Honored Test Pilot dies at 92

Honored test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Georgy Mosolov passed away in Moscow. He was 91 years old.

“The legend of jet aviation, an honored test pilot who made a huge contribution to the development of domestic aviation, has left us. We mourn this loss, ”said Ilya Tarasenko, general director of the MiG corporation. He is quoted by TASS.

Georgy Mosolov was born on May 3, 1926 in Ufa. In 1943 he graduated from the V.P. Chkalov Central Aero Club in Kazan, in next year went to the Red Army. In 1945 he graduated from the school of initial training for pilots, in 1948 - from the Chuguev Military Aviation School. Until 1951, he worked there as an instructor pilot. In 1953, Mosolov graduated from the Test Pilot School, in 1959 - from the Moscow aviation institute... In 1953 - 1962 Mosolov worked on flight test work at the A.I. Mikoyan Design Bureau.

Mosolov was one of the pioneers in mastering high altitudes and speeds and one of the first Soviet pilots to set world aviation records. He set six world records, three of which are absolute, as well as three all-Union absolute records. Among them are records on the first prototypes of the unique supersonic front-line fighter MiG-21. His photograph in a pressure helmet went around many foreign newspapers and magazines around the world, for many years becoming a kind of visiting card of Soviet jet aviation.

In addition, Mosolov conducted flight tests of many of the first examples of jet engines, various experimental radio navigation, interception and weapon systems.

On September 11, 1962, Georgy Mosolov had an accident while testing the E-8/1 aircraft, an experimental version of the MiG-21 with a more powerful engine. In the cockpit, he received a head injury and a broken arm. The pilot had to eject at an altitude of eight thousand meters. After ejection by high-speed air pressure, Mosolov broke his leg. And after opening the parachute, his body was overwhelmed by the strap, and the pilot hung upside down. In a matter of seconds before touching the ground, he managed to throw off the strap for. When landing on the forest, the pilot broke his second leg.

Mosolov waited five hours for the rescuers to arrive. In the hospital, he suffered clinical death, but doctors were able to bring him back to life. The pilot was able to walk only a year later, but his injuries did not allow him to return to flight work after he recovered.

In 1960, Mosolov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In addition, he was a holder of the Orders of Lenin and the Red Star. In 1965 he became an honored test pilot of the USSR.

Mosolov was one of the close friends of the first Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

On February 2, 1904, Valery Pavlovich Chkalov was born - Soviet test pilot, Hero of the USSR. He was the aircraft commander who made the first non-stop flight over North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver. We'll tell you about seven outstanding aviatorsOh-testatorI Soviet times.

Valery Chkalov

Chkalov began his dizzying career as a pilot as an aircraft assembly fitter in the 4th Kanavinsky Aviation Park in Nizhny Novgorod.

From December 3, 1931, he participated in tests - he tested the latest fighter aircraft of the 1930s I-15 and I-16 designed by Polikarpov. He took part in tests of tank destroyers VIT-1, VIT-2, heavy bombers TB-1, TB-3, a large number of experimental and experimental machines of the Polikarpov Design Bureau.

Chkalov was famous for his "recklessness". After the accident, which occurred in Bryansk, Chkalov was accused of numerous violations of discipline. By the verdict of the military tribunal of the Belarusian Military District on October 30, 1928, Chkalov was sentenced to a year in prison, and was also dismissed from the Red Army. He did not serve his sentence for long; at the request of Kliment Voroshilov, less than a month later, the sentence was changed to a suspended one.

Chkalov became the author of new aerobatics - an ascending spin and a slow roll. On May 5, 1935, aircraft designer Nikolai Polikarpov and test pilot Valery Chkalov were awarded the highest government award - the Order of Lenin - for the creation of the best fighter aircraft.

On July 20, 1936, the flight of Chkalov's crew from Moscow to Far East... It lasted 56 hours before landing on the sandy spit of Udd Island in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The total length of the record route was 9375 kilometers.

On June 18, 1937, Chkalov began his flight on an ANT-25 plane across the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver (Washington state, USA). The flight took place in difficult weather conditions. On June 20, the plane made a safe landing in Vancouver, Washington, USA. The length of the flight was 8504 kilometers.

Stalin personally offered Chkalov to take the post of People's Commissar of the NKVD, but he refused and continued to engage in flight test work. Chkalov died on December 15, 1938 during the first test flight on the new I-180 fighter at the Central Aerodrome.

