Israeli pilots must undergo five tough years of training before they can handle one. The most important traits for a Yasur pilot, veterans say, are maturity and common sense. Ofer Ben-Peretz, a former Yasur squadron commander. This is the difference between a military flight and a civilian flight, the latter of which deals with the expected. Pilots say the Yasur is unstoppable under any condition.
Pilots say that the helicopter is virtually problem-free.
A Yasur pilot could face many challenges. Transporting troops into enemy territory means the Yasur's two pilots have to ensure they're on the right flight path and altitude, detect anti-aircraft fire and spot a landing target. In poor weather, the biggest danger to a pilot is vertigo, where he is so dizzy that he is unable to determine his position. At that point, the pilot must rely on his instruments and resist the instinct to steer the huge helicopter out of any imagined danger. Vertigo happened to me.