User:Izsharon/Menachem Sharon

Sharon grew up in Kfar Pines, son of Pinchas and Shifra Swartzon.

Air Force career

Sharon joined the Israeli Air Force in 1960. He temporarily served in Israeli Combat Engineering Corps for 6 months and then began pilot course at the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy. He graduated with honors in 1962. He served as Mirage III pilot in 101 squadron.

He was stationed as flight instructor in 113 squadron in 1967, a squadron of advanced training of Ouragan bombers. He also served as a senior flight formation leader. As part of Operation Focus of Six-Day War he has lead a formation of 113 squadron to bomb Bir Gafgafa Airfield in Egypt.

After the Six-Day War he served as Deputy Squadron Commander B in 101 squadron, a Mirage III squadron, and in April 1969 became Deputy Squadron Commander A. He participated in many dogfights during the War of Attrition.

Sharon's first victory came on November 11, 1969 during operation Rimon 12, when he downed an Egyptian Mig 21 near Jabal Ataqah. On March 16, 1970 he downed another Mig 21 in a dogfight during an anti-missile mission providing air cover near Suez Canal. Sharon's next role was head of a department in the israeli air force operations division.

In August 1973 Sharon became commander of Israeli Mirage 5 (Nesher) 144 squadron in Etzion Airbase. During Yom Kippur War he has lead the squadron to down 40 military planes while not experiencing a single loss. Sharon himself downed 4 enemy planes in dogfights, one Mig 17 and three Mig 21s, turning him to a flying ace.

In August 1974 Sharon became commander of 69 squadron, an F-4 Phantom squadron based in Ramat David Airbase. Aside from ongoing regular military operations, the focus under Sharon's helm was to implement lessons learned from Yom Kippur War. The squadron adopted advanced military weapons and improved the warfare that was later used during the Lebanon War of 1982.

Sharon's following positions were head of air force planning and organization department, was the last commander of Etzion Airbase and Ovda Airbase's first commander.

Sharon was commander of Ovda during Lebanon War of 1982 and participated in bombing sorties flying Kfirs in 144 squadron. He also served as air force attache in Israel Northern Command.

Sharon continued his service as commander of The Collaboration Unit.

Post retirement from Israeli Air Force Sharon served as head of Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) between 1992 and 1997. He was also a member of a public committee headed by Amos Lapidot to evaluate Israel's civil aviation safety. [[Category:Israeli flying aces]][[Category:Israeli Air Force personnel]][[Category:Six-Day War pilots]]