What is the Meaning of 1 September for the Turkish Air Force?

1 September came this year too. Today is the first flight day. In the Turkish Air Force tradition, 'year' means a 365-day period starting on 1 September and ending 12 months later on 31 August. For Air Force personnel, the classic 1 January marks the beginning of a year that is of secondary importance. This is because the entire cycle of the Air Force, all calculations and planning, and the training system begin with the "first flight" that takes place in the morning hours on 1 September every year. Prior to the first flight, with the participation of commanders and personnel, sacrifices and prayers are offered on the aprons close to the runway or flight towers, and our martyrs and veterans are commemorated. 

This ritual, which is performed without fail every 1 September, marks the beginning of the flight training and education year when the Commander of the Air Forces takes off for the first time at a predetermined main jet base command, preferably in a combat-ready fighter aircraft, let's say an F-16. This year, Air Lieutenant General Ziya Cemal KADIOĞLU, who was appointed as the Commander of the Air Forces by the Supreme Military Council, took to the air for the first flight. Traditionally, no other pilot has been allowed to take off from any air base in Turkey until he has taken off from the ground. This is the norm. Only flights such as emergency operations, ambulance, search and rescue, important transport missions can take off before the "first flight" as exceptional applications. 

Why 1 September?

Unless something has changed, the assignments of specialists, civil servants, non-commissioned officers and officers of lower ranks, including lieutenant colonels, from one unit or headquarters to another unit or headquarters are carried out in April and May. The assignment booklet is published in these months, or nowadays the personnel are informed online via intranet. Personnel join their assigned location in June, and all personnel are relocated in June. Colonels and Generals are appointed in August in line with the new promotions and retirements determined following the decisions of the Supreme Military Council. Thus, as of 1 September, all personnel, including the Commander of the Air Force and Base Commanders, are transferred to their new duty stations and the new training and academic year begins.

Therefore, the personnel move to lodgings/rent houses in their new assignment locations. Spouses are reassigned on the basis of 'spouse status'. Children are enrolled in schools in their parents' new assignment locations. Thus, as of 1 September, a transition to a new life is made in new places. This harmonious flow becomes a part of the working and therefore daily life of the personnel in every aspect.

180 Hours of Flying per Pilot per Year, a Training Standard

The Turkish Air Force, which is based on NATO standards, aims for a fighter pilot to fly at least 180 hours a year, taking into account our own national needs. This target number of hours is especially required for young pilots, who need to gain experience by flying. In order to fly these young pilots, senior fighters and flight instructors may have to fly around 250-300 hours. Normal flight requirements and mission-based training dictate that these hours be flown. Undoubtedly, it is considered normal for fliers in transport, tanker, UAV and flight training squadrons to exceed the 180-hour criterion, depending on the aircraft type. 

By the way, as a footnote. Modern technology can provide pilots who fulfil the requirements of combat readiness training with a cockpit environment that simulates almost exactly the training conducted in military aircraft. We are witnessing groundbreaking developments in this direction. HAVELSAN, an organisation of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, has been successfully serving as the production base of civil and military flight simulators and training aids for many years, together with many large and small companies in the sector. It can produce simulators for aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 in our country. At the same time, HAVELSAN continues to develop simulators at various levels for various aircrafts such as HÜRKUŞ, ANKA, GÖKBEY, ATAK, HÜRJET, TF-23 KAAN, which are developed, produced or under production in our country. As a result, HAVELSAN acts as a solution partner in flight and maintenance training for TAI, for example, as part of user training.

In this context, flight simulators have also been considered as a part of the "at least 180 hours of annual flying" standard in recent years. As the share of flight hours performed in simulators increases, it is possible to reduce the hours of actual flights performed in aircraft. An integrated flight training mission based on simulators located at different bases but in contact with each other, which can offer a training environment in an integrated and integrated structure up to training in a simulated operational environment, can be successfully fulfilled by the aircraft. Consequently, this situation leads to a decrease in the annual flight hours per aircraft for the flights performed on F-16s, which have an average flight cost of USD 25,000 per hour, and in general, a significant saving in the Air Force budget, including fuel expenditures, increasing the useful life of the aircraft, and serving to better establish a cost-effective structure in flight training.

What is the Impact and Importance of the Simulator in terms of Flight Hours?

According to the figures in Air Force Magazine, pilot flight hours in all aircraft types on active duty in the US military decreased from an average of 10.9 hours per month in 2020 to an average of 10.1 hours per month in fiscal year 2021. Although I do not know the exact figures for us, I can easily say that a similar trend is also valid for our Air Force. Again, I think that the practice, which is a general trend in NATO countries, of conducting at least 40 hours of the minimum combat readiness of 180 flight hours per year with simulator flights, is also valid for our country.

