In the Cockpit: An IAF Pilot’s Diary
by John Little on 19/07/2006Updates from “Major Y” at the Jerusalem Post:
The siren blows. We run to the planes, start the engines, power up the systems. Ground crew running around the plane, the tower gives us permission to take off. We are told to head north, to Lebanon. “Get ready to receive targets,” announces the flight controller as we approach. Major E and I read back the information, verifying with the flight controller that we have no mistakes. We head to the coast of Lebanon. It looks so small from above – Israel on the south, Syria in the east. I shake myself – no time to enjoy the view… hurry through the switches, procedures, arm the bombs, check the systems, head to the target, follow the range 10-9-8 Pickle! The plane violently rocks from side to side as two bombs fall off each wing, few seconds apart. I look down at the ground – we are flying so high, it’s hard to judge where my bombs are going to hit, but the explosions catch my eye.
We head back – “mission complete. 4 direct hits,” reports Major E to the controller. The rush and adrenalin gone, thoughts enter my head. I sure wish I hit the “bad guys” and that there were no civilians hanging around the place. Hizballah cynically often uses civilians as a shelter from Israel’s bombings.
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