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Giora Epstein, legendary Israeli fighter pilot, dies at 87
Brig. Gen. (res.) Giora Epstein, a decorated Israeli fighter pilot who holds the world record for most aerial kills in the jet era, died on Jul. 19, 2025 at age 87, Ynetnews reports.
Giora Even-Epstein was born in 1938 on an Israeli kibbutz and spent his early years in agricultural schools. He became fascinated with military aircraft and the aces who flew them.
According to the book Hawkeye: The Enthralling Autobiography of the Top-Scoring Israel Air Force Ace of Aces by Giora Even-epstein, Ilan Kfir and Danny Dor, he desperately wanted to fly the French Mirage III but was turned down for flight training because of a heart defect. He tried again, was turned down again, but was incredibly accepted as a paratrooper. After 500 jumps, he tried again to enrol in the Israel Air Force (IAF) pilot training programme and was accepted, eventually gaining his wings to fly and fight during the critical periods of the Israel Air Force’s combat history.
The world’s top jet-era ace
For more than thirty years, Giora Even-Epstein flew fighters for the Israel Air Force, achieving recognition as a highly skilled military aviator and the highest-scoring jet-mounted ace with the most num¬ber of confirmed victories in the French Mirage. Having overcome numerous hurdles just to learn how to fly, he went on to compile a record of Arab MiGs and Sukhoi kills that bettered any other combat aviators’ tally in the entire world.
He took part in the intense conflicts of 1967, the Six Day War, and 1973, the Yom Kippur War. The achievements he made in his career earned him recognition as the world’s top jet ace: he served with 101 and 105 Squadron and he took part in the greatest jet-versus-jet air battle in history with four MiG-21 kills in one engagement. His final score was seventeen.
Flying the F-16 at the age of fifty
After his last battle he became commander of the First Jet Squadron, 117, began civilian flying, retrained to command 254 MMR Squadron in the 1982 Lebanon War, and flew the F-16 at the age of fifty before retirement. Along the way he met numerous fighter pilot legends such as Douglas Bader, Al Deere, Pierre Clostermann and Randy Cunningham.
Epstein flew more than 9,000 hours before his discharge and played a significant role in shaping Israel’s air superiority. In 2018, he was promoted to brigadier general by then-IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot at a ceremony recognizing his legacy.
“This is an expression of immense respect and appreciation,” Eisenkot said. “You belong to the founding generation that built the IDF’s capabilities and passed on a legacy of dedication, victory, and excellence.”
He lived his last years peacefully in Tel Aviv.
Photo credit: Israeli Air Force
