Jalil Zandi (; 1951–2001) was a fighter pilot in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) who served during all of the Iran–Iraq War. His combat record qualifies him as one of the most successful pilots of that conflict in air-to-air combat,[ Imperial Iranian Air Force: Samurai in the skies][ Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, p. 79, ] as well as one of the most successful Iranian flying ace ever. It also made him the most successful pilot in the history of the F-14 Tomcat.
Career
Jalil Zandi began in the Imperial Iranian Air Force and after the 1979 Islamic revolution stayed on to serve in the IRIAF when it was somewhat dangerous for pilots to continue their military service. While a major, he often clashed with his superior Lieutenant Colonel
Abbas Babaei.
Abbas Babaei was "notorious for his merciless treatment of the pilots and officers" considered disloyal to the new regime
[ Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, p. 23, ] and because of this, Jalil Zandi was condemned to ten years of imprisonment. While in prison, he was threatened with execution, but by demand of the then-air force commander and many other air force pilots, he was released after six months.
[ Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, pp. 23-24, ]
Iran–Iraq War
He earned his fame as an F-14 Tomcat pilot during the Iran–Iraq War. He has been reliably credited with shooting down 11 Iraqi aircraft (eight confirmed victories
through examination with US intelligence documents released according to FOIA inquiry and three probable victories).
The victories include four MiG-23s, two Su-22s, two MiG-21s, and three Mirage F1s.
[ Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, pp. 85–88, ] This makes him one of the most successful Iranian
and the most successful F-14 Tomcat pilot worldwide.
Post-war
His last official post was deputy for planning and organization of the Iranian Air Force.
He died with his wife Zahra Moheb Shahedin in 2001 in a car accident near Tehran.
See also
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F-14 Tomcat operational history
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Iranian aerial victories during the Iran-Iraq war
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List of aces of aces
