[moonshot925]

Syrian history of defections. One even to Israel.

•On 15–17 August 1968, The pilots of nine Syrian MiG-17s and three MiG-21s defected to Iraq after failing in a coup attempt.

•On 14 June 1976, A Palestinian pilot in the Syrian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant Mahmoud Musleh Yasin, defected to Iraq with his MiG-23 Flogger.

•On 27 July 1976, Syrian pilot Captain Abdul Qadar Al-Termanini, the "October war" hero, defected to Iraq with his MiG-21 fighter jet.

•On 11 October 1989, Syrian pilot Abdel Bassem landed his MiG-23ML in Israel.

[crosshairs]

Dude knew he’s about to soon face the Israeli Air Force and didn’t want to die.

[Fiji Hill]

They’re still using MiG-21’s? They would be about as effective as Nieuport 17’s against today’s Israeli Air Force.

[Jet Jaguar]

Ping

[gandalftb]

Correction:

The pilot’s name is Col. Hassan Merei al-Hamade and he has been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds.

He is a big fish, head of pilot training.