(18. 11. 1899 - 11. 8. 1980)
In odopyanov Mikhail pilot polar explorer, Hero of the Soviet Union Б•ї 6. Born November 18, 1899 in the village of Studenka (now Б? in the city Lipetsk). Russian. In the army since 1919. Served baggage train in the Division of aircraft since 1920 Б? assistant driver, from 1921 Б? driver. Participated in the Civil War. Since 1925 Б? aircraft mechanic, flight engineer then. In 1928 he graduated from flight school Dobrolet Б• Б•?, Б? 1929 Moscow Summer technical school. As a mechanic, then pilot and participated in expeditions to combat locust infestation in the North Caucasus, and Kazakhstan. In 1929, the first to open the air line to the island of Sakhalin. From 1931 he worked at the Central Airport in a flying squad of the newspaper Pravda Б• Б•?, affording the newspaper matrix in the major cities of the USSR. Then he flew on civil aircraft to distant airways Moscow Б? Leningrad, Moscow Б? Irkutsk, on the island of Sakhalin.
Winter 1933 in a test flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, his plane is divided by Lake Baikal. Mechanic dies. Vodop'yanov a concussion and multiple fractures, then only one head left a thirty-six stitches.
In 1934, after a long siege of the government commission has sent to participate in the rescue Chelyuskinites. Together with V. I. Doronin Galysheva and flew the length of nearly 6000 km from Khabarovsk to Vankarem on wood-cloth plane P-5, without a mate, without a radio, through the ridges across the mountains, at an incredibly difficult road. Of Anadyr three flew to the distressed people and carried out ten men.
. W tion of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Vasilyevich Vodopyanova awarded April 20, 1934 for courage and bravery shown during the rescue Chelyuskinites.
. In 1936-1937 flew to the Arctic, was commander of the flight unit, delivered to the North Pole May 21, 1937 the first drifting station
. World's first aircraft landed at the North Pole. For that he received the Order of Lenin (twice the heroes at that time did not become).
In Private World War II: from July 1941 Б? commanding 81-second long-range aviation division. In August 1941, personally participated in the second raid on Berlin. His plane Pe-8 was shot down and made a forced landing on territory occupied by the enemy. Through the front line back to its. For great loss was removed from his post as commander of the division, but continued to perform combat sorties as an ordinary airman.
Б? Since 1946, retired. In 1948 participated in the drifting station North Pole Б• Б•? Б? 2. He was engaged in literary activities, a member of the Writers' Union.
F ill in Moscow. Died Aug. 11, 1980. He is buried in Moscow on Troekurov cemetery.
Awarded 4 orders of Lenin, 4 orders of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War, 1-st degree, medals. Its named after a street in Moscow.
Compositions:
Road Pilot. , 1953;
Friends in the sky. Moscow, 1971;
Tale of the first heroes. M., 1980, etc.
