EL-AL From Israel, joined Oct 2001, 1119 posts, RR: 5 Posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3805 times:
Sad news from Israel: Israel Air Force F-16A crashed today (september 13th) in Judea (south part of the west bank) Israel. The crash gets all the headlines in Israel due to the pilot's identification, Lt. Assaf Ramon.
Ramon, 22, is the son of Ilan Ramon, IAF senior pilot ranked colonel, who served in the IAF many years. He took part also in the IAF attack over the Iraqi nuclear facility in Osirak, operation Oprah, in 1981.
In 2000, Ramon was chosen to be the first Israeli astronaut. He was trained in the US for 3 years, and sent to space on board the Columbia in January 2003. On February 1st, 2003, Ramon was killed when the Columbia crashed over western USA, together with other 6 astronaut on this mission.
Ilan's oldest son, Assaf, followed his father foot steps and recruited to the IAF. In July 2009 he graduated 3 years in the IAF flight academy in Hazerim as best pilot in his year. In Israel, the IAF academy is considered to be the most difficult course in the army, and most soldiers who start it do not finish it.
Father and son, both IAF pilots, killed, one of them - the first Israeli astronaut, the other - promised young pilot with great future ahead. My hart goes out to the family. What can I say - god works in mysteries ways.
Assaf Ramon, 1987-2009, RIP.
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
MadameConcorde From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10243 posts, RR: 40 Reply 1, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 3739 times:
I just saw this on the BBC News site and came here to see if anything was posted.
Too young to die. Such a gifted young man. He looked very much like his father.
They are now together again in the other world.
An Israeli F-16 fighter jet has crashed in the West Bank, killing the pilot.
The 21-year-old pilot, Assaf Ramon, was the son of Israel's only astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
There was a better way to fly it was called Concorde
Quote: "The cause of the accident was under investigation and is complicated by the large crash scene. Debris is reported to be spread over a large area of land near the settlement of P'nei Chever.
An eye witness account have suggested that Assaf may have tried to eject."
This incident highlights the condition of the Netz in Israeli service, the very first of which came from surplus USAF and USANG stocks.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52 Reply 4, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 3621 times:
RIP to both Lt and Col Ramon, my friends. You are finally flying in the same formation now.
Johns624 From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 766 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 3604 times:
Quoting DEVILFISH (Reply 2): This incident highlights the condition of the Netz in Israeli service, the very first of which came from surplus USAF and USANG stocks.
It's the maintenance that matters, not the age of the plane. There are many, much older planes still flying.
JFK69 From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 1381 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 3578 times:
Elal772 From Israel, joined Jun 2008, 158 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 3536 times:
I didn't know him and the pain I feel from this is the kind of pain that makes your heart brake and eyes tear. I cannot begin to imagine or comprehend how his mother will deal with this.
R.I.P. Assaf ז"ל
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