Latest news with #Soviet-made
Times
12 hours ago
- Times
Giora Epstein obituary: Israeli Air Force's ace fighter pilot
Guiding his Mirage fighter jet a mere 50ft above sand dunes near the Egyptian city of El-Arish, Giora Epstein stalked his target at a speed of more than 800mph, raised the trigger cover, flicked the cannon switch and fired. His volley struck the Soviet-made Sukhoi Su-7 and the tail of the plane exploded, while the front flipped over and smashed into the ground. No pilot, Epstein concluded, could have ejected in time. He returned to his base in Israel knowing he had achieved his first kill. Many were to follow. After this success in his French-built plane during Operation Moked (Focus), a surprise attack on Egyptian air force facilities in 1967 in what came to be known as the Six-Day War, Epstein downed another 15 Egyptian jets and a helicopter. His career tally of 17 kills made him ace of aces in the Israeli air force and top globally in the supersonic jet fighter era. 'I remember each one,' he wrote in his 2020 autobiography, Hawkeye. 'Every detail, every pressing of the trigger or firing of the missile. I vividly recall the pursuit, the aerial manoeuvres, the moment when I saw the plane ahead of me crash and burn on the ground.' He reached ace status with his fifth kill in 1970 during the War of Attrition and was promoted to head the departments of photography and long-range airstrikes. Egypt and Syria suddenly attacked Israel on October 6, 1973, while Epstein was at air force headquarters. He turned on the national warning siren system that announced the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War to the country but had no interest in remaining in the command and control bunker. Returning to the cockpit, he claimed 12 kills in the space of a week. Flying a Nesher fighter plane, he was lured into an ambush and outnumbered 20 to one by Egyptian MiGs but shot down four of them during a nine-minute dogfight that left him exhausted and shaking from exposure to extreme G-forces. Physical and mental advantages, he later mused, helped to make him a remarkable pilot. A calm personality kept him clear-headed under pressure, his tolerance for pain was unusually high, his small stature helped him to withstand G-forces and his eyesight was exceptional. 'The average range of vision for a fighter pilot is eight to twelve miles,' he wrote. 'I could spot fighter jets that were as much as 24 miles away.' Giora Epstein was born in 1938, to Polish parents, Hillel and Chaya, who met at a Zionist camp. He later added the Hebrew word Even, meaning 'stone', to his surname. His father was a docker and construction worker while his mother looked after children on the kibbutz where the family lived: Negba, a Jewish settlement founded in the south of what was then Mandatory Palestine. He was evacuated at the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War only hours before the Egyptian military attacked the kibbutz after Israel's declaration of independence. When he returned two years later, he had developed a fascination with aircraft and was a voracious reader, especially of American Wild West stories and books about RAF pilots. 'I knew by heart all the tales of the battles of Douglas Bader,' he said. He would later meet the Second World War ace. When informed of Epstein's combat record, Bader was said to be 'quite impressed'. Drafted into the Israeli military at 17, Epstein volunteered for the pilot course but was made to train as an aircraft mechanic after medical tests indicated a heart condition. Still, he negotiated his way into a paratroop unit and discovered a love of free-falling. He made hundreds of jumps, twice breaking a leg in hard landings. In 1962 he competed for Israel's skydiving team in the World Sport Parachuting Championships in the United States and recalled the folk musician Pete Seeger giving a concert for the competitors. 'I knew all of his songs by heart and at the end of the evening, I taught him to sing Hava Nagila,' he said. The persistent Epstein was finally cleared for pilot school in 1963 after more medical tests and graduated top of his class. Two missions did end in failure: attempts to assassinate Yasser Arafat. In 1968 a pair of suspicious Mercedes cars, one black, one blue, were spotted on a road in Jordan and Epstein was ordered to fire at the blue vehicle. 'When I landed, I was told, 'Idiot, Yasser Arafat was in the other Mercedes!' ' In 1972, Epstein strafed a building in Lebanon where the Palestinian political leader was believed to be holding a meeting, but he survived. Unwilling to accept a desk job as he approached his forties — he protested that he 'didn't want to fly Parker pens' — Epstein joined the Israeli commercial airline El Al in 1977. He flew Boeing aircraft until the mandatory retirement age of 65, remaining an air force reservist until his 59th birthday. He flew Israelis and Iranian Jews out of Tehran in 1979 on a chaotic rescue mission during the Iranian Revolution. In 1967 Epstein married Sara, an operations secretary in his squadron. She survives him along with two daughters, Adi and Dana, and a son, Guy. All worked in the air force: Guy as an officer in an anti-aircraft missile unit and Adi and Dana as operations officers. In his seventies, Epstein was diagnosed with heart failure and fitted with a mechanical pump. He was honoured by the Israel Defence Forces in 2018 with a special promotion to brigadier general. Though he appreciated the attention, his reserved nature meant that he did not ostentatiously celebrate his triumphs in the manner of his fellow pilots. 'With me, there were no buzz flights [low-altitude passes over the airfield] or whoops of victory after each kill,' he said. 'But I let nothing stop me on my way to victory.' Giora Epstein, ace fighter pilot, was born on May 20, 1938. He died on July 19, 2025, aged 87
