{"id":7520,"date":"2020-03-04T21:32:39","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T21:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moshepommyhadar.com\/?page_id=7520"},"modified":"2020-10-04T22:10:27","modified_gmt":"2020-10-04T22:10:27","slug":"iafmagazine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/moshepommyhadar.com\/en\/iafmagazine\/","title":{"rendered":"IAFmagazine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bitaon Chail Avir Israeli Air Force Magazine<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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September 20, 1948. The second respite from the War of Independence.\u00a0IDF brigades are getting organized, thousands of young men are enlisting in the military and preparing for further combat. But besides all of the above historical facts, another event took place, which could be considered, relatively marginal, but nevertheless cannot be overlooked and must be mentioned here: the first issue of Betaon Chail Avir the Israeli Air Force Magazine was published. The editor in chief was a 22 years-old Pakkad Avir (\u201cAviation Officer\u201d), which is equivalent to Second Lieutenant, Moshe Pomerantz.<\/p>

The first issue did not have a cover photo.\u00a0Says, Moshe "Pommy" Hadar, the first editor, in an interview with the Israel Air Force Magazine (IAFM), after his retirement in November 1985, "I wanted to call Gil Arbel, the regular photographer of the IAFM, but I couldn\u2019t call him, Gil was only three years old then…" Pommy took a picture of Haifa Bay and photomontage a Spitfire formation, thus creating the first cover photo<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bitaon is Born<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The first Bitaon (IAFM) contained only 29 pages and it told the story of the Israeli Air Force in its early days. The Bitaon used a language that today\u2019s mainstream readers, using informal language may not understand. It reported heroic tales of young pilots, presented scholarly articles on foreign air forces and described life stories from the bases. The issue features black-and-white photos of old planes, Bible quotes, "wisdom pearls" linking to aviation and even some cartoons dripping with chauvinism.<\/p>

The IAFM first issue commenced with an editorial invite to \u201call airmen, crew, bases and career personnel, to please participate in the magazine and submit material in the form of a story, a reportage (news report) or a song, discussing the life of the corps. It would be published under the section, \u2018Our Air Force.\u201d The prizes offered for the competition were flights over Israel.\u00a0Apparently, already in 1948, during the War of Independence, at the age of 22, Pommy understood what would motivate people to participate.<\/p>

And, of course, how is it possible without the "commander's word" written by (Pommy for\u2026) the late Major General Aaron Remez: "It has been almost a year since the Hagganah decided to establish an Air Service.\u00a0Indeed, it has been a long year for A.S.\u00a0(Air Service) who grew up and became the Israeli Air Force, writing several magnificent pages in the history of Israeli War of Independence… perhaps the wider community has not yet learned to recognize and acknowledge the complex technical, organizational and human problems and difficulties of this corps and therefore not properly assess (and not all is known) our part in the war and our role in the victory and for keeping our country safe.\u201d Yes, you read correctly, the IAF has not always had a glorious reputation. \u201c<\/p>

Remez (Pommy\u2026the ghostwriter) continues and concludes: "Now as a sign of maturity and molding the IDF's spirit and image – we are promoting and welcoming the first printed issue of the Israeli Air Force Bitaon. This will serve as an intonation of our words and the echo of the war as an expression of our might."<\/p>

Starting in Bitaon # 7 February 1950, the issues published in color. In Bitaon #24-15 from October-November 1953, Pommy writes on page 5-6, about the transformation to color. \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0Betaon is Born by Yuval Shoam, published September 2011, issue no. 200 commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the Betaon accommodating the IAF wherever it goes <\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The First Bitaon was published on 20 September 1948. The cost: 50 Mils Eretz Israel<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LEAVES<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It is not commonly known: BUT the very first Israeli Air Force Magazine, was Named, "Leaves." Only 3 issues were ever published<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leaves (Alim in Hebrew) was published as leaflets using stencil duplicator (mimeograph machine). After three issues (30 May 1948; 14 June 1948; 4 July 1948), the Air Force headquarter, for prestigious reasons, decided to publish a more premium format. Pommy was also the editor of \u201cLeaves\u201d and wrote many of the columns using numerous pen names. As a matter of fact, that\u2019s where he started to write and publish his first Tzimukim under the column,"Little Leaves.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\nAlim, issue no. 1 - 30 May 1948<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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