Defense Minister Moshe ‘Bogie’ Yaalon at the 168th graduation ceremony of the Israel Air Force Academy on June 26, 2014.

During an IAF flight over the Mediterranean on Monday, an F-16i pilot suffered from vertigo and wasn’t able to fly the plane.

The Navigator took over the F-16 and landed it safely.

The Air Force has decided to run refresher flight safety courses all week.

Regular operations will continue.

Here’s the first amazing story:

A young cancer patient on the way to the US with a bunch of other sick kids can’t find her passport.

With no other choice, the young girl was removed from the plane and the plane prepared to depart after a fruitless search on the plane, in the airport, everywhere. Minutes before takeoff, while the plane was taxiing to the runway, they found the passport in another child’s backpack.

Too late, no? The stewardess told the pilot – the pilot radioed the tower and was given permission to turn back. The story appears here.

As the child cried, so too did people on the plane – and the stewardesses, and people on the ground. Amazing.

And the second story…

David Finti is 19 years old. He is a Romanian Jew. While boarding a train, David was electrocuted and severely burned. The local Jewish community contacted the Jewish Agency. They recognize the collectivism of our people just as on the Israeli side it was recognized as well. And so, Israel flew the young man to Israel, making him an Israeli citizen so that he could get critical care free of charge. David and his parents were flown to Israel and are now at Hadassah’s Ein Kerem hospital. The story appears here.

Yet another story in the last few days has come to light. Israel recently managed to bring in another 17 Yemenite Jews – leaving 90 left.What amazes me is that we were able to bring another group here to Israel and more, that we know how many remain. We are watching, waiting, hoping to bring the last remnants of what was once a great community here to Israel.

It is what we do. Three stories of how Israel watches, Israel waits, Israel acts.

Visit A Soldier’s Mother.

12:09 PM A Greek plane, earlier reported as a Jordanian and later as  an Egyptian private Misair airline plane,was  bound for Jordan and landed safely in Israel.

The pilot called out “Mayday” after the hydraulic system failed.

Picture: Israel Bardugo

12:00PM A high level emergency has been declared at Ben-Gurion airport. MDA is currently at its highest emergency level. Emergency medical volunteers are being asked to come in.

What is known so far is that a plane with 170 passengers is having difficulty landing, after the pilot declared an emergency.

Emergency personnel have been called up to be prepared for any scenario.

Firetrucks and ambulances have been called in from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon L’Tzion. The IAF dispatched two 669 emergency rescue helicopters to the area.

On Thursday, the latest class of 166 IAF (Israel Air Force) pilots will be graduating. Unlike previous classes, there will be no women graduating in this round.

54% of the graduates are from cities, 35% are from small towns, and 10% are from farm communities (moshavim).

35% are from the north (Tzefat being the farthest north), 61% in the center, and 3% from the south.

All the pilots had completed all the Bagrut (matriculation) exams, except one who completed his Bagrut tests during training.

Almost half the class did not immediately go to pilot school after completing High School.

Four of the pilots volunteered for a year of community service before joining the course. Five went to a military preparatory school for a year. Three spent a year in Hesder. And four others tried out different positions in the IAF first.

For 9% of the graduates, it was their second time taking the course before they graduated.

32% are the oldest child, 35% the middle child, and 29% the youngest. Only 3% were only children.

Ynet reports that one student (22) overcome some very difficult personal trials to become a pilot.

As a child, R. suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, including tics,outbursts, angry behavior, as well as hyperactivity and allergies.

Through a diet regiment and medication he overcame Tourette’s at age 13, and subsequently passed the army medical exam which determined he was healthy and qualified to be a pilot.
R. father told YNet, “The lesson is that you should never pass unquestioned what the medical establishment tells you. There’s a solution and it lies in correct nutrition.”