The first days of Yeşilköy Aircraft School (June 20, 1912 – October 15, 1912)

Aircraft School Begins Operations:

The opening of the Aircraft School is one of the most important stages in the development and strengthening of Turkish military aviation. With the establishment of the school, aviation studies in the Turkish Army accelerated, the number of personnel increased, and in a short time, aircraft companies began to be established in the units, thus the aviators began to perform active platoon duties.

At that time, the methods of raising the aviator were very primitive. The theoretical and practical teaching was given to a student who would become an airplane pilot in the following order and method.

1- General information about the aircraft and the engine: This information is very simple, it is confined to the job he sees in general with the names of the aircraft and engine parts, and very simple and technical information is given about the aircraft and the engine.

2- Flight: The student would fly on the recipe and by himself. (At that time, school airplanes were for one person. It was not possible for the student to fly with the teacher. The double-controlled school airplanes that were flown with the teacher were later used.) The flight was done in the following order.

The first thing to do was to run and run the airplane on a straight line, called link Droite. Before getting on the airplane, the movements to be done were explained to the student thoroughly, and then he was allowed to get on the airplane. The wing tips of this first training aircraft were cut off and one or two cylinders of its engine were found to be blunted. In this way, it would be possible to prevent the novice aviator from taking off at an undesirable time. REP aircraft were used as the first training aircraft in the aircraft school.

After the student got on the plane, he would start the engine alone, turn the plane against the wind, then give the gas and try to run in the right direction. After he succeeded in running his airplane on the ground in a fast and accurate direction, the student said:

He used to take the second act, called Peti Bon (Petit bond). This movement was done with one-man Bleriots with an anzani engine of 35 hp. The teacher takes the students in front of him one by one, gives them an airplane crowbar on a chair, explains and repeats the jumps, how to give gas and how to move. After that, the aviator students were put on the plane. While the student was running his airplane in the right direction and at a speed, he would pull the elevator towards himself and let him make small jumps, and in this way, he would learn to take off and land from the ground with the plane's balance in the air.

When the teacher was convinced that the necessary skills were gained in jumps, as the third move: The student would make a round of the square. In other words, it gives gas to the airplane, makes it run, pulls the elevator slightly and cuts the airplane off the ground. Then, touching the slow direction rudder, he would make a 360-degree tour around the square with the airplane and land where he took off. After this first flight, the student tries left and right turns and gradually ascended to higher altitudes. As the angel progresses, it makes right and left turns to draw an eight without losing altitude on a certain place. Later, he would cut off the gas and land with a glide flight, and finally he would wander for an hour at a high altitude.

The education and training of the school was regulated by a regulation. Accordingly, the duration of education and training at the Aircraft School was three months. Three circuits were opened each year and 15-20 pilot candidates were recruited for each circuit.

In this period (1912), the following qualifications were sought for the officers who would become an airplane pilot (pilot and rast):

Being in full health and having strong eyes,
To be cool, to have good memory and attention,
Not to exaggerate,
Good to read maps and draw sketches.

The school's source of students was land and a small number of naval officers. A choice was made among those who were willing, and the candidates with the required qualifications were accepted to the school. These were then bred as pilots and companions.

The Balkan War (16 OCTOBER 1912-29 SEPTEMBER 1913) started a few months after the Aircraft School, which had such general duties and status, was put into service. During this period, Pilot Major Mehmet Cemal Bey was appointed as the School Director (October 29, 1912-February 28, 1913).

At the beginning of the war, the Ottoman Air Force consisted of the following aircraft:

DECEMBER 1912 Aircraft Status in the Ottoman Empire as of December 1912:
Mission Aircraft:

4 training, 6 reconnaissance and bomber aircraft active.

2 Deperdessins for two: Prince Celaleddin, Ottoman.
1 Bleriot for two : Vatan. (Burnt in Thessaloniki on November 10, 1912)
3 two-man REPs: Army and two unnamed. (One was burned on November 10, 1912 in Thessaloniki)
2 double Bristol : Untitled
2 Harlan for two: Untitled (Burnt on 23 OCTOBER 1912 in Kırklareli)
School Airplanes:
1 Deperdessin for one person,
3 REPs: 1 double player, 2 single player, (One is for running on the ground, it is a roulette machine.)

The two Bristol aircraft ordered by Süreyya Bey's delegation to Bristol were delayed and the contract was annulled. On the way to the fourth REP ordered to France, the Serbs seized it.

Eight pilots trained in France and four candidates from England constitute their cadres. Pilots: Captain Fesa, Salim, Cemal, Refik, Midhat, Fevzi, Lieutenant Salim and Nuri. Those whose education was interrupted were Fethi, Fazıl, Abdullah, and Mehmed Ali. None of our pilots had time to land and fly long distances. Only Nuri flew twice over Istanbul from 1500 meters and once went as far as Hadımköy. The first Turkish pilot to circumnavigate Istanbul is Nuri. Due to the weakness in the pilot situation, 3 pilots and 3 mechanics were brought from France, and also 4 German pilots and 2 mechanics were assigned.

Airplanes of the Period

1 Deperdüssen double seat 50 hp 15 March 1912

1 Deperdüssen one person 25 horsepower School Airplane 15 March 1912

1 REP 20 April 1912

1 REP arrived before 8 June 1912. stayed in Thessaloniki

2 REP    Combat Aircraft One was confiscated in Serbia, the other was dropped

2 Harlans arrived before 8 June 1912. They were destroyed in Kırklareli.

2 Bristol arrived before 8 June 1912.

2 Bristols did not arrive.

3 REP    School aircraft, 1 double controller, 1 single controller, 1 rule aircraft

1 Bleriot Rıza Pasha's donation remained in Thessaloniki

2 DFW Mars

1 Deperdussen   donated by Prince Celaleddin of Egypt

19 total

Foreign Aviators of the Period:

ECNEBI Granil : He did not fly when the Balkan War started.

GERMAN Reinhold JAHNHOW (Harlan brought the first of his planes)

GERMAN Adolf RENTZEL        (Harlan brought the second of his planes)

FRENCH  BRESSON

GERMAN Mauricio SCHERFF     (Airplane didn't fly because it couldn't sell)

GERMAN Capt. Fray        (did not fly when the Balkan War started)

ENGLISH                       (Bristol brought in the first of its planes)

ENGLISH                       (Bristol brought in the second of their aircraft)

Leading Personalities of the Period in the Field of Aviation:

Chief of Staff of the Aviation Commission, Lieutenant Colonel Süreyya Bey,

Aviation Commission member Lieutenant Colonel Refik, R,

Major Mehmet Ali, member of the Aviation Commission,

Aviation Commission member Major Sıtkı (TANMAN)

Aviation Commission member Major Ahmet Zeki (BANER)

Yeşilköy Aircraft School Director:

Pilot Major Cemal, 29 October 1912 – 28 February 1913

Chief of Staff Veli March 1, 1913 -11 July 1913 (deputy)

Engineer Major Veli July 12, 1913 - March 6, 1913