A dazzling display of flying techniques by a variety of combat aircraft enthralled spectators today at an air show on an air field somewhere in the Negev. Dozens of French-built Mirages, Mysteres and Fouga-Magisters participated in the demonstration at the very site from which they took off on June 5 for their decisive blow against the Egyptian air force. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, Chief of Staff Itzhak Rabin, Air Force Commander Mordecai Hod and most of Israel’s other top military leaders were present at the show, as were former Prime Minister and Mrs. David Ben-Gurion.
After the show, squadrons of aircraft swooped over Israel’s major cities. The planes, including lightning-like Mirages, soared over reunited Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, Haifa and Nathanya — finally circling back to Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands of people stood on rooftops and cheered the pilots. The occasion marked the first time the Israeli air force had flown over Jerusalem.
The breathtaking performance of a MIG-21 painted with red-gold Soviet colors but now bearing the marking of the Israel air force on its wings, was a highlight of the show. It streamed across the crowds and later roared aloft with two Mirage escorts. The plane was brought to Israel last year by a defecting Iraqi pilot.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
