- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 26 January 1965
- Country: Russia & USSR
The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный военный лётчик СССР, Zaslužennyj voennyj lëtčik SSSR in Russian) was established on 26 January 1965 and awarded to members of military flying units, military agencies, military schools, military organizations, and other military or federal authorities, having qualified military pilots 1st class or military pilot-instructors 1st class, for outstanding achievements in the development of aviation technology, high performance in education and training of flight personnel and long-term trouble-free flight operations in military aviation.
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations from the Ministry of Defence of the USSR. The chest badge “Honored Military Pilot of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.
The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal Design
The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver-and-nickel and measuring 27-millimetre-wide by 23-millimetre-high.
At the top of the obverse is the relief inscription in three lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ВОЕННЫЙ ЛËТЧИК (“Honored MILITARY PILOT”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet plane climbing diagonally towards the right its nose and tail slightly protruding over the edges, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.
The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.
