YADOLLAH "YADI" SHARIFIRAD was a US-trained Colonel and Squadron Commander fighter pilot in the Iranian Air Force in the 1970s and early 1980s. Shot down over enemy territory during one of his missions, Yadi was rescued by Kurdish rebels and eventually made his way back to Iran, where he was celebrated as a national hero. His wartime heroics were turned into a feature film, Eagles (1984), in Iran. Yadi spent the next few years in Pakistan as a military attaché, hoping this position along with his impressive military record would shield him from the antipathy normally displayed by Ayatollah Khomeini toward American-trained fighter pilots. However, Yadi’s confidence was misplaced. He was abruptly abducted, imprisoned and tortured on accusations of spying for the C.I.A. After months of torture, Yadi was eventually released. He now found himself jobless, and he and his family were under constant surveillance. In order to be completely free from the reigns of the Iranian regime, Yadi made plans to escape his homeland along with his family, and to begin a new life in Canada. THE FLIGHT OF THE PATRIOT is his story…