1 in 7 IDF Flight School Graduates also Hesder Yeshiva Graduate

According to data published by the IDF Spokesperson, one out of every seven (14%) of the graduates of the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy has also studied in the Hesder Yeshiva. Almost half (48%) of the new pilots are graduates of a year of national service or pre-military preparatory program. 71% were members of various youth movements.

This coming Thursday, the 174th pilot school course will be concluded with a "wings ceremony" to be attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel.

Only 15% of the cadets who began the flight school will be on the parade grounds on Thursday to receive their wings.

Here's some more information about the graduates:

46% of the graduates live in cities, 30% live in community villages, and 22% are moshav residents.

46% of the graduates come from the north of the country, 46% from the central region and 8% from the south.

8% of the graduates were not born in Israel, and came from Italy, Spain and the United States.

51% of the graduates chose to take the science and math program in high school, 32% combined liberal arts, science and math, and 17% of the graduates were on the strictly liberal arts tract.

22% of the graduates are the first-born children in their family, 54% are middle children, 21% are the youngest children in their family, and only 3% are only children. 11% of the graduates are not the first in their family to receive the pilot's wings.

In the one-year academic studies the cadets take towards their BA, 22% of graduates took information systems management, 24% economics and management, 30% politics and government, and 24% mathematics and computer science.