Alexander Dmitrievich Bilyukin was born on September 11, 1920, in the village of Zhukovo, Smolensk Governorate. After completing seven years of schooling and an aeroclub, he worked at a factory, then received a referral to flight school. In 1940, Bilyukin graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School and arrived as a junior lieutenant at the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP) of the Leningrad Military District for further service.
Hero of Leningrad’s Skies
The pilot achieved his first victory in July 1941, when, during a flight check of his I-16, he timely spotted and attacked an enemy fighter. For almost three years, he defended Leningrad: covering the city and the “Road of Life,” flying interception and escort missions.
August 1, 1943, was the most successful day in his combat biography. In a morning battle, the squadron commander, Senior Lieutenant Bilyukin, shot down an Fw-190. In the next sortie, during a large engagement where the enemy attempted to build up forces for 20 minutes, he shot down three more Fw-190s.
Combat Ace and Legacy
After the defeat of the Germans near Leningrad, the 196th IAP (324th Fighter Aviation Division, 7th Air Army), commanded by the famous Leningrad ace A. Chirkov, operated as part of the Karelian Front. While performing a mission to block an enemy airfield in Northern Norway, Captain Bilyukin, in his “Aerocobra” (P-39 Airacobra) with tail number “53” and the inscription “Alexander Nevsky,” achieved his final victory by shooting down an Me-109.
Throughout the war, he conducted 430 combat sorties in I-16s, “Yaks,” and “Aerocobras,” participating in 35 aerial battles. He personally shot down 22 enemy aircraft and two in a group. In 1957, he graduated from the Military Air Academy (VVA). In 1966, Colonel Bilyukin retired. He lived and worked in Moscow and passed away on October 24, 1966.