Stepan Mikoyan

Stepan Mikoyan was born on July 12, 1922. He is the son of the famous politician Anastas Mikoyan. Stepan Mikoyan - Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation. In 1940 he entered the Kachin Military Aviation Pilot School in Crimea. In 1941 he retrained for the Yak-1 fighter and in December he was sent to the fighter aviation regiment defending Moscow.

From the first days of 1942, Stepan began to participate in the Yak-1 in flights to cover our troops in the Volokolamsk region. In the winter of 1941-1942, Stepan Mikoyan, as part of this regiment, made 10 successful combat missions. The 11th sortie to cover Istra on January 16, 1942 almost became fatal for Mikoyan - his Yak was shot down by mistake by junior lieutenant Mikhail Rodionov from the 562nd regiment.

Mikoyan mastered 102 types aircraft and flew about 3.5 thousand hours. By October 1942, he flew 14 sorties. After spending 3 air battles, he shot down 6 enemy aircraft in the group. Stepan Mikoyan ended the war with two orders.

Mikhail Gromov

Soviet pilot Mikhail Gromov was born on February 12, 1899. He became Colonel General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union. As an extremely gifted person, he early showed a variety of abilities, including music and drawing. After grammar school, he entered the medical faculty of Moscow University and then served as a military doctor.

Gromov tested many well-known aircraft. Performed a number of long-distance flights across Europe, China and Japan.

On September 10-12, 1934, on the ANT-25 aircraft, he made a record in range and duration flight along a closed route - 12,411 km in 75 hours. In 1937, the ANT-25-1 made a non-stop flight Moscow - North Pole - USA, setting 2 world aviation records. For this flight, Gromov was awarded the Order of Lenin.

Vladimir Averyanov

Colonel, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Vladimir Averyanov was born on October 11, 1934. In 1953, Averyanov graduated from the Stalingrad flying club. In 1955 he graduated from the Armavir Military Aviation School of Pilots, then served as a pilot in the air defense aviation.

From May 1965 to December 1968 - test pilot of the Kazan aircraft plant. In 1965-1966 he tested serial jet bombers Tu-16 and Tu-22, in 1966-1968 - passenger aircraft Il-62 (co-pilot), as well as their modifications.

From January 1969 to September 1994 he was a test pilot at the Saratov aircraft plant. Tested serial passenger aircraft Yak-40 (1969-1981) and Yak-42 (1978-1994). He has many medals and is an honored test pilot of the USSR.

Ivan Dziuba

Colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Ivan Dzyuba was born on May 1, 1918. He graduated from the Odessa Flight School (1938), took part in the Great Patriotic War as a fighter pilot.

From June 1941 to September 1943, he flew 238 sorties, conducted 25 air battles. By February 1942, personally shot down 6 and in group 2 enemy aircraft.

On July 21, 1942, Major Ivan Dziuba was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for exemplary performance of military missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and for the courage and heroism shown at the same time. From 1943 he served as a test pilot.

Nikolay Zamyatin

Test pilot of the USSR, Captain Nikolai Zamyatin was born on May 9, 1916 in Perm, graduated from Sverdlovsk in 1940 State University and the Sverdlovsk flying club.

In January-November 1942 he served as a pilot of the 608th Bomber Aviation Regiment, in November 1942 - December 1944 - a pilot, senior pilot and flight commander of the 137th Bomber Aviation Regiment.

Zamyatin fought on the Karelian front. Participated in the defense of the Arctic. He flew 30 sorties in a Pe-2 bomber. From 1947 to 1971 - test pilot at the Flight Research Institute. Tested the refueling system on the Tu-2 aircraft, tested the turbojet engines: VK-7 on Tu-4LL, AL-7 on Tu-4LL, VK-3 on Tu-4LL, AM-3M on Tu-16LL, VD-7 on M-4LL. Awarded with the order October revolution, two Orders of the Red Banner, Patriotic War 2nd degree.

Mikhail Ivanov

The famous test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Mikhail Ivanov was born on July 18, 1910. From 1925 he worked as an apprentice turner in Poltava. Passed the course theoretical teaching at the Poltava Aviation Club of Osoaviakhim. V Soviet army- since 1929. In 1932 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation Pilot School, then served in combat units of the Air Force.

In 1939-1941, he was a test pilot of the military acceptance of the aircraft factory # 301, tested serial UT-2 trainer aircraft and Yak-1 fighters. In 1941 he was a test pilot of the military acceptance of the aircraft plant No. 31. Ivanov tested the serial fighters LaGG-3, La-5FN and Yak-3.

