Air Force to mark ‘Pilots’ Day' to commemorate first-ever flight

뉴스 제공

2008-07-02 11:29

Seoul--(뉴스와이어)--The South Korean Air Force announced Tuesday (July 2) a new pilots' day to mark the first-ever flight by its pilots 58 years ago.

The designation comes as Thursday marks the 58th anniversary of the first flight by the country's 10 F-51 Mustang fighter-bombers in the three-year Korean War that began in 1950, the Air Force said.

The Air Force said in a press release that the designation of the Pilots' Day also comes as the country marks the 60th anniversary of the foundation of its military this year and the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Air Force in 2009.

A ceremony will to be held Thursday at the Air Force Club in southern Seoul, attended by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Eun-gi and many other officials, including Cpt. Lee Woo-bum, who was named Top Gun in 2007, and Cpt. Ha Jeong-mi, the country's first female F-16 pilot, according to the Air Force.

The 10 F-51 bombers made their first sortie on July 3, 1950, one day after the World War II jets were provided by the United States from the U.S. Air Force base in Japan's Itazuke, also marking the first-ever flight by South Korean pilots. The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, with a sudden attack by North Korea.

웹사이트: http://www.mnd.go.kr