Air Force Days
Deciding to Join the Air Force
After I finished high school, which is equivalent to the UK’s A-levels, I tried to get into Tehran University. At the time, the entrance test was becoming more difficult, and competition was increasing. I was offered a place in modern European history, which was one of the options I had ticked on the form. However, I had hoped to study mathematics, nuclear physics, or engineering. Otherwise, I would have had to accept conscription and join the army. I was weighing my options when I saw an advert in a national newspaper (I think it was Kyhaun) about joining the Air Force as a pilot. It seemed like a good way out of a dilemma I was facing. I took a coin from my pocket, tossed it into the air, and shouted, “Heads is Air Force”. It turned out right: it landed heads.
I generally enjoyed the Air Force Academy, and less than a year later, just a week after my father died, I was sent to Texas, USA, to begin my pilot training. By high school standards, my English was very good, which helped me pass the English test and meet the academic requirements relatively quickly, and I was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to start my pilot training.