Late General Tahsin ŞAHİNKAYA, Former Commander of the Turkish Air Force

Regarding flight hours, I would like to quote the words of the late Air General Tahsin ŞAHİNKAYA, one of the legendary commanders of the Turkish Air Force, reflecting how the flight training conditions were at that time: 

"When we came back from the USA in 1946 (after completing our pilot training), I am talking about life in Eskişehir, as a newly graduated pilot who had flown Mustang aeroplanes there and then came to Turkey, I was told that there were twin-engine aeroplanes here from the USA. Come and fly them. So I flew, and I became a twin-engine aircraft pilot. There were no instructors or anything. The Air Force at that time was at such a level that it was inconceivable. We had pictures of the aeroplanes we had seen and flown in America in our pockets, and we would show the pictures of the aeroplanes to (our elders) and say, "You have never seen a aeroplane." At that time, there were flight squadrons. There were either 10-12 people in the squadrons or not. But it was not possible to keep the aeroplanes operational. We have to fly at least 15 hours in 6 months. Our flight money and salaries are paid accordingly. If we don't fly, there is no money! We can't fly 15 hours in 6 months. 46-47-48 years, three years passed like this. After that, aeroplanes came to Turkey. P-47s (P-47D Thunderbolt, an American-made, single-seat, single-engine fighter-bomber. 180 of these aircraft were purchased and used in various units between 1948 and 1954.) and B-26 Invaders (An American-made aircraft. It is a three-seat, twin-engined bomber. 45 were purchased and used in various units between 1948 and 1954). When these arrived, the Air Force revolted a little bit. What I mean to say is that young people do not know enough (but they should) about the difficult periods and struggles that the Air Force has gone through in its current state!"

Achievements of the Air Force

Yes, the Turkish Air Force has indeed made great strides. Even between 1988 and 2013, when I served, many of these stages were witnessed by my peers. The transition from second/third generation aircraft such as F-104, F-5, F-4 to F-16s, which are fourth generation fighter aircraft. Aerial refuelling capability was gained with the KC-135R, and Incirlik Air Base, which we once had the perception that it was an American base, became a frequent destination for Air Force personnel. Boeing-made airborne early warning aircraft (AWACS) were procured and deployed to Konya. Cougar helicopters were purchased instead of UH-1 for search and rescue activities. Now, the T-70i Skorsky utility helicopter is being commissioned. We finally said goodbye to the C-47 Dakotas and started to use modern transport aircraft used by European countries such as the A-400M. We started to receive training with KT-1 aircraft instead of T-37s. In the near future, we will witness our young lieutenants receiving basic and advanced flight training with aircraft developed in our own factory such as HÜRKUŞ and HÜRJET. Meanwhile, we, who used Israeli-made HERONs, have recently met the ANKA unmanned aerial vehicle. New UAVs such as TB-2, AKSUNGUR, AKINCI, KIZILELMA and ANKA-3 have arrived one after another, and they continue to arrive.

In order to conduct American Red Flag-style flight training in a simulated operational environment, the Anadolu Kartalı training system and infrastructure, a national and multinational exercise and training centre, was established. Our generation, which threw general-purpose bombs as if they were a sight for sore eyes, started to use the target pod, to fly with LANTIRN capabilities, and to drop AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided bombs. We met AGM-88 HARM and AIM 120 AMRAAM missiles. We made new modern ammunition such as JDAM a part of our flight training. Undoubtedly, the biggest deficiency during the period we served was in the field of air defence weapons and systems. Attempts were made to manage with NIKE missile batteries. HAWK and Rapier batteries, and modernised anti-aircraft systems were used to fill the gaps. Nowadays, we are proud of the developments in our self-produced systems such as SİPER and HİSAR in addition to the S-400s. 

Conclusion

The Turkish Air Force has left far behind the view of the Air Force described by our late Commander Tahsinkaya during his lieutenancy. Now, with the developments in the field of UAVs, I believe that we are on the verge of making a new leap with HÜRKUŞ, HÜRJET and finally TF-23 Kaan. In the process of building a more independent Turkey under the wings of these aircraft, which are our own national products, every 1 September marks a renewal, a restart and a refreshment for the Turkish Air Force.

I wish the Turkish Air Force and its personnel safe flights, successful and effective missions in the new flight training and education year.