Air Force Announces 59 Trainees in Third Flight-Course Preparatory Cohort

The Israeli Air Force announced on November 14 that 59 trainees had begun the third cohort of its Derech Eretz VeShamayim preparatory program ahead of entry to the flight course in January 2027. The group includes 12 women, the largest female contingent since the program began. Participants have already completed the flight-course selection exercise successfully. The Air Force said the program develops teamwork, the ability to cope with challenges and learning from failures, while helping participants realize their potential. As in previous years, it is hosted at a WIZO youth village and delivered by the program’s partner association. In its November 11, 2024 account of the initiative’s launch, the IDF described a residential pilot in Petah Tikva designed for up to 60 participants over nine weeks. The original program combined mental, social and professional preparation with mathematics, physics and individual mentoring by experienced aircrew. Col. Yaron, then head of the Air Force department responsible for conscription, planning and personnel sources, explained in that 2024 account: “They are not going to learn to fly an aircraft.” He said the preparation was intended to help suitable candidates realize their potential, improve equality of opportunity and preserve the flight course’s selection standards.