Date: Issue 133 - August 2024 Update: October 08, 2024
It is widely recognized that the first aerobatic activities in the Turkish Air Force began with Pilot Lieutenant Mr. Fazıl's “Spin 182” maneuver on March 5, 1914. Flying a Depedussin-type aircraft named “Ottoman,” Mr. Fazıl initiated a spin and successfully recovered from it at an altitude of 400 meters, marking the first aerial aerobatic demonstration in Turkish aviation history.
Since the 1930s, single-aircraft air shows have evolved into multi-aircraft formations and teams. While most solo performances were conducted by civilians, aerobatic teams were primarily composed of military aircraft and pilots. Notably, formations of synchronized aircraft began to appear in official parades. The first official aerobatics activities within Turkish Air Force, which claimed a significant position in world aviation history in a very short period of time, was commenced in 1926 within the Air Force School. These group, formed under the chairmanship of Pilot Lieutenant Enver AKOĞLU, and containing many successful pilots such as Pilot Lieutenant Tekin ARIBURUN), the first team performed aerobatic maneuvers such as inverted dives, split-s, and tailskids.