Mykola Melnyk

Nikolai Nikolayevich Melnik (Russian Николай Николаевич Мельник; born December 17, 1953 in Stawyschtsche; † July 26, 2013 in Alicante ) was a Soviet helicopter pilot.

Life

Already Melnik's father was a test pilot for the first versions of the MiG. He worked as an instructor pilot in Kremenchug. Nikolai Melnik became famous in 1986 when he helped with the rescue efforts after the Chernobyl disaster and among other things it was involved to install sensors for radiation measurement. At about 40 approaches to the reactor, he was exposed to a radiation dose that was at least ten times higher than the then Soviet permissible norm. For its use in Chernobyl 1987 he was awarded the title " Hero of the Soviet Union."

After the end of the Soviet Union in 1995 he went to Spain, where he lived with his family in Alicante. He worked there as a trainer for helicopter pilots and helped in operations of firefighting aircraft. In 1998 he was commissioned by King Juan Carlos awarded for its deletion operations.