Jordan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Jordan extends condolences to Russia after deadly plane crash
AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has extended its condolences to the government and people of Russia following a fatal passenger plane crash in the country's far east. The aircraft went down near the town of Tynda in the Amur Oblast region, claiming the lives of all those on board. In a statement on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufyan Qudah expressed the Kingdom's solidarity with Russia and conveyed heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims. He also reiterated Jordan's full support for the Russian government and people in the wake of the tragedy. A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote area of Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, authorities said. The plane, a Soviet-made twin-propeller Antonov-24, went down in remote, thickly forested terrain, leaving a column of smoke pouring from the crash site and no signs of survivors, according to state media and videos published by investigators.
Jordan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Jordan Times
Plane crash in Russia's Far East kills nearly 50 people
MOSCOW — A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote area of Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, authorities said. The plane, a Soviet-made twin-propeller Antonov-24, went down in remote, thickly forested terrain, leaving a column of smoke pouring from the crash site and no signs of survivors, according to state media and videos published by investigators. The Angara Airlines flight was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1:00 pm local time A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 15 kilometres south of Tynda's airport. Videos published by Russian investigators showed smoke rising from the crash site and what appeared to be fragments of the plane strewn across the forest floor. A search and rescue team arrived only hours after the crash at the remote, hard-to-reach site and found no evidence of survivors, according to the state news agency TASS. Investigators did not say what caused the crash. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were poor, Angara Airlines CEO Sergei Salamanov told Russia's REN TV channel. "The commander made the decision to carry out the flight," he was quoted as saying. Tynda, home to around 30,000 people, lies in an area of thick taiga forest about 200 kilometres from the Chinese border. At least one Chinese national was on the flight, state media in China reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the families of the victims," Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The plane dropped from radar while attempting a second approach to land at Tynda, regional prosecutors said. The forest terrain complicated search efforts, a rescuer told the TASS agency. "The main search operations are being conducted from the air," it said. Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in the Russian city of Irkutsk, did not immediately release a statement on the crash. Five children Russia's aviation watchdog has not yet given a definitive number of people on board. The Amur region's governor, Vasily Orlov, said the plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers were five children, he said. The TASS agency cited emergency services as saying the plane was carrying 40 passengers and six crew. Aviation authorities have opened an investigation. The plane appeared to have been manufactured almost 50 years ago, during the Soviet era, according to civil aviation database In 2021, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036, data from the site showed. AFP was not able to immediately verify this information. The Antonov-24 is a popular, Soviet-designed turboprop plane that first entered into service in 1959. Russia has taken steps to switch from Soviet aircraft to modern jets in recent years, but ageing light aircraft are still widely used in far-flung regions, with accidents frequent.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Russia plane crash: PM Modi offers condolences after tragedy kills nearly 50 onboard; says India ‘stands in solidarity'
