Meritorious Military Pilot of the German Democratic Republic
Meritorious Military Pilot of the GDR was the highest honorary title awarded to military pilots of the East German National People's Army. It was given in form of a Medal. Established on August 1, 1974 by the Council of Ministers of the GDR, it was awarded until the dissolution of the GDR in 1990.
Award criteria
The honorary title could be awarded for:- Distinguished performance of military pilot compared with:
- * Outstanding results in the political and military adjunction as well as
- * Outstanding results as to the development of the NPA combat readiness
- Military pilot’s performance level: Class I
- No Aviation accident and incident
Medal description
The golden medal had the shape of a pentagon with the top below tip, width 31.5 mm and high 41.5 mm. On the lower tip there is to be seen the aircraft emblem of the National People's Army, a stand on the head flag of the :en:East Germany|German Democratic Republic, that is colorful enameled. The biggest part of the medal is occupied by a MiG-23 or MiG-21 that steeply takes off to the sky in front of the bright rising sun.Left to the aircraft there is a laurel-bough, and right to it the oblique wording VERDIENTER MILITÄRFLIEGER is to be seen. The reverse, however, is empty and glossy.
Different versions have been issued:
- 1974–1976: Medal from nonferrous metal gold colored, varnished, size with arched eye 40.5 × 30 mm, reverse glossy. Medal on small medal bar 14 × 25 mm.
- 1976–1989: ditto varnished, medal with round eye, on pentagon bar with gibbon bar 14 × 25 mm, reverse glossy, ditto brass-plated, with reverse ornamented.
Wear
Recipients (compleete list)
The individuals below were recipients of the honorary title of "Honoured Military Pilot of the GDR".| Year | Service rank | Name, first name | Service position |
| 1974 | Oberst | Baarß, Klaus-Jürgen | Dep./A3 Fighter Aviation of the Air Defence, Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1974 | Colonel | Spitzenberg, K-Heinz | Commander Jagdfliegergeschwader 2 |
| 1974 | LtCol | Adler, Gottfried | DepCdr/Kampfhubschraubergeschwader 34 |
| 1974 | LtCol | Hamilton, Richard | Cdr 2nd Fighter Training Squadrin /Flieger Ausbildungsgeschwader 25 |
| 1974 | LtCol | Otto, Hans-Peter | Cdr Jagdfliegergeschwader 3 |
| 1974 | LtCol | Wingelsdorf, Horst | Head Air tactics/Air firing Jagdfliegergeschwader 1 |
| 1974 | LtCol | Wolf, Eberhard | DepCdr Fighter Squadron /Jagdfliegergeschwader 8 |
| 1974 | Major | Grünberg, Horst | DepCdr FSqn/Jagdfliegergeschwader 9 |
| 1975 | Colonel | Wolfgang Büttner | DepCdr/3. LVD |
| 1975 | Colonel | Gleis, Wolfgang | Cdr Hubschraubergeschwader 34 |
| 1975 | LtCol | Berger Rolf | Branch Chief Training Fighter Aviation /Fighter Bomber Aviation Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1975 | LtCol | Maxwitat, Karl-Heinz | Flight instructor/Fliegerausbildungsgeschwader 15 |
| 1975 | LtCol | Oswald, Gerhard | Cdr Zieldarstellungsstaffel-33 |
| 1975 | LtCol | Schikor, Walter | Aviation Chain Cdr/ Transportfliegerstaffel 24 |
| 1975 | LtCol | Teil, Otto | Flight inspector/Transportfliegergeschwader 44 |
| 1976 | LtGen | Reinhold, Wolfgang | Deputy Ministers and Commander LSK/LV |
| 1976 | Colonel | Deisenroth, Karl-Heinz | DepCdr/1. LVD |
| 1976 | Colonel | Dittrich, Georg | DepCdr/Officer High School of the LSK/LV |
| 1976 | Colonel | Menges, Kurt | Cdr FAG-25 |
| 1976 | Colonel | Ullmann, Roland | Chief Navigator Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1976 | LtCol | Bauer, Reiner | Cdr FBSqn/Jagdbombenfliegergeschwader-31 |
| 1976 | LtCol | Bohla, Wolfgang | Navigator JG-7 |
| 1976 | LtCol | Schäbitz, Herbert | DepCdr FSqn/JG-2 |
| 1977 | MajGen | Baustian, Gerhard | DepCdr LSK/LV for the Air Force |
| 1977 | LtCol | Heichler, Reinhard | Flight inspector Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1977 | LtCol | Jähn, Sigmund | Astronaut candidate |
