Philippine air force loses planes, and even pilots

BASA AIR BASE, Philippines: Fighter pilot Carlos Evangelista has difficulty holding back nostalgic feelings every time he hears the soundtrack of the 1986 movie Top Gun.

A major in the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Evangelista sings or hums the Righteous Brothers’ song You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling. “Since my cadet days, that song has been our class favourite,” he says, adding it was an inspiration for him to fly F-5A planes, the main weapon in the Philippine air defences until the fleet of 37 fighter jets was formally retired on October 1.

Losing the 40-year-old planes evokes even more emotions for Evangelista, the last pilot to fly the F-5A on a mission. “We have now a home without a guard dog,” he says. “We need to acquire the capability for our external defence and to regain our national identity and protect our sovereignty.”

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