Successful in Another Test
(By Pilot Brigadier General Mohammad Taqi Jadidi)
It was the fasting month of Ramadan, 1365 (1985). It was the operations deputy commander in the 2nd Air force Base. Once, I was planning for the air mission to be done when Martyr Ardestani entered the room. His arrival was unexpected. I stood up and embraced him. We had not met for a long time and visiting him was a heart- warming event to me.
We had been assigned the mission of bombing a power plant in Iraqi Doukan province, several days ago, and we had less than 24 hours to carry it out.
Martyr Ardestani had a very sensitive job in the air force headquarters, but he had joined us to participate in these specific operations. He explained the importance of the mission and the ways to carry it out. The type of bombing necessitated the use of F-4 aricarft, which have the capability of "loft bombing," while we were using F-5 aircraft, and this method of bombing is not recommended in F-5 pilot manuals. In face, it was an unauthorized method for F-5 aircraft, because of low risk, Martyr Ardestani insisted on the use of this method on F-5. He used this method of bombing many times and inflicted the most severe blows on the aggressive enemy troops, and he transferred his experiences to the other pilots.
I was so interested in accompanying him on this mission. Therefore, I volunteered to fly beside him. He immediately accepted the proposal, as if he was awaiting such an offer. The mission was to be done before sunrise. It was the holy month of Ardestani to my house for the dawn-meal. He agreed and brought a map for further investigations with him. After the meal, we spread the map, studied the flight route, to and from the target carefully for some time.
The sun had not risen from behind the tall mountains that our tow fighter planes roared on the runway, and breaking the early morning silence in Tabriz, soared in the azure sky. In this operation I was the second pilot and Martyr Ardestani was the leader. We were flying at low altitude to hide from the enemy radar. From the beginning we kept flying in deep radio- silence. We had passed the enemy borderlines and were close to the targets. We aimed at the predetermined installations. Since that was the first experience in "loft bombing" by F-5, some of our bombs missed their targets. But we were able to carry out loft bombing air raids successfully in our following missions and that was what Martyr Ardestani wished for. In this way, another golden page was added to the glorious history of our noble nation's eight-year-holy war.
It was the fasting month of Ramadan, 1365 (1985). It was the operations deputy commander in the 2nd Air force Base. Once, I was planning for the air mission to be done when Martyr Ardestani entered the room. His arrival was unexpected. I stood up and embraced him. We had not met for a long time and visiting him was a heart- warming event to me.
We had been assigned the mission of bombing a power plant in Iraqi Doukan province, several days ago, and we had less than 24 hours to carry it out.
Martyr Ardestani had a very sensitive job in the air force headquarters, but he had joined us to participate in these specific operations. He explained the importance of the mission and the ways to carry it out. The type of bombing necessitated the use of F-4 aricarft, which have the capability of "loft bombing," while we were using F-5 aircraft, and this method of bombing is not recommended in F-5 pilot manuals. In face, it was an unauthorized method for F-5 aircraft, because of low risk, Martyr Ardestani insisted on the use of this method on F-5. He used this method of bombing many times and inflicted the most severe blows on the aggressive enemy troops, and he transferred his experiences to the other pilots.
I was so interested in accompanying him on this mission. Therefore, I volunteered to fly beside him. He immediately accepted the proposal, as if he was awaiting such an offer. The mission was to be done before sunrise. It was the holy month of Ardestani to my house for the dawn-meal. He agreed and brought a map for further investigations with him. After the meal, we spread the map, studied the flight route, to and from the target carefully for some time.
The sun had not risen from behind the tall mountains that our tow fighter planes roared on the runway, and breaking the early morning silence in Tabriz, soared in the azure sky. In this operation I was the second pilot and Martyr Ardestani was the leader. We were flying at low altitude to hide from the enemy radar. From the beginning we kept flying in deep radio- silence. We had passed the enemy borderlines and were close to the targets. We aimed at the predetermined installations. Since that was the first experience in "loft bombing" by F-5, some of our bombs missed their targets. But we were able to carry out loft bombing air raids successfully in our following missions and that was what Martyr Ardestani wished for. In this way, another golden page was added to the glorious history of our noble nation's eight-year-holy war.
