During the War of Independence, Schwimmer founded an airline company in California that bought planes from World War II surpluses, refurbished them in the US and South America, and smuggled them to Eretz Israel via Europe
The founder of the aviation industry and its first CEO, Al Schwimmer, passed away early this morning at Tel Hashomer Hospital.
Al Schwimmer was born in New York in 1917, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe. As a child, his family moved to Connecticut. He grew up in extreme poverty, and during high school he helped support the family and worked as an apprentice for an airplane mechanic at an airport near his home. There his love for airplanes and flying was ignited. After graduating from high school, he turned to studying aeronautics, and qualified as a flight engineer and aviation mechanic. He then issued a pilot's license.
Due to the economic depression in the United States, Schwimmer had to migrate to California to find work. He worked as a flight controller for several major airlines, and a few years later returned to the East Coast and began working as a flight engineer for TWA.
In World War II, Schwimmer served in the US Air Force as a flight engineer, in the Air Transport Command, and flew all over the world, including to Palestine. But Schwimmer, who did not attend a Zionist school, was not moved by landing in the land of his ancestors. "I just enjoyed sunbathing there in the sun", he recalled. During his service, he received several commendations, including a commendation for resourcefulness and courage, after he managed to safely land the plane of General Patrick Hurley - one of President Roosevelt's advisers - even though one of its engines caught fire and then burst. At the end of the war, Schwimmer returned to his job at TWA. His first encounter with the suffering of the Jewish people was during this period, when on his flights to Europe his mother asked him to look for information about the fate of her relatives.
Two years later, a friend approached him and asked to be recruited into the "Haganah". The representatives of the organization in the United States, including Teddy Kolk, were initially afraid of the man with the German name, but soon they stood for his virtues as an excellent organization man, with extensive connections in the aviation world. Schwimmer founded an airline company in California that bought airplanes from World War II surpluses, refurbished them in the US and South America and smuggled them to Israel via Europe. He also recruited aircrew members for the "Hagana", and smuggled shipments of weapons into the settlement in his planes. Among other things, Schwimmer managed to acquire four B17 bombers ("flying fortresses"), which bombed Cairo on their way to Israel. Later, the first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, wrote: "...the purchase of the flying fortresses was a big deal. The most important asset we acquired in those days was Al Schwimmer..."
Schwimmer's activities in the United States violated the ban on sending combat equipment to Israel, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation requested his arrest for the crime of smuggling the planes and weapons. He escaped from the United States and came to Israel as part of the Volunteers for Israel. Schwimmer was one of the founders of the Israeli Air Force, and in the War of Liberation he was the head of an air force in the force.
After the end of the war, Schwimmer returned to the United States, because he did not want to continue to run away from the law. He was arrested, and in his interrogation he said: "I think my actions were right; I will not apologize, and I am ready to be judged for them." Schwimmer was tried and convicted of treason. He was deprived of his civil rights, and a heavy fine was imposed on him. Only 51 years later President Clinton pardoned him.
After his trial, Schwimmer opened a small airline and a garage in California. He refurbished and sent to Israel (this time with a legal permit) 26 "Mustang" fighter planes, which were the main fighter planes of the Air Force before the jet age. In 1951, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion visited the United States, heard about Schwimmer's enterprise, and came to see him with Teddy Kolek, Yitzhak Navon, and Shimon Peres. Ben-Gurion was impressed by Schwimmer and asked him to come to Israel and establish a similar plant in Israel.
Schwimmer agreed to the request, and two years later in Lod established the "Government Institute for Aircraft Testing". Even then he expressed his vision and said: "We will manufacture planes and missiles here and we will not only engage in renovations." Under Schwimmer's management, the institute expanded and became the "Aeronautical Industry". The factory gradually progressed to the production of spare parts for planes, and later to the production of planes, light planes, executive planes and even advanced fighter planes. The factory's fields of activity were also expanded to the development and production of missiles and warning systems. Today, Israel Aerospace Industries specializes in improving advanced planes, helicopters and vessels, produces a large variety of warning systems and electronic systems for the battlefield, develops unmanned aircraft, participates in the development of the "Arrow" missile against ballistic missiles, and also takes a central part in the development and launch of Israeli satellites . Schwimmer's vision, which sounded imaginary in the days of scarcity and austerity at the beginning of the country, was a reality.
After 25 years at the head of the Aerospace Industry, Schwimmer retired in 1978. He continued his public activities, and was an advisor to the Prime Minister (on a voluntary basis) for matters of technology and industry, worked on the committee for a constitution for Israel and was involved in fundraising for cancer research.
"Today we already take the strong Air Force and the thriving 'Air Industry' for granted," says Schwimmer, "but all of these would not be here without the activities of many people, and I am proud to have had a part in this enterprise," said Schwimmer when receiving the Israel Award for the year 2006 for his contribution to national security.
Key roles
• Flight engineer in the air transport command of the American forces in World War II
• Buys, refurbishes and smuggles planes and weapons to Eretz Israel for the defense
• Head of an air wing in the IDF during the War of Liberation
• The founder of the "Aircraft Industry" and its general manager from the day of its establishment until 1978
• Advisor to Prime Minister Shimon Peres for Technology and Industry Affairs.
Commendations, decorations and awards
1968: Honorary Doctor of Technical Sciences from the Technion, Haifa
1970: Certificate of appreciation for Henrietta Sold from the Association of African and Canadian Immigrants
1976: Herzl Prize for contribution to national security
1981: Decoration of the State Warriors for his part in the struggle for the upheaval of Israel
1998: Honorary Citizen of New York City
1999: "Golden Wings" club award - recognition for life's work from the Yedidi Ha'il association
The air
2002: "Eye on Zion Scout" award - a token of appreciation for his contribution to the Air Force
2003: David Ben Gurion Award - a special token of appreciation for his work for Israel's security.