In November 1941, during the evacuation of an aircraft plant in Tbilisi, he took part in hostilities on the Southwestern Front. In total, he flew about 50 sorties.

On April 24, 1946, he tested one of the first Yak-15 fighters. He tested various modifications of the Yak-3 and Yak-11 fighters. Received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for the strength and courage shown when testing new aviation technology.

and also Bakhchivandzhi tested the first jet plane, died in 1942, Kokkinaki V.K., my fellow countryman after meeting with him in the theater in Novorossiysk in 1966. I had only one dream - MVTU and to Space! Yuri Garnaev, Sergey Anokhin, Akhmet-Khan-Sultan, Vladimir Ilyushin (he also sang the song of Nikolai Dorizo ​​wonderfully .. If I get sick I won't go to the doctors) ... Good memory to them, they are the honor and dignity of our Motherland!

Valery Pavlovich Chkalov- Soviet test pilot, Hero of the USSR. He was the commander of the plane that made the first non-stop flight over the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver.

Chkalov began his dizzying career as a pilot as an aircraft assembly fitter in the 4th Kanavinsky Aviation Park in Nizhny Novgorod.
From December 3, 1931, he participated in tests - he tested the latest fighter aircraft of the 1930s I-15 and I-16 designed by Polikarpov. He took part in tests of tank destroyers VIT-1, VIT-2, heavy bombers TB-1, TB-3, a large number of experimental and experimental machines of the Polikarpov Design Bureau.

Chkalov was famous for his "recklessness". After the accident, which occurred in Bryansk, Chkalov was accused of numerous violations of discipline. By the verdict of the military tribunal of the Belarusian Military District on October 30, 1928, Chkalov was sentenced to a year in prison, and was also dismissed from the Red Army. He did not serve his sentence for long; at the request of Kliment Voroshilov, less than a month later, the sentence was changed to a suspended one.
Chkalov became the author of new aerobatics - an ascending spin and a slow roll. On May 5, 1935, aircraft designer Nikolai Polikarpov and test pilot Valery Chkalov were awarded the highest government award - the Order of Lenin - for the creation of the best fighter aircraft.
On July 20, 1936, the flight of Chkalov's crew from Moscow to the Far East started. It lasted 56 hours before landing on the sandy spit of Udd Island in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The total length of the record route was 9375 kilometers.
On June 18, 1937, Chkalov began his flight on an ANT-25 plane across the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver (Washington state, USA). The flight took place in difficult weather conditions. On June 20, the plane made a safe landing in Vancouver, Washington, USA. The length of the flight was 8504 kilometers.
Stalin personally offered Chkalov to take the post of People's Commissar of the NKVD, but he refused and continued to engage in flight test work. Chkalov died on December 15, 1938 during the first test flight on the new I-180 fighter at the Central Aerodrome.

Stalin, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Chkalov and Belyakov. Meeting after the flight to the Far East. Shchelkovsky airfield, August 10, 1936

STEPAN MIKOYAN

Stepan Mikoyan was born on July 12, 1922. He is the son of the famous politician Anastas Mikoyan. Stepan Mikoyan - Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation. In 1940 he entered the Kachin Military Aviation Pilot School in Crimea. In 1941 he retrained for the Yak-1 fighter and in December he was sent to the fighter aviation regiment defending Moscow.
From the first days of 1942, Stepan began to participate in the Yak-1 in flights to cover our troops in the Volokolamsk region. In the winter of 1941-1942, Stepan Mikoyan, as part of this regiment, made 10 successful sorties. The 11th sortie to cover Istra on January 16, 1942 almost became fatal for Mikoyan - his Yak was shot down by mistake by junior lieutenant Mikhail Rodionov from the 562nd regiment.
Mikoyan mastered 102 types of aircraft and flew about 3.5 thousand hours. By October 1942, he flew 14 sorties. After spending 3 air battles, he shot down 6 enemy aircraft in the group. Stepan Mikoyan ended the war with two orders.

Photo: Hayk / Wikimedia Commons

MIKHAIL GROMOV

Soviet pilot Mikhail Gromov was born on February 12, 1899. He became Colonel General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union. As an extremely gifted person, he early showed a variety of abilities, including music and drawing. After grammar school, he entered the medical faculty of Moscow University and then served as a military doctor.
Gromov tested many well-known aircraft. Performed a number of long-distance flights across Europe, China and Japan.
On September 10–12, 1934, on the ANT-25 aircraft, he made a record in range and duration flight along a closed route - 12,411 km in 75 hours. In 1937, the ANT-25-1 made a non-stop flight Moscow - North Pole - USA, setting 2 world aviation records. For this flight, Gromov was awarded the Order of Lenin.

