Egypt sent two Egyptian pilots to India in 1964 to prepare for the HA-300 flight development.

"The records of the Egyptian pilots are honorable," Mr. Murad said.

For example, Saudia, the national airline, recently hired several new Egyptian pilots.

Egyptian pilots were rigid, slow to react and unwilling to improvise.

The Egyptian ministry of war announced that it needed volunteers for the new arm to become the first four Egyptian military pilots.

After climbing for thirty seconds, the Egyptian pilot slammed his control stick hard over to the right and sucked it back into his belly.

Egyptian pilots had to land their aircraft, re-arm, refuel and take-off again within a period of seven minutes.

In all two Egyptian pilots were killed in action, and the remaining four ejected safely.

Omar Sharif is an Egyptian adventure-loving pilot in his late twenties or early thirties.

Based in Tobruk, the Libyan fighters covered a lot of ground very quickly and caught the Egyptian pilots from behind.