High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Rafael Ivanovich Kapreliants (Gabrielyan)(May 5, 1909, Baku - 1984, Moscow) was a Soviet Armenian first class pilot, Honorary test-pilot of USSR, a Hero of the Soviet Union (1975) and the holder of 10 world records for helicopters. Kapreliants was born in the family of Armenian doctor Hovnan Gabrielyan. He graduated from Leningrad Institute of engineers for the Civil Air Fleet (CAF) in 1932, and Bataysk pilot's school in 1934. He had flown on the air routes of the CAF before World War II, mastering practically all kinds of transport aircraft, that were being used in the USSR at the time. During the war, he was the second-in-command of the speicla forces airgroup, fulfilling tasks of the General Staff. During one of such flights, he landed poorly as a result of acute icing and was taken as a POW by the Nazis, but he managed to escape and found himself among partisans. After his return to the Soviet Union, he was appointed as the commander of the 89th bomber regiment. His regiment represented the long-range aviation at the Victory Parade on the June 24, 1945.