Israel: Joys and Dangers of Experimental Aircraft.

Written by: Dr. Ernie Moore

Ultra-light aircraft are a common sight in Israel. From the time we first wrote of them in 2002 in our One Time Messenger novels, we have known they were popular. And dangerous.

When I was working on the novel we used a Cessna 180. When I had lunch with one of my great sources, he read that and said, “Never happen!”

Of course I wanted to know why. The Israel Defense Forces eyes and ears atop Mt. Hermon would tip off the Israeli Air Force and any full-bodied aircraft would soon find itself in the company of Israeli fighter jets.

An ultra-light, on the other hand might – MIGHT – be able to sneak in as far as Kiryat Shmona, as we posed in the novel.

On the other hand, when Hezbollah attempted the same thing in real life in the western border area. That one was downed just as it got to the border.

If you travel down Route 2 or 4, you are very apt to see one of the craft. They fly out of a strip at Herzlyia.

Now, there has been an upgraded “light aircraft” that crashed in the area near Modi’in, killing two people. It lost power and hit an empty parked car.

Modi’in is located about half-way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

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