„I Wanted to Fly the Aircraft Home”

“I was flying the Gripen with side number 31 while practicing dogfight (air combat maneuvers) together with my buddy. I was already behind the target, preparing for the imitated firing of the weapons when I received an alarm signal (danger notice with accompanying sound) appearing on the instrument panel of the cockpit. The alarm warned me about a malfunction in the engine control system, in consequence of which the aircraft almost “stalled", as its speed was decreasing rapidly. I continued the flight, drawing on what I had learnt during training and using the emergency checklist, hoping that I would be able to fly the aircraft home in an undamaged condition. I started changing the flight profile continuously in order to be prepared for further contingencies, and chose the correct flight path of the Gripen to ensure a secure landing on the tarmac of the home base."

Brig-Gen. Nándor Kilián, the Commander of the Air Base, who is a Gripen pilot himself, spoke highly of the young pilot’s professional performance, emphasizing that the airmen of the Puma Squadron have all been drilled to be ready to carry out properly the emergency procedures in unforeseen circumstances during the flight of the JAS-39s. In his opinion, the Volvo engines are safe power plants for the Gripens, and their inspection is in progress according to plans.

Tibor Molnár started his military career in Szolnok in 1994. He passed out of the officer training school in 1998, and was posted to Kecskemét in the rank of lieutenant. Initially he was flying the L-39 Albatros, then became a member of the Gripen Squadron. In 2003 he joined the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program for a year, then he completed the US Air Force squadron staff officer course. In 2007, he started re-training for the Gripens in Sweden. His flight experience on this type of aircraft amounts to a total of 300 hours, and he has the position of flight commander.