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Meritorious Military Pilot of the GDR Verdienter Militärflieger der DDR
Obverse
Type	One class honorary title
Awarded for	Distinguished performance of military pilot
Country	East Germany
Presented by	NPA
Eligibility	Military pilots of the German Democratic Republic
Status	No longer awarded
Established	August 1, 1974
First awarded	1974
Last awarded	1990
Total	137+
Total recipients	see table below
Ribbon bar
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order for Merit for the Nation and Fatherland
Equivalent	Honorary title "Meritorious Member of the National People’s Army"
Next (lower)	Distinguished Service Medal of the NPA

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".

References

• Frank Bartel, Auszeichnungen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, Berlin 1979
• Auszeichnungen der Nationalen Volksarmee, Berlin 1994
• Orden und Medaillen - Auszeichnungen der DDR, Leipzig 1983

1. Bartel/Karpinski: Awards of the German Democratic Republic. Military publisher of the GDR 1979, page 134.
2. Reference sources of the recipients: Kommando LSK/LV – LtGen ret. K.-J. Baarss, Army aviatin – MaFGen ret. W. Büttner, Navy Aviation – Captain at sea ret. G. Leithold and Border troops – Col. ret. A. Oldenburg
3. „Pilot narratives – from take-off to touch-down“, matters of fact and experiences – written down by members of the NPA Air Force, Strausberg 2013, original print (page 58): ISBN 978-3-9814822-3-2, Strausberg, Berlin, 2013 (in German language).

• Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany
• Air Forces of the National People's Army
• Awards established in 1974
• Awards disestablished in 1990
• 1974 establishments in East Germany