The Iconic Israeli Air Force Poster “The Best Ones For The Pilot Course”

The Pilot who survived a plane crash, and became the iconic presenter of the Israeli Air Force

In 1960, Shabtai Gilboa, a senior IDF pilot, miraculously survived a plane crash during his training and became the face of the Israeli Air Force. Gilboa’s images were selected for the iconic poster that introduced the slogan “The Best Ones For The Pilot Course,” a phrase that redefined the Force’s identity and elevated the pilot’s role to its prestigious status today.

The inception of the slogan “The Best Ones For The Pilot Course” in 1960, attributed to Moshe (Fumi) Hadar, aimed to reshape the perceptions of the pilot’s role and entice prospective recruits. Ezer Weizman, the Force’s commander and future Major General and president, immediately embraced the slogan, reminiscing, “People don’t remember the time when no one wanted to be a pilot, and I had to go from school to school, convincing some of the Air Force’s finest to stay.”

The poster was designed in the studio of the renowned graphic designers, the Shamir brothers, in 1961, in preparation for Israel’s 14th Independence Day, which took place in May 1962. It featured Shabtai Gilboa’s photo in the center, with three of his fellow pilots on the back.

The poster’s message resonated deeply, young people started flocking to serve in the Air Force, inspired by the image of courage and excellence. As the years passed, the slogan proved to be instrumental in shaping the Air Force into what we know it today, and its pilot course to one of the most desired and toughest courses in the IDF and certainly the most famous and admired one.