| 1977 | LtCol | Köllner, Eberhard | Astronaut candidate |
| 1977 | LtCol | Kulitscher, Dieter | Cdr FAG-15 |
| 1977 | LtCol | Oldenburg, Alfred | Cdr HS-16 |
| 1977 | LtCol | Schönherr, Peter | Head Lufttaktik/Luftschießen JG-2 |
| 1977 | LtCol | Seifert, Manfred | Flight inspector/JG-7 |
| 1977 | LtCol | Wiedemann, Frank | Cdr FSqn/JG-3 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Anschütz, Bernd | Cdr FSqn/JG-1 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Bauer, Horst | Head Lufttaktik/Luftschießen 1. LVD |
| 1978 | LtCol | Becker, Horst | Flight instructor FAG-25 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Irmscher, Peter | A3 Fighter Aviation/3. LVD |
| 1978 | LtCol | Lüttkopf, Peter | DepCdr/HG-34 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Meyfarth, Rudolf | Cdr TASqn/TG-44 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Pastor, Siegmar | Stellvertreter FSqn/JG-3 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Pippig, Manfred | Cdr FAG-15 |
| 1978 | LtCol | Zimmermann Klaus | Cdr JG-9 |
| 1979 | Captain at sea | Leithold, Günter | Cdr Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Häusler, Horst | DepCdr/FAG-15 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Kresse, Hasso | Flight inspector Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1979 | LtCol | Lange, Kurt | DepCdr FSqn/FAG-25 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Lorenz, Siegfried | Navigator FSqn/JG-8 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Minkewitz, Peter | DepCdr FSqn/JG-1 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Pätz, Wolfgang | DepCdr/JG-9 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Priese, Horst | Cdr JG-2 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Weise, Siegfried | DepCdr/JBG-31 |
| 1979 | LtCol | Wolf, Gerald | Cdr HSqn/HG-34 |
| 1980 | Colonel | Fiß, Gerhard | DepCdr/ OHS of the LSK/LV |
| 1980 | Colonel | Golbs, Eberhard | Chief Navigator Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1980 | LtCol | Berthold, Roland | Cdr TS-24 |
| 1980 | LtCol | Heise, Claus | Flight inspector 3. LVD |
| 1980 | LtCol | Junghans, Gunter | Cdr JG-7 |
| 1980 | LtCol | Petermann, Werner | Navigator FSqn/JG-2 |
| 1980 | LtCol | Unger, Jürgen | Cdr JBS/JBG-31 |
| 1980 | LtCol | Weiß, Manfred | Flight inspector HG-34 |
| 1981 | Colonel | Bienek, Klaus | Cdr FAG-25 |
| 1981 | Fkpt | Arndt, Manfred | DepCdr HSqn/MFG-18 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Driesel, Klaus | Head Air firing/Flight tactics JG-9 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Heinz, Günter | Chief sub branch Transport aviation Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1981 | LtCol | Jandik, Karl-Heinz | Flight inspector HG-54 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Moos, Heinz | Cdr aviation chain HS-16 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Noak, Peter | DepCdr FSqn/JG-8 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Tetzel, Joachim | Flight inspector TS-24 |
| 1981 | LtCol | Wehner, Wolfgang | Flight inspector JG-3 |
| Year | Service rank | Name, first name | Service position |
| 1982 | Colonel | Thonke Wolfgang | Cdr Fighter Aviation/Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1982 | LtCol | Beutel, Gustav | Cdr FSqn/JG-7 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Biermann, Bernd | Head Air firing/Flight tactics HG- |
| 1982 | LtCol | Brucke, Joachim | KettenCdr JG-8 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Günther, Karl-Heinz | DepCdr FSqn/JG-9 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Jakob, Rainer | DepCdr/TG-44 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Müller, Rolf | Head Air firing/Flight tactics AS-31 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Petzold, Dieter | DepCdr/JG-2 |
| 1982 | LtCol | Schäfer, Heinz | DepCdr/FAG-25 |
