Yekaterina Ryabova

Yekaterina Ryabova (July 14, 1921 - September 12, 1974) was a Russian military pilot, awarded the title of Heroine of the Soviet Union on February 23, 1945. She attained the rank of senior lieutenant as a member of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment. She flew 860 night missions in her career as a Polikarpov Po-2 navigator. Ryabova was sent, along with Mariya Smirnova, by her regiment commander to attend the Russian Air Force Academy (now the Gagarin Air Force Academy) but was not admitted because the academy had been officially closed to women.