The funerals of the two Phantom pilots are in an atmosphere of sorrowtranslated

In an atmosphere of deep emotion, relatives, friends, colleagues and a large number of citizens said goodbye to 40-year-old pilot Ioannis Blesia and 37-year-old pilot Dimitris Petrou, the two operators of the Phantom F-4 who lost their lives when the aircraft crashed. At the Metropolitan Church of Agios Nikolaos in Pyrgos, the Air Force paid the last respects to Ioannis Blesias. With flags covering his casket and his colleagues standing in silence and shock, the final farewell was full of tears and pride.

The son of an Air Force technician, he grew up listening to the sound of Phantoms in Andravida and from a young age dreamed of being in the cockpit of a fighter jet. A dream that he made come true, serving his country with dedication and self-sacrifice.

"Yiannis will no longer be with us. He travels where he always liked. In the sky, in the ethers," his colleagues said excitedly, describing a man who lived and dedicated himself to flight.

In his funeral speech, an Air Force officer emphasized that "patriotism was not a big word for you, it was a daily experience", capturing the ethos...