\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs","description":"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs","og_description":"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/","og_site_name":"MiGFlug.com Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":403,"url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Philipp","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"\u00c9crit par":"Philipp","Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/"},"author":{"name":"Philipp","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/person\/e07545dc7e668418f4d2b7d8cb683e7f"},"headline":"The Pilot Who Crawled 18 Days Through Snow \u2014 Then Flew Again On Prosthetics","datePublished":"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/"},"wordCount":1303,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp","keywords":["Alexey Maresyev","aviation history","Eastern Front","fighter pilot","La-5","prosthetic legs","Soviet pilot","survival story","WWII"],"articleSection":["Amazing Aviation Stories","Aviation History","History &amp; Legends","Military Aviation","WWII"],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/","name":"Alexey Maresyev: The Pilot Who Flew Again on Prosthetic Legs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp","datePublished":"2026-03-03T12:19:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-26T09:40:00+00:00","description":"Shot down in WWII, Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev crawled 18 days through snow, lost both legs \u2014 then returned to fly combat missions on prosthetics.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/images.webp","width":700,"height":403,"caption":"Aleksey Maresyev"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/alexey-maresyev-the-soviet-pilot-who-flew-again-on-prosthetic-legs-migflug\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Pilot Who Crawled 18 Days Through Snow \u2014 Then Flew Again On Prosthetics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/","name":"Blog de MiGFlug.com","description":"pour ceux qui s&#039;int\u00e9ressent au pilotage d&#039;avions militaires et aux sujets li\u00e9s \u00e0 l&#039;aviation","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/person\/e07545dc7e668418f4d2b7d8cb683e7f","name":"Philipp","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9105f75c8ed22d44575c17c20363ced0d6b4abf07f2039c7e0067f7fdff1f65c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Philipp"},"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4076"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2748975,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4076\/revisions\/2748975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}