Leonid Beda Fighter-bomber pilot, lieutenant general of aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union. Date of Birth: 16.08.1920 Country: Russia

1. Biography of Leonid Beda
2. Early Life and Education
3. Post-War Career
4. Flying the Fighter-Bomber
5. Love for the Sky

Biography of Leonid Beda

Leonid Ignatyevich Beda was a fighter-bomber pilot, Lieutenant General of Aviation, and a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 26, 1944. On June 29, 1945, he was awarded a second "Gold Star" medal for his new feats on the front. He also received numerous orders and medals. Leonid Ignatyevich Beda was born in a poor peasant family and was of Ukrainian nationality. He became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in December 1942.

Early Life and Education

Leonid Beda studied at the Ural Teacher's Institute and was also involved in the Aero Club. In 1940, he entered the Orenburg Military Aviation Pilot School. In early August 1942, L.I. Beda was sent to the front. He started the war as a sergeant and finished it as a Guard Major. He completed over 200 combat flights.

Post-War Career

After the war, Leonid Beda graduated from the Red Banner Air Force Academy, and then the General Staff Academy. He is currently a distinguished military pilot of the USSR and a Lieutenant General of Aviation, continuing his service in the ranks of the Soviet Army.

Flying the Fighter-Bomber

Leonid Beda piloted a fighter-bomber during the Great Patriotic War. He was a veteran and a twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He was known for his skill in "hooking over the airfield," meaning he mastered one of the most complex types of combat use of the fighter-bomber - bombing from a dive.

Love for the Sky

More than 30 years have passed since Leonid Beda first took to the sky. But he still remembers all the details of that happy day: the warm summer sun, the limitless blue of the sky, the unique smells of the airfield. And the feeling of flight. How can one forget that?! Perhaps it is in such moments that love for the sky is born, and a lifelong devotion to the chosen profession. Love for the sky led Leonid Beda to the military pilot school. Although they lived in poverty and flew "on whatever was available," they never stopped dreaming of being sent to the front. In the autumn of 1941, they learned about Stalin's famous telegram to the aviation factory: "The IL-2 aircraft are now as necessary for the Red Army as air and bread. I demand that more 'Ilov' be produced."