Pikvovarov started flying Yak-1s with the 402nd Fighter Aviation Regiment. During this time, he scored his firs three aerial victories. In the spring of 1944, he took part in the Crimean offensive. During this time, he scored several aerial victories. On 13 April 1944, he shot down two Luftwaffe Bf-109s, in a dogfight. At the end of June, the regiment was transferred to the 3rd Belorussian Front, where its pilots provided cover and air support for units of the 5th Army and the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps.