Page 92 - Royal Jordanian Air Force Book
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We now deal with information in a way that something that you feel and you want to do
we have never had. An example is the climb with all your heart, then go for it and if you do
and decent indicators; now you get a digital not have the passion, do not do it. If you really
mechanism that is very, very different. You have want to be a pilot, it is the greatest place in the
one display for everything and that is not the world when you are up there, and it is thrilling.
way we were taught when I went to training in However, it is demanding and requires a lot
the 1980s. However, the physical aspects, and of dedication and a willingness to learn, and I
the ability to fly has not changed as much as the think that is key you learn every single time you
ability to work with information and be able to fly. It is dangerous if you think you have learnt
really understand what is going on. In the past, it all. I would say to any Jordanian opting for
you basically had to look, identify, see and figure any job: You need to wake up in the morning
out what is going on. So, it is a different board and be happy to go to work, and if you sit there
game much as the same way as if you look at and whine about going to work, then you have
using cell phones 20 years ago with text messages lost that. You should wake up to work saying: “I
and so on. Nowadays you can send emojis and can do it and I want to do it and I love doing it”.
videos; it is a different way of communicating.
I have got three boys and three girls. The
The F-16s were designed as an aircraft in the youngest seems to like the idea about planes and
1970’s, so the airframe is the airframe except that so on, but I’ve never forced it. I would never ask
it is 40 years old, yet it will continue to fly; why? my older children “No, you have to become a
That is because the basic design has not really pilot”. It has to be something that they want from
changed, but, effectively, what you put inside it their heart, and if that is what they want, then I’ll
has dramatically improved what it could do. So support them. When I first wanted to become a
what you could do now, with maybe one or two pilot, there were members of my family against
F16s, might have required in the 1970s or 80s five the idea. “It’s dangerous, why do you want to do
or six aircraft because of the precision-guided that?”, they said, but I was blessed I had a father
weapons we use now. who understood my passion for flying, and so he
supported me, but he told me: “If you want to do
Q4: From your experience and extensive it, you have to do it professionally”. My father
international contacts, how does the world of never wanted me to become like a member of a
military aviation see RJAF? flying club where I can go fly, have fun, and come
back. No. He told me that if I want to do it, I have
The RJAF has a long history, and I think it was to do it properly, go through all that training and
proven that we are very professional and very be a professional pilot. When His Majesty passed
capable, and I think in terms of pilot-for-pilot, we away, he had over 6,000 flying hours, and that
have a very good reputation and also in terms of was considering that flying was a passion for him
the standards and professionalism. People know and not his primary job.
that when the RJAF is involved in a mission, the
best results are achieved. We might not have the Q6: A final word, Your Highness?
technology and the latest shiniest piece or kit, but
what we can do with what we have speaks for My father, His Majesty the late King Hussein
itself. Jordan’s reputation is very good, and it is always told us about being able to serve other
because we have proven that we are serious and people. I think that there cannot be any nobler
professional. things that you can do in life than to serve others,
and I think the Royal Jordanian Air Force is a
Q5: What is your advice to young Jordanians great way of being able to serve and protect
aspiring to become military pilots and pilots this country. I look back at my whole Air Force
who are already serving in the Air Force career, and it has been a blessing, and it is not
ranks? something that I would likely forget.
My advice to any Jordanian man or woman is:
Follow your passion; if your passion is really
ROYAL JORDANIAN AIR FORCE 91
