Free Libyan Air Force The Free Libyan Air Force ( ) was the air force of the National Transitional Council , a collection of defected Loyalist Military personnel and captured aircraft that aligned themselves with the anti - Gaddafi forces in the Libyan civil war . Operations . On 13 March 2011 , Ali Atiyya , a colonel of the Libyan Air Force at the Mitiga military airport , near Tripoli defected and joined the revolution . This is the earliest reference to the anti - Gaddafi forces having Air Force personnel . Later on 16 March , as many as four MiG - 21 fighter jets landed at Benghazi airport and joined the rebel forces ; one of the MiG - 21s crashed near Benina airport on the following day . The Free Libyan Air Force showed itself for the first time in 15 March , launching an attack with a MiG - 23 and a helicopter , sinking two pro - Gaddafi warships off the eastern coast near the front line of land battles at Adjabiya . Beforehand , the same aircraft also bombed an unspecified number of loyalist tanks near Brega and Ajdabiya . The same day , it was reported that Sirte ' s Gardabya Airport had its runways bombed by Free Libyan Air Force jets . On 19 March , a MiG - 23 was shot down during the Second Battle of Benghazi . Media reports were initially confused , until a spokesman confirmed that the plane belonged to the rebels . A pro - Gaddafi spokesman said that the rebels had violated the UN no - fly zone . A rebel spokesman claimed the aircraft was shot down by pro - Gaddafi forces . Finally , BBC News reported on 20 March that the rebel aircraft was shot down by friendly fire , and the pilot , Colonel Mohammed Mbarak al - Okaili , was killed after ejecting too late . Another rebel jet was downed the same day , though no further information was given and it is possible that it is the plane lost on 22 March . On 22 March , a pilot of the Free Libyan Air Force , Colonel Fakhri Alsalabi , flew his jet into Bab Al Azizia in an apparent suicide mission , causing extensive damage and leading to rumors of Khamis Gaddafi ' s death , who later was proven to have survived unharmed . A total of 38 combat missions were flown by jet and helicopter pilots of the Free Libyan Air Force throughout March until the No Fly Zone was imposed , effectively grounding the small air force . Nine of these strikes were carried out by the rebels three Mi - 35 helicopters gunships against Gaddafi ' s armoured columns advancing on Benghazi , one of which was destroyed . On 9 April , a single rebel Mi - 25 helicopter was seen flying over Ajdabiya and was claimed shot down by government forces . That same day , a rebel MiG - 23 fighter was intercepted by NATO aircraft and escorted back to its base . On 27 June 2011 , three Free Libyan Air Force MiG - 21s , one two seater and two single seaters were photographed over Benina Airport in Benghazi . Later in the conflict , as supplies were being flown in to areas of Libya besieged by Gaddafi loyalists , MiG - 21 fighter jets under opposition control escorted the supply planes to protect them from loyalist attack . After gaining permission from NATO , an AN - 26 and BAE - 146 of the Free Libyan Air Force flew from Libya for the 2011 Malta International Air Show on 24 and 25 September , joining the two Mirage F1 s already stationed there . Libyan Air Force Brigadier General Mohammed Rajab conducted a ceremony where the Libyan Air Force green roundels on the Mirage F1s were replaced by the FLAF tricolour roundel , followed by the aircraft conducting the first foreign display by the FLAF . It was revealed at the airshow that the BAE - 146 had been used for 32 covert flights during the conflict in spite of the no - fly zone , landing on desert roads to supply ammunition and transport injured rebels to hospital . The aircraft had been commanded by Capt Ali Samoussi . The Libyan Ambassador , Saadun Suayeh , was present , and described the replacement of the roundels as a moment of " pride , joy and honour " , and expressed his hope that the aircraft would soon return to Libya . On 23 October , three FLAF Mi - 14 ' s conducted a flypast at the declaration of national liberation ceremony in Benghazi overseen by Mustafa Abdul Jalil . During the 2012 Sabha clashes a Free Libyan Air Force MiG - 21bis and MiG - 21UM were deployed to the area . On April 11 , 2012 a Free Libyan Air Force Mi - 8T ( cn8335 ) crashed on takeoff at Murzuq Airport after being overloaded . All 25 people on board survived though . On April 12 , 2012 , a Free Libyan Air Force Mirage F1ED ( cn502 ) crashed near Kasr El Hamrouniya Ben Gashir . The pilot was apparently killed in the crash . This accident is unconfirmed . Following the near complete destruction of the Libyan air force by NATO bombing , the Free Libyan Air Force has since effectively become the new Libyan Air Force . It is unknown whether or not the Free Libyan air force exists still or if it is now totally integrated as part of the Libyan Air Force . On 20 June 2012 the Air Force Chief of Staff , Saqr Geroushi , announced plans for the rebuilding of the Libyan Air Force . The plans included proposals for the purchase of two squadrons of French Rafale fighter aircraft , a number of French F1 - Mirage jets , British Eurofighter Typhoons , and American C - 130 Hercules cargo planes and Chinook helicopters . The Free Libyan Air Force is looking to acquire up to 22 medium to heavy lift helicopters for cargo and troop ferrying . Known contenders are the Mil Mi - 26 Halo , AgustaWestland AW101 , and Boeing CH - 47D / F Chinnok .