Hot Pursuit Revolt

Fighter Pilots are without a doubt most highly-regarded positions in any air force. Only those who possess an exceptional academic record, physical fitness and a strong mental drive, make it to the jet pilot's seat.

They have to have optimal health to handle the physical demands of modern aerial warfare. Excellent heart condition is required, as g-forces have a tendency to suck blood away from the brain. Along with fitness and skill, its patriotism which completes the formula for any such Ace in the Sky.

While protecting all corners of the nations, their job requires of them to either attack enemy lands, or intercept an attack on home soil. Pilots are trained to employ specific tactics and maneuvers when they are under attack or chasing enemy fighters in a dog fight.

Imagine a pilot performing stressful maneuvers to gain advantage on the enemy, thousands of feet above ground with usual speeds twice that of sound. To state that; during action the fighter pilot is fittest of all human operators with the sharpest mind, will not be an exaggeration.

On 21st of February, Monday after noon two air force fighter pilots who were given orders to attack on enemy in an air-to-surface missile sortie, did not carry out their job. In fact while they were bound to drop bombs, they took off and landed on another country and requested asylum.

Q.and reason for their defect?

A. It was their own people, not enemy they were ordered to bomb.

News Item:

Two pilots, both colonels, took off from a base near Tripoli and decided to fly to Malta after being ordered to bomb anti-government protesters in Libya's second largest city of Benghazi
News at Reuters

Recently Libya is engulfed in widespread protests against the 41 year old rule of Muammar Gaddafi who holds a record for being the only "current non-royal leader with the longest ruling". If Gaddafi goes down now he will be placed third in the world history, behind Fidel castro of Cuba and Kim II Sung of North Korea. There is more to Gaddafi's legacy beyond moving in "female only" contingent of 40 guards and choosing to live in huge bedouin tents whenever he travels abroad or having a really funny sense of fashion. But somehow 41 years is way too much serving one's country, with defiance and total control.

Anti Gaddafi protestors which started from eastern Libya, has reportedly gained momentum towards its capital Tripoli, which was largely shut down on Monday. Schools, government offices and most stores were closed, except for a few bakeries, meantime armed members of pro-government organizations called "Revolutionary Committees" hunted for protesters.

A group of army officers have been reported to circulate a memo calling on all armed forces to join-in with people. The justice minister has resigned in condemnation of the "excessive use of violence" against protesters. And indeed there is excessive use of force as witnesses told media sources about jet planes and gunship helicopters dropping bombs area after another.

If you're bombing your own capital, it's really hard to see how you can survive and the two air force pilots who defected and flew off to Malta prove that these are infact Gaddafi's last and desperate acts.

After Tunisia and Egypt, perhaps future of Libya too will be decided in days to come, but at the moment, Gaddafi has come aggressively bloody on his own revolting people unlike Zain el abdine or Hosni Mubarak.