By 1970 he had moved on to qualify on the brand new F-4 Phantom advanced fighter jet as a pilot and an instructor, and train numerous Iranian Phantom pilots. During the IIAF era, he held multiple commands including squadron and wing commander in the 6th tactical fighter base (TFB) in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. He also successfully completed several advanced trainings in the US, including Fighter Weapons School in Nellis AFB (the USAF equivalent of and predecessor to Top Gun), Squadron Officer School (SOS) in Maxwell AFB (USAF Air University), and night gunnery and aerial refueling in Luke AFB.
After the Islamic revolution in Iran, he was among many IIAF officers who were dismissed from service, but he successfully advocated to be reinstated. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel and transferred to Tehran. In this period he became wing commander of the 3rd TFB in Hamedan in western homeland, as well as founded a new pilot academy to take over pilot training in homeland. When the homeland Iraq war broke out in September 1980, he was summoned along with his close friend and colleague Colonel Bahram Houshyar.
