Podporuchik Ivan Aleksandrovich Orlov (19 January 1895 – 4 July 1917) was a Russian flying ace during World War I.

His experience and his valor made him both a mentor and leader of less experienced pilots, as Orlov rose to command the 7th Aviatsionniy Ostryad Istrebitelei (7th Fighter Aviation Detachment) of the Imperial Russian Air Service.

[3] Orlov moved to staff duty with the 5th Air Corps Detachment; on 21 November 1914, he was decorated for organizing communications with 2nd Army.

Having left a training stint at Petrograd Flying School, he was assigned to the First Army Aviation Detachment in February.

[2] On both 11 and 28 August 1915, Orlov flew hazardous reconnaissance under intense ground fire; he won medals for valor for both sorties.

[2] His extreme courage impressed Grand Duke Alexander and General Vogel and spurred Orlov's appointment to command.

Orlov was detailed to the Third Air Company to found and command the 7th Aviatsionniy Ostryad Istrebitelei (7th Fighter Aviation Detachment).

On 12 April, the new unit received three two-seater Sikorsky S-16 fighters, with their trio of Lewis guns arriving two days later.

On the 25th, on his tenth sortie for the day, Orlov and Vasili Yanchenko wounded the aircrew with close-range fire and drove them and their aircraft down into captivity.

[2] On 13 November, he was then posted on exchange duty to the Western Front to study French aerial tactics.

On 24 January 1917, while flying a Spad VII with Escadrille 3, Orlov drove down an enemy aircraft north of Fresnoy for his fourth victory.

Ways of Conducting an Air Combat principally encapsulated from tactical advice received from Guynemer and Heurteaux, and enumerated 16 main points.

The political turmoil in Russia was undermining the Russian military's combat capabilities; however, Orlov kept his unit in the fight.

After combat maneuvering, the lower right wing of his Nieuport ripped loose, and Orlov fell 3,000 meters to his death in the Russian front line trenches near Kozova.

[1][2] An aerial observer who had often flown with him, Ivan's brother Alexei Orlov, escorted his remains to burial in Tsarskoye Selo outside Petrograd.