11% of new IAF pilots born outside of Israel, Flight Academy report shows
IDF releases a statistical breakdown of the pilot's schools graduating class, shedding light on the people inside the cockpit.
Eleven percent of the Israel Air Force's new pilots were new born in Israel, and hail from Russia, the US and the UK, a statistical report released ahead of the upcoming pilot's course (class-170) graduation ceremony revealed.
The pilot's course is revered in Israel as one of the most challenging courses in the military, and pilots hold a special place in Israeli society as the nation's defenders.
The officially graduation ceremony will be held June 25 at the Air Force's flight school, at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev.
The list of top officials attending the ceremony is quite impressive and includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and Air Force Commander Amir Eshel.
The ceremony itself is very cheerful in nature and includes speeches by officials, capability demonstrations featuring the air force's different aircraft, and a performance by the force's aerobatics team.
The report showed there were three female graduates among the group.
During the course's academic stage, 39 percent of the graduates chose to study information systems management, 20 percent chose to study politics and governance, 19 percent studied maths and computer science, and 22 percent studied economics and management.
In terms of geographical distribution, 49 percent of the graduates live in cities, compared to 40 percent who live in small towns. Some 8 percent are from rural communities, and three percent are from kibbutzim.
Among the graduates, 22 percent had served in other positions in the military before attending flight school, such as the aerial defense battalions, and the Maglan Special Forces unit.
The pilot genes seem to run in the family with this course, as 49 percent of the graduates have a familial tie to the Air Force, with 61 percent being direct relatives of aircrew members.
The report noted that while most of the course's graduates are 21-years-old, the oldest graduate is 25.
