Farewell to an IAF legend: Aharon "Yilo" Shavit passes away at 91

Brigadier General Aharon "Yilo" Shavit, one of the founders of Etzion Airbase and commander of Squadron 105 who shot down a Syrian MiG-21 in a Super Mystere, passed away at the age of 91. Shavit was a dominant figure in the Israeli Air Force for three decades, commanded Etzion Airbase during the Yom Kippur War, and was instrumental in bringing the F-16 fighter jets to Israel.

Brigadier General Aharon "Yilo" Shavit, one of the greatest pilots of the Israeli Air Force and a founder of Etzion Airbase, passed away at the age of 91. Shavit was a central figure in the IAF for three decades, from the 1956 Sinai War through the First Lebanon War. He fought as a fighter pilot in Squadron 101 during the Sinai War, where he recorded two kills of Egyptian Vampire aircraft. During the Six-Day War, as commander of Squadron 105, he succeeded in shooting down a Syrian MiG-21 while flying a Super Mystere, a unique achievement worldwide. Shavit was the man who led the establishment of Etzion Airbase in the early 1970s, an unprecedented engineering and logistical project in the Sinai desert. The base was considered the most advanced and beautiful in the IAF until it was returned to Egypt as part of the peace agreements. During the Yom Kippur War, upon his return from a delegation in the US, he resumed command of Etzion. Under his command, Squadron 144 recorded over 40 kills, the highest number among the IAF squadrons in the war. Later, he served as air attaché in Washington and was a founder of Elul Technologies and one of the architects of bringing the F-16 fighter jets to the IAF. The article, by Aharon Lapidot, presents an extensive and admiring profile of the man, using descriptions such as "a legend in his own lifetime" and "rare personal charm" — but all are presented as part of the biographical narrative, not as a political claim.