# Meritorious Military Pilot of the German Democratic Republic

Meritorious Military Pilot of the GDR (German: Verdienter Militärflieger der DDR) 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 accidents or incidents
The number of awarded people was limited to 10 military pilots per year.

## Medal description

The medal is gold-colored, has the shape of an irregular vertically symmetrical pentagon standing on its tip, and is 31.5 mm wide by 41.5 mm tall. On the lower tip is a colorfully-enameled aircraft roundel of the National People's Army.
The biggest part of the medal is occupied by a MiG-23 or MiG-21 taking off steeply, behind which are sunrays emanating from the roundel. Left of the aircraft is a laurel bough, and right of it is the oblique wording VERDIENTER MILITÄRFLIEGER.
The reverse side of the medal 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

The medal was worn on the left breast suspended from a pentagonal sky blue ribbon of 25 × 14 mm size. The ribbon bar was the same color as the medal ribbon, and also featured a miniature, all gold colored version of the NPA roundel.

## Recipients (complete 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 [de] | Dep./A3 Fighter Aviation of the Air Defence, Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1974 | Colonel | Spitzenberg, K-Heinz | Commander (Cdr) Jagdfliegergeschwader 2 (JG-2) |
| 1974 | LtCol | Adler, Gottfried | DepCdr/Kampfhubschraubergeschwader 34 (KHG-34) |
| 1974 | LtCol | Hamilton, Richard | Cdr 2nd Fighter Training Squadrin (FTSqn)/Flieger Ausbildungsgeschwader 25 (FAG-25) |
| 1974 | LtCol | Otto, Hans-Peter | Cdr Jagdfliegergeschwader 3 (JG-3) |
| 1974 | LtCol | Wingelsdorf, Horst | Head Air tactics/Air firing Jagdfliegergeschwader 1 (JG-1) |
| 1974 | LtCol | Wolf, Eberhard | DepCdr Fighter Squadron (FSqn)/Jagdfliegergeschwader 8 (JG-8) |
| 1974 | Major | Grünberg, Horst | DepCdr FSqn/Jagdfliegergeschwader 9 (JG-9) |
| 1975 | Colonel | Wolfgang Büttner | DepCdr/3. LVD |
| 1975 | Colonel | Gleis, Wolfgang | Cdr Hubschraubergeschwader 34 (HG-34) |
| 1975 | LtCol | Berger, Rolf [de] | Branch Chief Training Fighter Aviation (FA)/Fighter Bomber Aviation (FBA) Kdo. LSK/LV |
| 1975 | LtCol | Maxwitat, Karl-Heinz | Flight instructor/Fliegerausbildungsgeschwader 15 (FAG-15) |
| 1975 | LtCol | Oswald, Gerhard | Cdr Zieldarstellungsstaffel-33 (ZDS-33) |
| 1975 | LtCol | Schikor, Walter | Aviation Chain Cdr/ Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (TS-24) |
| 1975 | LtCol | Teil, Otto | Flight inspector/Transportfliegergeschwader 44 (TG-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 (JGB-31) |
| 1976 | LtCol | Bohla, Wolfgang | Navigator JG-7 |
| 1976 | LtCol | Schäbitz, Herbert | DepCdr FSqn/JG-2 |
| 1977 | MajGen | Baustian, Gerhard [de] | 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 [de] | Cdr JG-9 |
| 1979 | Captain at sea | Leithold, Günter | Cdr Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 (MHG-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 |
| 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 (TAS-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 [de] | 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 (TAFS-47) |
| 1989 | LtCol | Ressel, Rudolf | DepCdr/TG-44 |
| 1989 | LtCol | Roske, Jürgen | Cdr Marinefliegergeschwader 28 (MFG-28) |