101 Squadron (Israel)
| 101st Squadron | |
|---|---|
Avia S-199 with the 101st Squadron badge
|
|
| Active | May 20, 1948 – Present |
| Country |  Israel |
| Branch |  Israeli Air Force |
| Role | Air Defence |
| Garrison/HQ | Hatzor Airbase |
| Nickname(s) | First Fighter Squadron |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Modi Alon Avraham Lanir |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F-16C |
101 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the First Fighter Squadron, is Israel's first fighter squadron, formed on May 20, 1948, six days after Israel declared its independence. Initially flying the Avia S-199, it has since operated the Supermarine Spitfire, North American Mustang, Dassault Mystere IV, Dassault Mirage IIICJ, IAI Nesher and IAI Kfir. It currently operates out of Hatzor Airbase, flying the F-16C Fighting Falcon.
Contents
History
101 Squadron was formed on May 20, 1948, at two air bases simultaneously: IAF Ekron (former RAF Aqir, currently Tel-Nof Airbase) and Žatec (code-named "Zebra") in northwestern Czechoslovakia, a former Luftwaffe airfield close to a Messerschmitt production facility, where pilots received initial basic type flight training on the Avia S-199s, Czech-built copies of the Bf 109G with 1,320 hp Junkers Jumo 211F powerplants. During one ferry flight some of the squadron's 15 aircraft were forced to land in Greece, and were immediately impounded, so during the next ferry flight a C-46 was used as a navigation guide, and a corvette was readied off the coast in case any aircraft had to be ditched and pilots rescued from water.[1] Four of these flew the squadron's first mission on May 29, strafing the Egyptian ground forces near Ad Halom, in the prelude to Operation Pleshet. 101 Squadron was responsible for the Israeli Air Force's first aerial victories when on 3 June 1948, Modi Alon shot down a pair of Royal Egyptian Air Force C-47s which had just bombed Tel Aviv.[2][3]
See also
- Christopher Magee
- Milton Rubenfeld
- Mitchell Flint
- Gordon Levett
- Giora Epstein
- Bob Vickman
- Yiftah Spector
- Ezer Weizman
- Avraham Lanir
- Rimon 20
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Squadron 101 (Israeli Air Force). |
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
- Global Security Profile
- 101 Squadron, Israel's first fighter squadron
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
| History |
  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Branches and components | ||
| Air bases | ||
| Formations and units | ||
| Equipment | ||
| Combat squadrons |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Helicopter squadrons | ||
| Command / Transport | ||
| Unmanned | ||
| Other | ||
| Inactive | ||
| Historical |
|
|