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in a tragic plane crash in Russia's Far East, which killed all on board. In a message posted on X, he said, 'Deeply saddened at the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with Russia and its people. ' A Soviet-made Antonov-24 aircraft carrying nearly 50 people crashed on Thursday in a forested region of the Amur area, killing everyone on board. The twin-propeller aircraft had departed from Blagoveshchensk and was en route to Tynda when it vanished from radar around 1:00 pm local time, as per news agency AFP. A rescue helicopter later located the burning fuselage approximately 15 kilometres south of Tynda's airport, where smoke could be seen rising from the heavily wooded crash site. Russian investigators confirmed there were no survivors, and fragments of the aircraft were scattered across the terrain. Video footage released by officials showed extensive damage. According to the Amur region's Governor Vasily Orlov, 43 passengers and six crew members were on the flight, including five children. However, Russia's emergency situations ministry reported that 48 people were on board the flight, which was operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. The aircraft, nearly five decades old, had its airworthiness certificate extended until 2036, according to though it could not be immediately verified, as per AFP. As per news agency AP, the aircraft had originally departed from Khabarovsk and was on a multi-leg journey, flying via Blagoveshchensk towards Tynda. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The plane reportedly lost contact with air traffic control during a second attempt to land. Russia's aviation authorities have opened an investigation, and the Amur region has declared three days of mourning. The cause of the crash is not yet confirmed, but Angara Airlines CEO Sergei Salamanov told REN TV that weather conditions were poor at the time and added, 'The commander made the decision to carry out the flight.' Chinese President Xi Jinping also offered condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, 'I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the families of the victims,' according to CCTV. One Chinese national was reportedly among the passengers.
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Courier-Mail
Plane crash in Russia's far east kills nearly 50 people
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote area of Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, authorities said. The plane, a Soviet-made twin-propeller Antonov-24, went down in remote, thickly forested terrain, leaving a column of smoke pouring from the crash site and no signs of survivors, according to state media and videos published by investigators. The Angara Airlines flight was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT). A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Tynda's airport. Videos published by Russian investigators showed smoke rising from the crash site and what appeared to be fragments of the plane strewn across the forest floor. A search and rescue team arrived only hours after the crash at the remote, hard-to-reach site and found no evidence of survivors, according to the state news agency TASS. Investigators did not say what caused the crash. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were poor, Angara Airlines CEO Sergei Salamanov told Russia's REN TV channel. "The commander made the decision to carry out the flight," he was quoted as saying. Tynda, home to around 30,000 people, lies in an area of thick taiga forest about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the Chinese border. At least one Chinese national was on the flight, state media in China reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the families of the victims," Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The plane dropped from radar while attempting a second approach to land at Tynda, regional prosecutors said. The forest terrain complicated search efforts, a rescuer told the TASS agency. "The main search operations are being conducted from the air," it said. Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in the Russian city of Irkutsk, did not immediately release a statement on the crash. - Five children - Russia's aviation watchdog has not yet given a definitive number of people on board. The Amur region's governor, Vasily Orlov, said the plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers were five children, he said. The TASS agency cited emergency services as saying the plane was carrying 40 passengers and six crew. Aviation authorities have opened an investigation. The plane appeared to have been manufactured almost 50 years ago, during the Soviet era, according to civil aviation database In 2021, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036, data from the site showed. AFP was not able to immediately verify this information. The Antonov-24 is a popular, Soviet-designed turboprop plane that first entered into service in 1959. Russia has taken steps to switch from Soviet aircraft to modern jets in recent years, but ageing light aircraft are still widely used in far-flung regions, with accidents frequent. bur/jhb Originally published as Plane crash in Russia's far east kills nearly 50 people
