The day a Russian librarian hijacked a helicopter to free her Aussie lover.

By the time Lucy Dudko had arrived in the helicopter, prisoner John Reginald Killick was dripping in sweat, and the adrenaline was pumping.

His one window to escape was closing — fast.

Killick, who was being held on remand at Sydney's Silverwater Correctional Complex, was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of armed robbery.

But, the career criminal was about to become a household name for another reason.

On March 25, 1999, Killick staged an audacious escape from prison with the help of his then girlfriend of three-years, Lucy, a Russian librarian.

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How the daring escape unfolded.

Killick told Mamamia that officials within the prison knew he had a history of escaping and were determined to keep him behind bars.

"They put bloody ankle braces on me and had a special squad," he told True Crime Conversations. "They were ready for it."

At first, Killick thought escape was impossible.

But then, as he looked up into the sky, a plan struck.

Silverwater goal was located right next to the Olympic Village, and with the Sydney Olympic Games due to take place the following year, there was a lot of interest from the public. Excited Aussies wanted to get a birds-eye-view of the village and would book frequent helicopter tours around the area.

"In any other jail… when a helicopter comes over, they're alert," Killick explained. "They didn't even look up. I thought of all the places, I'm in the right spot."

Lucy, who was equally motivated to get Killick out of prison, was a fan of the idea.

Former librarian Lucy Dudko. Image: AAP.

Killick said she had a one-word response when he pitched the plan to her.

"I said, 'Look, there's one way out… 'You'll have to hijack a helicopter,'" Killick recalled.

"She said, 'Brilliant.'"

So, on the morning of 25 March, when Lucy booked a scenic helicopter tour, which flew over the Olympic Stadium, she was ready to break her lover out of prison.

Silverwater Prison. Image: Getty

Using the prison phone, Killick called Lucy to find out when the chopper was arriving so he could fake a "jog" out in the oval.

But there were delays, and his nerves were steadily growing.

As they neared the Olympic Village, Lucy asked the pilot if they could fly over the prison to have a look. He agreed.

When they got closer, the Russian librarian pulled a gun on the pilot and demanded he land on the prison oval.

He hesitated at first, but eventually agreed as he believed Lucy was a Russian hit-woman.

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The pilot, however, didn't ground the chopper. Instead, he hovered around seven or eight feet from the ground.

He was taking too long and had attracted attention from other prisoners and officials.

Killick took off, but guards were in hot pursuit.

"The sweat was pouring off me. I ran, and I jumped on the side of the helicopter," he said. "Just as I got in [Lucy] handed me the machine gun and I waved it."

With that, those pursuing Killick dropped to the ground.

As the helicopter made its departure, it was shot at several times but managed to avoid getting hit.

Killick levelled with the pilot, saying, "you can make a lot of money out of sixty minutes, or, we can be dead. It's up to you."

That was it.

Killick had escaped again.

He and Lucy were on the run from police for 45 days, before they were caught and arrested in a cabin at the Bass Hill Tourist Park.

Today, the reformed ex-prisoner is in his 80s and has been out of prison since 2015. He served more than 15 years in jail, while Lucy spent seven years in prison before being released on parole on 9 May 2006.

John Killick's mug shot. Image: Supplied.

Under their parole conditions, Killick and Dudko were forbidden from contacting each other.

In 2015, the Brisbane Times reported that Killick had rekindled a relationship with his ex-wife, Gloria.

Today, Killick dedicates his time to helping others.

"I really believe that I've got my integrity back," he said.

"Robbing banks, to me, was me against them, and now I accept the damage that you do to people. I've got true remorse about that, and that's why I try and give as much back as I can."

As for the woman who helped temporarily break him out of prison, Killick speaks of her with fondness.

"Even now, she's a mystery woman," he said.

"I put some things in a book about her early life, and she's just such a cool customer. She was an apprentice jockey over there, and they do long-distance riding over there in Russia, and she loved horses.

"She's a good horsewoman. Even now, she's pretty good."

John Killick has authored several books, including "The Last Escape: The Man Behind the Most Daring Jailbreak in Australian History," which details the jailbreak. You can purchase those at www.johnrkillick.com.

Feature Image: Supplied.