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The East German Air Force was unique among Warsaw Pact countries in that it was often equipped with the most advanced Soviet fighters, instead of downgraded export models. As an extension of the Soviet 16th Air Army deployed in East Germany, the Luftstreitkräfte was expected to play a front-line role in any war with NATO. As a result, it was ...
Sigmund Werner Paul Jähn (German:; 13 February 1937 – 21 September 2019) was a German pilot, cosmonaut, and Generalmajor (equivalent to a Brigadier General in Western armies) in the National People's Army of the GDR. He was the first German to fly into space as part of the Soviet Union's Interkosmos program in 1978.
The 1961 F-84 Thunderstreak incident, occurring on 14 September 1961, was an incident during the Cold War, in which two Republic F-84F Thunderstreak fighter-bombers of JaBoG 32 of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) crossed into East German airspace because of a navigational error, before landing at Berlin Tegel Airport.
On March 7, 1969, East German Air Force JG-1 pilot Hauptmann Gerhard Scharnetzki flew from Cottbus Air Base to Rønne Airport on Danish Bornholm Island in a Yak-18A trainer plane numbered 11. [ 11 ] On May 26, 1967, Lieutenant Vasily Ilych Epatko flew his MiG-17 (No. 25) from East Germany, where he was stationed, to West Germany and made a ...
He and other German pilots were trained at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. [109] The Republic F-84 Thunderjet fighter course lasted 60 days and consisted of 33 hours of flight time in the Lockheed T-33 and 47 hours in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak .
There are a number of reasons why Germany's highest-scoring pilots shot down many more aircraft than the most successful Allied pilots. During the first years of the war, German day fighter pilots tended to enjoy favourable tactical circumstances; for instance, during the Battle of Britain British pilots generally tried to attack the German bombers rather than the fighters protecting them.
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.
Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff (15 September 1913 – 21 February 1994) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II, German general, and NATO official. He was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939–45 until he was severely burned during a failed take-off.