Old Shepherd Fled From Us Like He Saw Aliens

Vecihi Hürkuş continues to tell.

September 20, 1931. We took off towards Gümüşhane

We took my bird into the air again and started climbing the Soğanlı Mountains, whose snowy peaks were over 3,000 meters high. Climbing these mountains, surrounded by forests in the form of steep slopes as if they were going to collapse on the coast, was a kind of test phase for my Vecihi XIV aircraft; it was not an easy thing to plafond the plane (take it to high altitudes) at a distance of 60 kilometers. Rising to 3,500 meters, our bird's engine was running at maximum energy without any malfunctions and we had to go around the skirts of the hills in front of us. After overcoming the Soğanlı Mountains, we started to visit the Gümüşhane Provincial Center.

Here, the excited enthusiasm of our people continued in the same way, but since Gümüşhane is located between steep mountains, it was very difficult to make our demonstration flights. Finally, one and a half hours after our departure from Erzurum, we arrived in Bayburt. The long demonstration flights I made in this small town with an altitude of 1,650 meters were required by the program and this was our refueling and accommodation place. I started to look around for a square, I couldn't see a flat area around the town, I looked at my map, I had marked a square 12 kilometers west of the town, I immediately turned in that direction and approached the marker, this area is as flat as it can get, but there is no sign and there are no people. It was not an easy thing to look for a landing place in this desolation.

The old shepherd ran away from us as if he had seen an alien

So I pointed my flight to the south and when I saw a person quite far away, I turned my plane and approached him. This old villager was the shepherd of the cattle he had scattered on the plain. I started hovering over him, at the same time looking for obstacles on this plain. Each time I passed by, I greeted the old shepherd closely, trying to attract his attention, but the old man did not move at all. Finally, I landed on the ground and started approaching the old man, and at that moment the old man jumped up and started running away as if he was scared. So I stopped the plane, jumped on the ground and started shouting after the old man, "Baba, Baba." Hearing the Turkish, the old shepherd stopped and came to us.

My first word to the father was to ask about the members of the Bayburt Air Association. The old man looked at my face and then at the flock of sheep and said, "I don't know anything other than that, son." I didn't record the time in my notes, I had a long, long conversation with the father and shared his troubles in spirit until the people who had to walk at least two hours to get to the plane. There are very sad notes in my notes about this conversation, but I don't know if I should write it down. I think it would be better to leave it for now.

Finally, the people of Bayburt and the surrounding villagers, following the cavalry greeters, began to flock and surround the plane. Despite the agony of the 12-kilometer walk on foot with their shoes in their hands and their swollen feet, the dear citizens could not even understand their fatigue in the peace and joy they felt from this national success. We quickly got along with our brothers from Bayburt, their sincere enthusiasm was a clear example of the sensitivity of the Turkish spirit.

These pure sons of Central Anatolia, who had never seen a vehicle other than the bullock cart, were openly expressing their admiration for this civilized means of transportation which they had seen for the first time in their homes. With the fire that this national event and the role of the airplane in the defense of the country spread in their souls, the people of Bayburt filled the teller's office of the institution with the enthusiasm of donations.

We had spent another joyful night among these brothers and sisters, always with aviation topics.

Mount Sipikör and the Murat River, flowing by licking the rocks on the northern foothills of the Munzur Mountains, were the deep traces of war memories as well as the untouched blessings of centuries. As I flew over the places where I had shot, burned, won the first Turkish aerial victory, been wounded and fallen and captured by the enemy, my emotions were stirred.

These beloved mother lands, which had trembled under the enemy's boot during those painful events, were now the happy cradle of our mature, independent and free nation. I was now scattering confetti in this beautiful land where I had dropped bombs on the enemy at that time.

Later, Suşehri, Zara, Hafik and Sivas were the destinations of the aviation development program with the same tempo. Everywhere we landed, the people welcomed this national initiative and ran wholeheartedly to support the holy cause without any need for encouragement.

We were now at the end of our trip to Northern and Eastern Anatolia. We were calling on our fellow citizens to unite around the cause of national aviation by flying over, landing on, and flying over the cities and towns of Şarkışla, Akdağmadeni, Sorgun, Yozgat, Sungurlu, and Kalecik, and the people of the villages around these roads, as we did everywhere else, offering the greetings and thanks of the organization and spreading the words of help to the organization.

Our last stop was Kalecik

Our last stop is Kalecik. It is a town on the burnt slopes to the west of Kızılırmak, surrounded by black rocks, but what great people the people of this small town were!

We landed in a small field surrounded by Turkish children with flags in their hands. The people gathered around us, men and women, from seven to seventy, astonished us with their enthusiastic shouts and applause so loud that it drowned out the sound of our motorcycle. In this excitement, sacrifices were brought out, slaughtered in front of our wheels and their blood was applied to the wings like an amulet, wishing for the positive success of this Turkish-made private airplane.

Everyone ate and drank with joy, in the form of a countryside feast, and finally, the importance of the national aviation cause became the exciting topic of the last day of this trip. It is easy to see in this humble scene and in the sincere enthusiasm of the people the Turkish sensitivity and superiority of success in the defense of the homeland, which has been the main subject of my pen since the preface of my first book. As I bid farewell to our beloved citizens after my short speeches on the purpose of the organization, we were walking away with pride, appreciation and gratitude on behalf of the organization for the exemplary attitude of this benevolent being, who surrounded the table prepared in the flight square, such as donating his cattle, field, mill and even his home for this cause.

Arrival in Ankara, the end of the tour

The Çatalkayas to the south of us, we are approaching, further on is a barren plain, Ankara at that time was a heartbreakingly primitive Anatolian town, but our center of state, of course it will not stay like this, Turkish determination will create many things. We are on it now. Before landing, we walked around the hippodrome area of the airport, greeting the people of Ankara and the headquarters of the institution from the air, while scattering the last confetti we had in our hands.

The square was quite crowded, so my friends had gathered to welcome us. We landed, embraced our friends and accepted the congratulations of all the members of the organization. The heart wanted this feeling to last forever and it gave one peace of mind. Because encouragement is the main basis of personal initiatives, and I need it to realize my ideal.

When I landed in Ankara that day, the achievement had far exceeded the demonstration of my airplane's ability. Especially overcoming mountains over 3,000 meters high, which nature had mercilessly scattered on our path, with a primitive engine with a single spark plug, and in safety, was the result of true knowledge born of faith in the science of aviation.

My Vecihi XIV airplane, my private airplane with a Turkish mind and Turkish labor, and my esteemed student and mechanic Hamid Şeran, who took very good care of it, had brought me this beautiful success. With this belief, the first tour of the country was completed and I returned home in peace.