August 12, 1968 was a summer day like any other in the northern theatre. When suddenly, two Syrian Air Force MiG-17 jets penetrated Israeli airspace, but instead of commencing combat protocol as expected, the two jets landed in the abandoned Betzet runway. It did not take long for a large group of civilians to arrive and gather around the jets. Two enemy jets landing in an abandoned runway, isn't an everyday sight...

Following an investigation, it became clear that the pilots were in the midst of a navigation flight in Syrian skies based on outdated maps from 1945. They entered Lebanon and instead of flying north and landing in Tripoli, Lebanon, the two turned to the south and landed in Betzet. Until after the land, the pilots were certain that they had landed on a Lebanese runway.



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Both pilots, Lt. Walid Adham and Second Lt. Radfan Rifai were taken captive and released two years later as a part of a prisoner exchange, while their aircraft remained in the IAF's hands. This was the first time that West block was able to acquire this type of aircraft, which at the time served in Syrian, Egyptian, Iraqi and other Arab Air Forces.

The jets were transported to Ramat-David AFB and underwent a series of tests and a special ground team tested their technical aspects. The aircraft's aerial abilities were tested by Col. Danny Shapira, who was then the IAF's leading test pilot and a young pilot, the late Lt. Col. Ehud Hankin, in order to discover its secrets.

Col. Danny Shapira wrote: "I heard great praise of the MiG-17's excellent maneuverability and aerial combat abilities from our fighter pilots, so there was a fierce desire to discover its secrets". "The MiG-17 is not the epitome of elegance or refined design. But its repulsive figure on the ground conceals its true advantages: the MiG-17, in the hands of a skilled pilot, could be a true bird of prey in the air".



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On October 21, 1968, two months after the jets landed in Israel, the test flights began. "Lt. Col. Hankin and I flew in both jets, one against the other and against other aircraft as well. We tested the MiG-17's reactions when chased and chasing. And surely, the jet had amazing maneuverability. The controls were very efficient up to 400 knots and between 200 and 350 knots, the speed in which tight 'dog-fights' are conducted in, we found that it had amazing stabilized turning abilities".

"Nevertheless, it also had its weaknesses. In speeds over 400 knots the controls became very stiff to operate. We also found that when flying at a speed of 600 knots, full throttle, it would drop its right wing and you had to invest a lot of effort with both hands in order to divert the stick and exit this dangerous situation. It had another prominent disadvantage: the engines rear afterburner was especially gluttonous and emptied the aircraft's tank in a very short time".