'Refuelling at Ramla.' Roger Mollard with his Avro Ten, a licence-built Fokker F.VIIb/3m. Aircraft returned by the Iraq Petroleum Transport Company to regular Imperial Airways service in 1933. Hit a tall VLF radio mast at Ruiselede, Belgium on 30 December 1933 and all ten people on board lost their lives. Photo from: Library of Congress

Built in 1990. To Israel late 1992. Photo by: Avi Ohayon / National Photo Collection of Israel

This block 52 F-16D - equipped with conformal fuel tanks on top of the wings - is one of a total of 170 "Fighting Falcons" so far delivered to the Hellenic AF under the US Foreign Military Sales Program. 029 carried US FY 06-2118 and was one of ten dual seaters (serialled 021 through 030) of the FMS "Peace Xenia IV" deal, which also included 20 F-16C's. Delivered to 335 Squadron "Tigris / Tigers" based at Araxos in February 2010.

This 1964 built C-130E was hastily delivered to Israel 2nd hand during the Yom Kippur war in October of 1973. It previously served with the USAF's Military Airlift Command as 63-7774. It was pictured here at the - now closed - air base Lod, back then part of Tel Aviv's international Ben Gurion airport. All of Israel's military transport planes, namely the C-130 and B707 fleet did relocate to Nevatim AB near Beersheba around August of 2008, just a few weeks after this picture was taken. Being an old E version, this airframe has most likely be stored by now.

A MiG-21 operated by the Israel Air Force? This aircraft has a story to tell: Reputed to have defected (ex Iraqi AF) this MiG spent some time in the U.S.A. for evaluation before it returned to Israel. The serial '007' has been allocated by someone with a sense of humour. It has recently been repainted keeping the James Bond serial number.

435 was delivered new to Israel in May 1976 under the Peace "Bata IV" Foreign Military Sales Program (US FY # 75-0536). The civilian registration 4X-FBT was sometimes applied for international trips. However, this was most certainly not the case when it took part in a clandestine operation called "Kadur Ra'am" in hebrew (Thunderbolt) on July 4, 1976, a bare two month after being delivered. On that day, an israeli "delegation" of four C-130's and an undisclosed number of IDF special forces paid a surprise visit to Entebbe, Uganda and rescued some 100 Jews held hostage by terrorists.

Arkia's DC-3/C-47's helped keeping Israel's southernmost city - Eilat - connected to the rest of the country in the late 1950's / early 1960's. However, the airframe shown here never carried the registration 4X-AES, which did exist though but had c/n 11923 (USAAF FY 42-92154 > RAF FL562 > HB-ATO > NC74136 > OO-AFB > to Israel DF) and then to Arkia between April 2, 1957 and June 26, 1966. The history of the airframe shown here is best described at http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-individual-aircraft-history/cn-6223.html . "4X-AES" has since been moved a few miles north to the new Eilat Airport LLER.

This dual seat F-15B was delivered to Israel second hand in 1992. Ex USAF serial / FY 73-0113. It was among a batch of 25 used F-15A's (20 planes) and F-15B's (5 planes) basically given to Israel for free, as a reward for Israel's restraint to keep itself out of the 1991 Gulf War, despite being attacked by Iraqi Scud misslies. "113" carries the emblem of the 133th Squadron based at Tel Nof AB and was part of the 2017 Blue Flag exercise. Apparently it was named 'Zeev Boded' in Hebrew, meaning 'Lone Wolf' in English.

'Defender helicopter during the air force display.' Preserved in the Hatzerim museum. Photo by: Moshe Milner / National Photo Collection of Israel

President Obama visited Israel. Marines squadron HMX-1 had twelve VH-3 and eight VH-60 VVIP helicopters as of 2015. The air-transportable VH-60's head room isn't great and this is why you still see the old VH-3 on the White House south lawn. Photo from: National Photo Collection of Israel

This airframe was the last F-16B out of eight ordered under the FMS "Peace Marble I" Program, which also consisted of 67 single seat F-16A's. 017 is US FY 78-0362.

ALG Aeroleasing, operating for Crossair.

Arkia operated two One-Elevens in the late 1970s. 4X-BAR to G-BEKA and Dan-Air adopted the colour scheme with the blue and red reversed! Photo very similar to one in the National Photo Collection of Israel, by Moshe Milner.

Arkia briefly tried a helicopter service, taking rich tourists from the airport to their hotels. This location is only described as 'Tel Aviv'. 4X-BAC to Israeli air force in May 1961, but crashed a few months later. Photo by: Fritz Cohen / National Photo Collection of Israel

Prime Minister Netanyahu visited Eilat's new airport which opened in 2019. Photo by: Kobi Gideon / National Photo Collection of Israel

US FY 78-0342, originally destined for Iran, this airframe was "diverted" to Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program "Peace Marble I" in early 1980. It first went to 110 Squadron in Ramat David, then to 253 Squadron in Ramon and ended up with 116 Squadron in Nevatim. It achieved one kill and was one of eight F-16A's participating in the historic June 7, 1981 raid on Iraq's nuclear reactor "Osirak". The raid was coded "Operation Opera" and 243 was flown by the late Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who lost his life in the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Loading demonstration with the first flying prototype of the Arava. The aircraft crashed on 19 November 1970 during its 92nd flight as the wings came off. Photo by: Moshe Milner / National Photo Collection of Israel

US FY number 86-1606, delivered to Israel under the FMS program "Peace Marble II". Acted as aggressor / red force during Blue Flag 2019 and as such was temporary on loan from Squadron 117 to Israel's Aggressor Squadron 115.