VLADIMIR AVERYANOV

Colonel, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Vladimir Averyanov was born on October 11, 1934. In 1953, Averyanov graduated from the Stalingrad flying club. In 1955 he graduated from the Armavir Military Aviation School of Pilots, then served as a pilot in the air defense aviation.
From May 1965 to December 1968 - test pilot of the Kazan aircraft plant. In 1965-1966 he tested serial jet bombers Tu-16 and Tu-22, in 1966-1968 - passenger aircraft Il-62 (co-pilot), as well as their modifications.
From January 1969 to September 1994 he was a test pilot at the Saratov aircraft plant. He tested serial passenger aircraft Yak-40 (1969-1981) and Yak-42 (1978-1994). He has many medals and is an honored test pilot of the USSR.

Photo: testpilot.ru

IVAN DZYUBA

Colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Ivan Dzyuba was born on May 1, 1918. He graduated from the Odessa Flight School (1938), took part in the Great Patriotic War as a fighter pilot.
From June 1941 to September 1943, he flew 238 sorties, conducted 25 air battles. By February 1942, personally shot down 6 and in group 2 enemy aircraft.
On July 21, 1942, Major Ivan Dziuba was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for exemplary performance of military missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and for the courage and heroism shown at the same time. From 1943 he served as a test pilot.

NIKOLAY ZAMYATIN

Test pilot of the USSR, Captain Nikolai Zamyatin was born on May 9, 1916 in Perm, graduated in 1940 from the Sverdlovsk State University and the Sverdlovsk Aero Club.
In January-November 1942 he served as a pilot of the 608th Bomber Aviation Regiment, in November 1942 - December 1944 - a pilot, senior pilot and flight commander of the 137th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
Zamyatin fought on the Karelian front. Participated in the defense of the Arctic. He flew 30 sorties in a Pe-2 bomber. From 1947 to 1971 - test pilot at the Flight Research Institute. Tested the refueling system on the Tu-2 aircraft, tested the turbojet engines: VK-7 on Tu-4LL, AL-7 on Tu-4LL, VK-3 on Tu-4LL, AM-3M on Tu-16LL, VD-7 on M-4LL. He was awarded the Order of the October Revolution, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree.

MIKHAIL IVANOV

The famous test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Mikhail Ivanov was born on July 18, 1910. From 1925 he worked as an apprentice of a turner in Poltava. Completed a theoretical training course at the Poltava Aviation Club of Osoaviakhim. In the Soviet Army since 1929. In 1932 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation Pilot School, then served in combat units of the Air Force.
In 1939–1941, he was a test pilot of the military acceptance of aircraft plant No. 301, tested serial UT-2 trainer aircraft and Yak-1 fighters. In 1941 he was a test pilot of the military acceptance of the aircraft plant No. 31. Ivanov tested the serial fighters LaGG-3, La-5FN and Yak-3.
In November 1941, during the evacuation of an aircraft plant in Tbilisi, he took part in hostilities on the Southwestern Front. In total, he flew about 50 sorties.
On April 24, 1946, he tested one of the first Yak-15 fighters. He tested various modifications of the Yak-3 and Yak-11 fighters. Received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for the strength and courage shown when testing new aviation technology.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, many boys dreamed of becoming pilots. Nobody really thought about how difficult it is to fly in the sky. It seemed to the guys that the pilots were romantics who got great pleasure from the flight.

How did the first Hero Pilots get their ranks?

For the first time the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded in 1934, although since its foundation Soviet state until 1939 there were no wars, that is, the pilots did not carry out combat missions. Note that it was the pilots who became the first Heroes of the Soviet Union. These names are not as well known as the names of some aviators during the Second World War. Let us remember who these first pilots are - Heroes of the Soviet Union.

As you know, in 1934 there was an operation to rescue the Chelyuskinites. It was not possible to save people without the participation of aircraft. At the same time, the technology at that time was still poorly developed, and the rescue mission could get a positive result only thanks to the high professionalism and heroism of the pilots.