| 1983 | Colonel | Kleemann, Dieter | Chef FrFK/Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1983 | LtCol | Fischer, Bernd | DepCdr THSqn/THG-34 |
| 1983 | LtCol | Haufe, Christian | Chief navigator 1.LVD |
| 1983 | LtCol | Köhler, Peter | DepCdr FSqn/JG-9 |
| 1983 | LtCol | Neufeld, Hans | DepCdr FSqn/JG-7 |
| 1983 | LtCol | Ripl, Claus | Cdr Transportfliegerausbildungsstaffel 45 |
| 1983 | LtCol | Schammer, Ulrich | Flight inspector FOFAFK |
| 1983 | LtCol | Seidel, Wolfgng | Flight inspector 3. LVD |
| 1983 | Fkpt | Weibezahl, Lutz | Dep A3 MHG-18 |
| 1983 | LtCol | Worm, Wolfgang | DepCdr FTSqn/FAG-15 |
| 1984 | Colonel | Dieckmann, Jürgen | Cdr JG-8 |
| 1984 | Colonel | Jenichen, Manfred | Cdr JBG-37 |
| 1984 | Colonel | Paul, Dieter | DepCdr 3. LVD |
| 1984 | Colonel | Richter, Henry | Professor section helicopter training/ OHS LSK/LV |
| 1984 | LtCol | Franz, Lothar | Navigator FSqn/JG-8 |
| 1984 | LtCol | Herzbecher, Gunter | Cdr JG-2 |
| 1984 | LtCol | Klocke, Bernd | Head Air firing/Flight tactics KHG-34 |
| 1984 | LtCol | Kubitz, Hans | DepCdr TSqn/TG-44 |
| 1984 | LtCol | Skeris, Manfred | Head training Fighter Aviation 1. LVD |
| 1984 | LtCol | Worm, Werner | Flight inspector FAG-15 |
| 1985 | Colonel | Gleitsmann, Karl-Heinz | Branch chief training Fighter Aviatoion/Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1985 | Colonel | Langener, Rainer | Cdr JAG-15 |
| 1985 | LtCol | Fischer, Albrecht | Cdr TSqn/TG-44 |
| 1985 | LtCol | Kurzhals, Rainer | Chief navigator 3. LVD |
| 1985 | LtCol | Pilz, Bernd | DepCdr/THG-34 |
| 1985 | LtCol | Rösler, Werner | Head working group Front Aviation/Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1985 | LtCol | Stammberger, Heinz | Cdr aviation chain JG-3 |
| 1985 | LtCol | Reichel, Siegfried | Cdr aviation chain TS-24 |
| 1985 | Major | Rolof, Christian | 1. Aircraft pilot TS-24 |
| 1985 | Major | Stübner, Hermann | 1. Aircraft pilot TS-24 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Beutel, Reinhard | Navigator FSqn/JG-2 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Fritsch, Peter | DepCdr/JG-1 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Gyurkewitsch, Gerd | DepCdr/ Army Aviation Operations Command |
| 1986 | LtCol | Hoffmann, Joachim | Cdr JBG-37 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Patzer, Rudolf | Flight inspector Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1986 | LtCol | Rehfeld, Siegfried | DepCdr/JG-7 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Straßburg, Rainer | Flight inspector 1.LVD |
| 1986 | Fkpt | Thate, Heinz | Cdr HSqn/MHG-18 |
| 1986 | LtCol | Walter, K-Heinz | Cdr FSqn/JG-9 |
| 1987 | Colonel | Pampel, Frank | Cdr JG-7 |
| 1987 | Colonel | Reuschel, Gerhard | Cdr JG-3 |
| 1987 | LtCol | Bornschein, Eberhard | Flight inspector 1. LVD |
| 1987 | LtCol | Böttger, Hermann | DepCdr FS/JG-9 |
| 1987 | LtCol | Manigk, Manfred | Cdr aviation chain JBG-77 |
| 1987 | LtCol | Seidel, Günter | DepCdr FSqn/JG-3 |
| 1987 | Fkpt | Zeschmann, Klaus | Cdr HSqn/MHG-18 |
| 1988 | Colonel | Kernchen, Wilfried | Cdr JG-1 |
| 1988 | Colonel | Wukasch, Ralf | Cdr JG-9 |
| 1988 | LtCol | Andreas, Peter | Flight inspector OHS for military pilots |
| 1988 | LtCol | Dalsch, Gerhard | AL JFK/1. LVD |
| 1988 | LtCol | Härtel, Lothar | Sub branch Flight Safety Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1988 | LtCol | Nützmann, Erwin | Cdr FSqn/JG-3 |
| 1988 | LtCol | Tröger, Udo | Cdr aviation chain JG-7 |
| 1988 | LtCol | Wöge, Hans-Peter | Flight inspector THG-34 |
| 1989 | Colonel | Weber, Rudolf | Chief Navigator Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1989 | LtCol | Exner, Peter | Head Training Fighter Aviation 3. LVD |
| 1989 | LtCol | Kernchen, Michael | Cdr JG-8 |
| 1989 | LtCol | Krummhaar, Klaus | Cdr Taktische Aufklärungsfliegerstaffel |
| 1989 | LtCol | Ressel, Rudolf | DepCdr/TG-44 |
| 1989 | LtCol | Roske, Jürgen | Cdr Marinefliegergeschwader 28 |