Kapitan Vasili Ivanovich Yanchenko (1 January 1894 – August 1959) was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories.

As his native Russia became embroiled in World War I, Yanchenko volunteered for military aviation duty on 22 November 1914.

After being trained as a pilot the Imperial Russian Air Service way, he was posted to fly reconnaissance in combat on 4 September 1915.

He would also befriend fellow Russian aces Donat Makijonek, Juri Gilsher, and Ivan Orlov.

After the Volunteer Army's defeat, Yanchenko emigrated to the United States to forge a life's work as an engineer.

The next day, he was posted to the 12th Korpusnoi Aviatsionniy Otryad (Corps Aviation Detachment) as a Starski Unter-Officer to fly reconnaissance missions.

A few minutes into this maiden flight, Yanchenko's airplane engine exploded and started an inflight fuel fire.

He graduated on 5 January 1916, and was assigned to the 3rd Korpusnoi Aviatsionniy Otryad (Corps Aviation Detachment) with a rank equivalent to sergeant major.

He applied for transfer to the forming 7th Aviatsionniy Otryad Istrebitlei (Fighter Aviation Detachment) in early March, and was posted to them on 7 April.

[1] When he and Ivan Orlov shared a victory on 25 June 1916, Yanchenko showed that he had the audacity to close to pointblank range before opening fire at the enemy.

In the meantime, he picked up two promotions in short order—to Podpraporshchik on 8 July, and then to full-fledged officer status on 21 August with a boost to Praporshik.

[2] Yanchenko was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir on 3 January 1917, in recognition of an unsuccessful air fight on 2 October 1916.

A week later, Yanchenko was brought down by artillery fire inside the Russian lines; his Morane-Saulnier H was ruined, but he suffered only a slight leg wound.

[8] Yanchenko disengaged from the clump of Germans attacking him by faking an out-of-control spin,[9] and landed near the wreckage.

By then the effects of the October Revolution were being felt in the 32nd, and operations dwindled to a halt by month's end because of Bolshevik influence on the military.

As the Soldiers Committees began to advocate violence against their officers, Vasili Yanchenko fled the 32nd KAO in November 1917.