How Combat Forged an Israeli Fighter Pilot

One month after graduating from the Israeli Air Force Academy, the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war broke out, thrusting Zvi Kanor into his first days of jet combat.

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, September 30, 2022 at 09:06 AM ET

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Zvi Kanor climbed the ranks from fresh recruit, pressed into battle, to Brigadier General in the IAF. [Courtesy: Zvi Kanor]

Key Takeaways:

Brig. Gen. Zvi Kanor's first combat experience in the 1967 Six-Day War involved flying an ill-equipped trainer aircraft (Fouga Magister) at age 20, requiring extremely low-altitude attacks with limited weaponry and resulting in significant squadron losses.
A core strength of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is its rigorous and transparent debriefing process, which from early days used onboard cameras (8mm, then video) to objectively review missions and ensure accountability, preventing pilots from manipulating accounts.
The IAF's debriefing culture emphasizes continuous improvement and holds all personnel accountable regardless of rank, meaning even a Brigadier General can be led and critiqued by a junior officer based on objective video evidence of mission performance.

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Editor’s Note: In the summer of 1967, 20-year-old Zvi Kanor earned his wings when he graduated from the Israeli Air Force Academy. One month after graduating, however, the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War broke out, thrusting him into his first days of combat. It would prove to be the opening salvo for a 27-year-long aviation career in the IAF for now-retired Brig. Gen. Kanor, who would go on to serve as a Wing Commander at Tel Nof Airbase. He retired from service in 1993.

Kanor recently sat down to discuss his early days as a fighter pilot, and the importance of transparency and accountability throughout ranks of the pilot community. Here are excerpts from that conversation, lightly edited for space and clarity, as told to FLYING.