▁Though ▁information ▁about ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁is , ▁at ▁best , ▁hard ▁to ▁access , ▁two ▁men ▁stand ▁out ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁Iran ian ▁f ighter ▁a ces . ▁ ▁J al il ▁Z and i ▁is ▁Iran ' s ▁most ▁successful ▁f ighter ▁pilot . ▁F lying ▁the ▁American ▁made ▁F - 1 4 ▁Tom cat ▁he ▁claimed ▁ 1 1 ▁aer ial ▁vict ories , ▁with ▁ 8 ▁of ▁those ▁being ▁confirmed ▁by ▁western ▁sources . ▁These ▁include ▁ 4 ▁Mi G - 2 3 s , ▁ 2 ▁Su - 2 2 s , ▁ 2 ▁Mi G ▁ 2 1 ▁and ▁ 3 ▁Mira ge ▁F 1 s . ▁These ▁tot als ▁make ▁him ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁Iran ian ▁f ighter ▁pilot , ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁F - 1 4 ▁Tom cat ▁pilot , ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁( and ▁last ▁man ) ▁to ▁claim ▁ace ▁status . ▁ ▁Y ad ol lah ▁J av ad p our ▁fle w ▁the ▁F - 5 ▁Fre edom ▁F ighter , ▁another ▁American ▁made ▁jet , ▁and ▁claimed ▁five ▁Ira qi ▁aircraft ▁shot ▁down ; ▁two ▁being ▁reli ably ▁confirmed . ▁This ▁makes ▁him ▁an ▁ace ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁F - 5 ▁f ighter ▁pilot , ▁but ▁his ▁greatest ▁claim ▁to ▁fame ▁happened ▁on ▁August ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁when ▁he ▁shot ▁down ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁Mi G - 2 5 . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁significant ▁achiev ement ▁for ▁an ▁F - 5 ▁pilot ,