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Amet-Khan Sultan

Crimean Tatar fighter pilot and twice Hero of the Soviet Union for his service in the Second World War. He later became a test pilot, flying many experimental aircraft.

Portrait of Amet-Khan Sultan

Photographer unidentified · Public domain · Image source

Biography

Amet-Khan Sultan was born in Alupka in 1920 and trained as a pilot before the German invasion of the Soviet Union. During the Second World War he flew hundreds of combat missions and became a fighter ace. He was twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. One widely remembered episode was his survival after ramming a German bomber when his ammunition had run out.

After the war he became a test pilot at the Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky. His work involved experimental aircraft and flying laboratories, extending his aviation career into the development of new technologies. He died during a test flight in February 1971.

His achievements occupy a special place in Crimean Tatar memory. While he received the Soviet state's highest honours, the same state deported the Crimean Tatar population in 1944. His service and support for his people challenged the collective accusations used to justify their exile.

  • ODFFU Archive: People Biographies

    Biographical text adapted and translated from the supplied manuscript.

    Consulted 2026-09-14

Biographical sources