File:MiG-15bis Kimpo Sep 1953.jpeg

In April 1953 the U.S. Far East Command made an offer of $100,000 for the first MiG-15 delivered intact. No enemy pilot took advantage of this offer and when the Korean Truce went into effect on July 27, 1953, the UN still had not acquired a MiG-15 for flight-testing.

On Sept. 21, 1953, personnel at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, Korea, were surprised to see a MiG-15 suddenly land downwind and roll to a stop. The plane was piloted by a 21-year old Senior Lt. Kum Sok No of the North Korean Air Force who had decided to fly to South Korea because he "was sick and tired of the Red deceit." Shortly after landing at Kimpo Air Base, the young pilot not only learned of the $100,000 reward but also that his mother had been safely evacuated from North to South Korea in 1951 and that she was still alive and well.

The MiG-15 was taken to Okinawa where it was first flown by Wright Field test pilot Capt. Tom Collins. Subsequent test flights were made by Capt. Collins and Maj. Chuck Yeager. The airplane was next disassembled and airlifted to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in December 1953 where it was reassembled and given exhaustive flight-testing. The United States offered to return the MiG to its rightful owners but when no country claimed the airplane, it was transferred to the museum in 1957.

At his request, No came to the United States, changed his name and became a U.S. citizen. He graduated from the University of Delaware, was joined by his mother and was later married. Interestingly, just below the gunsight on Lt. No's MiG-15 was the following admonition in red Korean characters: "Pour out and zero in this vindictive ammunition to the damn Yankees." After considerable flight-testing, the United States offered to return the airplane to its "rightful owners." The offer was ignored, and in November 1957 it was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force for public exhibition. Today it carries its original number "2057".

The original caption states that this photo was taken at Okinawa, however there are 4th and 51st FIW F-86s in the background, which were based in Korea.