[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I think the training level of the pilots was clearly decisive in both conflicts. In the Yom Kipper War, the Israelis had inferior aircraft and managed to overcome the Arab air forces, despite the element of surprise and numerical superiority being on the side of the Arabs.

[punchamullah]

Malaysian pilots are simply awful. I remember that in 1988, when I was living in Labuan, four A-4s were lost on ferry flights between Kuantan and Labuan.

[cizinec]

I think the training level of the pilots was clearly decisive in both conflicts. In the Yom Kipper War, the Israelis had inferior aircraft and managed to overcome the Arab air forces, despite the element of surprise and numerical superiority being on the side of the Arabs.

A little more training and a helluva lot of chutzpa. The Israeli pilots decided to win before the fight started.

That may not work every time, but you can't keep winning without it. It's something sorely lacking from some Americans and most of our leaders.

[AD from SpringBay]

Funny how fighting for your very existence tends to help balance things out - that and maybe some of that Bible stuff.

[myknowledge]

In the Yom Kipper War, the Israelis had inferior aircraft and managed to overcome the Arab air forces, despite the element of surprise and numerical superiority being on the side of the Arabs.

The Israeli Air Force (IDF/AF) had superior aircraft to the air forces of Israel's Arab neighbors.

The McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (Kurnass) was their most advanced fighter at the time.

Operation Nickel Grass, initiated by the Nixon administration, supplied up to 40 ex-USAF F-4Es to the IDF/AF as attrition replacements.