The new pilots from Haifa • "Breaking glass ceilings and discovering new worlds"

(Live here with those who have completed a pilot course) - Lt. A. and Lt. M., both 21 years old from Haifa, completed the pilot course number 188 in the last few days. The two summarize the course, talk about the difficulties they experienced during it and the significant moments they will not forget.

A 21-year-old lieutenant from Haifa is finishing the pilot course in combat navigator major. A. is the youngest in his family, after an older brother and sister. His mother is a lecturer in psychology and his father is a lecturer in electrical engineering at the university. He has been in a relationship for a year and a half while his partner actually met him when they were in the third grade in elementary school.

In his spare time, A. likes to ride a bicycle and engage in reading and writing, in his youth he took an active part in the scout movement, where he was a trainee and even guided trainees with special needs. In high school he expanded his theater major and diplomacy and international relations major, as part of the course he graduated with a bachelor's degree in politics and government.

A tells about a crisis he experienced during the course:
"At the end of a basic phase, my mother, who is diagnosed with clinical depression, tried to commit suicide with pills and alcohol, it happened while I was at home. After this happened, I took it upon myself to manage all the affairs at home and it affected me a lot, especially at such a critical stage of the course - I was late and missed a briefing because I was with my mother, but I felt it was the right thing to do."

In addition, about six months later, his father was fatally injured when he was riding his bicycle and was hit by a car. "He was sedated and ventilated for 50 days, the situation at home and the workload in the initial phase were very difficult. At the same time, I could see that my success in the course was good for my mother."

A significant moment from the course:

"On the night of Command, we performed with a verse that I wrote, composed and directed, it was a highlight for me."

A. says that in recent times, in light of the Iron Swords War, he took part in honor guards at funerals and also took part in the air force pit, things that were significant for him.

He summarizes the three years in the pilot course: "These are three years in which flying skills are dealt with, but in the end, the heart of the matter is more in the character and development of the person you are. I learned a lot about myself."

Lieutenant M., also 21 years old from Haifa, is finishing the pilot course in helicopters. Lm has a younger brother and his mother is the owner of a college chain. His father died of an illness when he was young. In high school, he studied physics, chemistry and Arabic, and as part of the course, he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and management. In his free time, M likes to play football, travel and play the guitar and piano.

M didn't always aspire to enlist in a pilot course, but his late father really wanted to be a pilot, and that's also what pushed him to enlist in the course. He talks about the moment he realized he wanted to be in the air crew: "At the initial stage I really wanted to start flying, from flight to flight I fell in love In the profession, I was just waiting for every moment when I could be on the air."

"Before I joined the course, I thought it was a place where everyone was to themselves, but when I got here, I realized how important the members are to the course and it's actually impossible to go through this experience without them. The helicopter lineup is very much a family."

M. also experienced a crisis during the course: "During the year of study, my grandfather passed away. His death was very difficult for me. All this, together with the need to concentrate on my degree, brought me to an end point in the course."

M tells about one of the significant moments he experienced in the course:

"On my first flight on a helicopter, I felt something I have never felt in my life. I remember myself smiling for an hour and a half non-stop."

Regarding the last period, in light of the war, M says: "The war only strengthened every reason I needed to explain to myself what I was doing and why. I realized that I want to be the one who will succeed in the end in doing the task, when my time comes."

He summarizes the three years in the pilot course: "These are the three most significant years I've had in my life. The course is very mature and gives a sense of independence, you discover new interests, break glass ceilings and make friends for life."