First Heroes by name

Nikolay Kamanin Gold Star Hero # 1 received at the age of 25. He made 9 flights over the Arctic, while rescuing 34 people (the crew of the sunken icebreaker "Chelyuskin" consisted of 104 people). In the photo below, Kamanin is shown on the left.

The complexity of the mission to rescue the sailors was that the area was not sufficiently explored at that time. Also, the pilots did not have complete confidence in the reliability of the motors, because at that time they practically did not fly over such long distances.

Mikhail Vodopyanov made three difficult flights, during which he was able to save more than 10 people. The uniqueness of this pilot's participation in the rescue operation lies in the fact that several months before that he had received severe injuries and had been treated for a long time. The authorities did not want to allow him to the operation, but he insisted.

Also in this operation took part such pilots - Heroes of the Soviet Union, such as Ivan Doronin, Sigismund Levanevsky, Vasily Molokov, Mavriky Slepnev. Each pilot made a huge contribution to saving people in the Arctic Ocean.

War and great pilots

Analyzing the orders for conferring the titles of Heroes of the Soviet Union during the Second World War, we find an interesting trend: more than 50% of the noted legendary warriors who defended our Motherland from invaders are pilots. Of course, fighting on the ground is also not easy, but air battles are much more difficult than ground ones. The level of courage and endurance of Soviet pilots is simply amazing. WWII pilots - Heroes of the Soviet Union made a huge contribution to the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany.

In this section, it is worth mentioning about Alexei Maresyev and Pyotr Shemendyuk. These heroes, even in spite of the difficult physical injury continued to serve aviation.

For example, Maresyev is famous hero works by B. Polevoy "The Story of a Real Man".

His plane was shot down over the territory that the Germans controlled at that time. The pilot could not eject. Fell to the ground with the car. It so happened that during the impact on the ground, he was thrown out of the cab. For 18 days, the hero crawled to the front line. Discovered by Soviet children in the Novgorod region. After that, he was treated for some time in a Novgorod village. After a long treatment and amputation of both legs, he was able to return to duty and made more than one combat mission.

Fighter pilots - Heroes of the Soviet Union often returned to the front after being wounded. According to verified, but little-known information, about 20 Soviet pilots fought against the Nazis with amputated legs, arms or other severe injuries to the limbs.

It should be noted that for many pilots the Second World War was not the first combat experience. Everyone knows that many Soviet military personnel took part in the hostilities in Spain ( Civil War). For example, Sergei Gritsevets is considered one of the aces pilots of the 1930s. A Belarusian by nationality, he was born in 1909 in the Grodno province. He came to aviation on a Komsomol ticket in 1931. The track record of the pilot for official information is 40 downed aircraft.

Development of military aviation of the USSR

Pilots - Heroes of the Soviet Union showed themselves excellently during the Second World War. Although initially the technical level of German aircraft surpassed the equipment and quality of Soviet aircraft, the skill level of the "red" pilots, already some time after the start of the war, more than compensated for all the shortcomings of technology.

The improvement of Soviet combat aviation actually took place during the war. The fact is that in the first days of hostilities, most of the Soviet aircraft were destroyed at airfields during the Nazi bombings. According to many experts, this is even better. If wooden planes were to engage in combat with Junkers or other fighters, they would not have a single chance of winning aerial combat. Such decisiveness of the fascists saved the lives of many Soviet pilots.

During the war years, according to rough estimates, the aces shot down more than 4,000 of the best German aircraft. The rating of the Soviet aces is determined primarily by the number of Junkers shot down. Let's talk about each of the best separately.

The legendary Ivan Kozhedub was born in 1920 in the Shostka region of modern Ukraine. After graduating from school in 1934, he entered the Chemical Technology College. For a long time, aviation for him was no more than a hobby. Kozhedub's path in aviation began with military service in 1940. He went to the front at the end of 1942 after working as an instructor at an aviation school. By the way, the first battle in the air for the legendary pilot could be the last one at the same time, because first his plane was knocked out by the Germans, and then by "their own". Kozhedub passed this test and was able to land his car. In the photo below, he is shown on the right.

Such pilots - three times Hero of the Soviet Union, like Ivan Kozhedub, quickly become professionals in their field. They don't need very much time to prepare. So, for some time after this accident, Kozhedub did not fly. The pilot's sidereal time came during the battle on Kursk Bulge... For several sorties in July 1943, he managed to shoot down 4 Junkers. Until the beginning of 1944, there were already several dozen victories in the hero's track record. Until the end of the war, he was able to shoot down 18 aircraft of this brand.

