Ali Akbar Shiroodi

Ali Akbar Shiroodi was one of the pilots who had the highest number of flights in the world. Ali Akbar Shiroodi, according to air-war experts, was one of the most prominent helicopter pilots in the world. They consider him a stylist pilot in flights and air combats, in a way that when attaching the enemy he would dive obliquely and maneuver like a jet plane. Also he had the highest number of flights in the world. He was injured 40 times and 300 times shelled. He defended the Iranian territories during the initial years of Iran-Iraq war.

His biography in a word
Shiroodi was born in a religious and poor family in 1955 in Bala Shirood village located in Tonekabon city. His father was a farmer and for this he had felt the hardness of poverty during his childhood. As a student he was prominent and he was always the top student at school.

After graduating from high school he left his village for Tehran to continue his studies and find a suitable job. After 2 years, in 1972 he was employed in the Army, and after passing the initial pilotry and the cobra helicopter course; he graduated with the ranking of assistant lieutenant. During this time, a new period started in his life and he decided to fly the helicopter. When Islamic demonstrations began, Ali Akbar had an active and important role in the victory of the revolution. he played a significant role in Kermanshah when Imam Khomeini returned to Iran and he was the supervisor of detection and protection group of Kermanshah city. After the Islamic Revolution, Shiroodi was one of the founders of Islamic Committee in Kermanshah province.

The West Star
When the Iran-Iraq war started, he was not away from the battlefields for a moment during which and his helicopter was attacked by the Saddam Hussein occupying forces for several times. In the beginning of the Imposed War, along with Ahmad Keshvari and Hamid Reza Soheilian, he entered many operations and his bravery was always admired during the war. Valiollah Fallahi called him “the West Star” (here, West refers to Kurdistan Province) and referred to him as "the savior of western Iran and Aria mountain pass, Bazi Deraz, Meimak, and Zahab plain. In one of the operations, he attacked the Iraqi forces in the region of Sarpol-e Zahab and defeated them. When the congress received the news, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani referred to him as Malek Ashtar.

Ali Khamenei states about him: “He was the first warrior whom I prayed behind” and this was his greatest life-time honor.

Shiroodi was promoted several times during the war but he didn’t accept any of the military ranks. His reason for fighting was very sacred and that was enough for him.

Ali Akbar Shiroodi having the highest number of military flight in the war had made the western war zone his flight zone and he would fight the enemy so hard.

Shiroodi was killed in 1982 in Ghare Bolagh located in Zahab plain. He was informed that Iraqi tanks are moving towards Zahab plain region, for it was night he could not to go there, but at 6 o’clock in the morning he attacked them and destroyed most of the Iraqi tanks but at the end of the operation his helicopter was shot and he was killed.

Simorgh TV series
In 1992, Iranian television made a series that was about pilots of the western war zone such as Ali Akbar Shiroodi, Ahmad Keshvari, and Soheilian. This series informed that Iraqi tanks are moving towards Dashtezahab region and in the morning the pilot attacked them and destroyed most of Iraqi tanks. Muhammad Jozani acted Shiroodi's role in this series whose director was Hossein Ghasemi jami.