Four women and 35 men received their IAF wings at the graduation ceremony for the Israeli Air Force's 182nd pilot's course held last week at Hatzerim Air Force Base in the Negev.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The newly-minted IAF pilots include the first woman in four and a half years to become a combat pilot, and she is only the fifth woman to become a fighter pilot since the course opened to women in the 1990s.
Thus far, 62 women have completed the course. Five have been assigned to fighter squadrons, 24 became navigators, 12 were assigned to helicopters, and seven were assigned to serve as transport pilots. Another seven women were assigned to serve as navigators on transport aircraft, and eight women became flight deck operators.
In 2019, Lt. Col. G. became the first woman to serve as commander of an IAF squadron, albeit not a combat one. G., then 35, enlisted in the IDF in 2003 and completed the IAF pilot's course, specializing in transport aircraft. From 2015 to 2017, G. served as deputy commander of the Nachshon Squadron, which operates surveillance aircraft.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