Semyon Vorozheikin and other twice Heroes of the USSR

This result was not surpassed by anyone, and only Vorozheikin Arseny Alexandrovich could repeat. This pilot was twice awarded a Hero's Star. The overall combat result of Vorozheikin is 46 downed enemy aircraft. Besides him, pilots - twice - are:

• Alekseenko Vladimir Avramovich;
• Alelyukhin Alexey Vasilievich;
• Amet-Khan Sultan;
• Andrianov Vasily;
• Begeldinov Talgat Yakubekovich;
• Trouble Leonid Ignatievich;
• Beregovoy Georgy Timofeevich;
• Gulaev Nikolay Dmitrievich;
• Sergei Prokofievich Denisov.

For the successful use of aviation technology, it must pass flight tests. For this, test pilots work. Very often they risk their lives, because no one has flown before them on the tested model of the aircraft. Many were awarded the Star of the Hero of the USSR. The most outstanding tester of aviation technology of the Soviet period is considered

The crews under the leadership of Chkalov made 2 record flights for their time (Moscow-Vancouver via the North Pole and Moscow-Far East). The length of the route to Vancouver was 8504 km.

Other Soviet test pilots include Stepan Mikoyan, Vladimir Averyanov, Mikhail Gromov, Ivan Dzyuba, Nikolai Zamyatin and Mikhail Ivanov. Most of these pilots did not have a first technical education, but the entire aviation elite was united by one feature: they underwent theoretical training in the system of aviation clubs developed at that time. Such peculiar schools gave the students the opportunity to receive theoretical and practical training at a fairly high level.

Assault aircraft of the USSR during the Second World War

Attack pilots, Heroes of the Soviet Union of the war years, occupy an honorable place in the lists of people marked state awards for exploits during air battles 1941-1945. According to historical data, more than 2,200 pilots received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Moreover, it is the attack aircraft in the list that you can find the most (860 names).

Also, there are many representatives of this type of aviation in the lists of twice Heroes of the Union. As you know, the two heroic Gold Stars had 65 pilots to their credit. In this list, attack aircraft also occupy the first place (27 people).

Who could get the title of Hero three times?

Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub - these pilots, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, inscribed their names in the annals of the Second World War in gold letters.

The fact is that three times the state awarded only three people with such a high rank. In addition to two pilots, this is the military man Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, known since the time of the revolution. Pokryshkin received his awards on orders from May 24 and August 24, 1943, as well as August 19, 1944. Ivan Kozhedub was marked by orders of the Commander-in-Chief of February 4 and August 19, 1944, as well as after the end of hostilities in August 1945.

The contribution of Soviet pilots to the victory over the enemy is simply invaluable!

Aces pilots. They performed feats both in peace and in war time... They spent hundreds of hours in the sky, and it became a real home for them. Our material contains quotes from legendary pilots who made the glorious history of the Russian Air Force.

If so, then be the first.

Valery Chkalov, Soviet test pilot ,
The hero of the USSR

I have always seemed to yearn for the sensations that now constitute my belonging - the belonging of the lucky man who has penetrated the air. I often happened to fly in my sleep, and the dream was delightful.

Sergey Utochkin, one of the first Russian aviators
and test pilots

Where I am a pilot, I am a pedant. But I'm also a romantic. I am fond of logic, psychology, literature,
painting.

Mikhail Gromov, Soviet test pilot ,
The hero of the USSR

Courage without tempering is a blank shot.

ace pilot , three times Hero of the Soviet Union

Our squadron was called "singing" due to our affection for the song, and my call sign is "Maestro". Of our squadron, 11 pilots received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and this honor fell to me twice. And every rank, every combat award was paid for at the cost of risk, skill, military superiority and real victories.

Vitaly Popkov, pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Height is the key to victory. Anyone who is higher can dive onto an enemy plane at any moment and, having developed a high speed, reach it.

honored test pilot THE USSR,
twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Once upon a time I read the words as a child V.P. Chkalova : "If to be, then to be the first." So I try to be and will be to the end.

pilot-cosmonaut , The hero of the USSR

Nesterov went to research the capabilities of the aircraft, making a loop. Artseulov proved that it is possible to take the plane out of a spin. And what about the air rams that Soviet pilots used to achieve victory over the German aces? Don't discount this. For the Russian soul, incomprehensible to anyone, there are no barriers!

Victor Pugachev, Honored test pilot THE USSR,
The hero of the USSR