TURKISH AERONAUTICAL ASSOCIATION

THK was founded on February 16, 1925, 16 months after the proclamation of the Republic, under the name of "Turkish Aircraft Society", by the orders of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The purpose of establishment of the Association; To establish the aviation industry in Turkey, to explain the military, economic, social and political importance of aviation; to ensure the development of military, civil, sportive and touristic aviation; to prepare the necessary tools and equipment for all these; to train personnel and  to create a FLYING TURKISH YOUTH  .

In order to realize this aim, the Turkish Aeronautical Association opened the "Aircraft Machinist School" on April 23, 1926, in order to train the technical personnel needed by Turkish Aviation. In the same year, he established the "Kayseri Aircraft Factory" in cooperation with the German Junkers Aircraft Factory. It produced the A-19 and A-20 planes under the German Junkers license and did the maintenance and repairs of these planes. The factory was transferred to the Ministry of National Defense in 1929.

The Turkish Aeronautical Association came to life with the incredible material and moral support of a tired and poor people, the Turkish People, who had just come out of a long War of Independence. With this support, he bought 351 aircraft in the first 10 years and donated them to the Turkish Armed Forces.

In 1927, the Turkish Aeronautical Association applied to become a member of the International Aviation Federation (FAI), which is the highest level body in the field of sportive aviation, which ensures the worldwide development of aviation activities. He became a full member of FAI in 1929 after 2 years of struggle. Since then, the institution has been successfully representing our country in air sports, both at home and abroad.

In 1931, Pilot Vecihi Hürkuş took off from Ankara and made a small tour of Turkey with the plane he produced in his own workshop. In 1932, Selahattin Reşit Bey, one of the engineers trained by the Society abroad, and his team produced the prototype of our first national aircraft (MMV-1), all parts of which were Turkish-made except for the engine and propeller. This production created great excitement all over the country. With the congress (General Assembly) decision taken in 1935, the name of the Association was changed to "Turkish Aeronautical Association" (THK).

" THE FUTURE IS IN THE SKIES!"

This was not only a couple of nice words uttered in the enthusiasm of those years, but also a target set before the Republic of Turkey. For this purpose, Türkkuşu was established on May 3, 1935. The love of aviation and enthusiasm for aviation, which Atatürk wanted to give to the youth by making speeches wherever he went for years, came to a conclusion in a short time and the young people started to run to Türkkuşu. The institution has trained many valuable personnel, including Atatürk's adopted daughter and the world's first female fighter pilot Sabiha GÖKÇEN, to the skies of the Homeland.

Parachute, glider, powered flight and model airplane schools opened one after the other, İnönü Glider Camp, which opened on July 10, 1936, Etimesgut Motorized Flight Camp opened in 1937, and Ankara and İzmir Parachute towers built in the same year brought thousands of young people together. Aviation has developed so rapidly that pilot E. Ali Yıldız, one of the Türkkuşu Teachers, broke the world record with a glider flight that lasted 14 hours and 20 minutes on June 12, 1938. His student, Ziya Aydoğan, flew 466 km from the İnönü Training Center of the Turkish Aeronautical Association to Kayseri with a glider.

The gliders required for THK's glider training were supplied from the Institution's Akköprü Workshop. Hundreds of gliders were produced, engine and glider repairs were made in this workshop until 1940. At the end of 1940, the workshop with a limited staff was turned into a factory in Akköprü, where the serial assembly of British Miles Magister trainer aircraft began.

Etimesgut Aircraft Factory was established between 1939-1941 with the request of the General Staff before the Second World War. In addition to Magister aircraft, THK-1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 13 gliders and THK-2, 5 and 10 types of training, health and transport aircraft were produced at the Etimesgut Aircraft Factory, which started production in 1944 and is a very comprehensive enterprise. .

Leaving aside the engine manufacturing trials made by small workshops in our country, we can say that the first engine factory was established by THK in Gazi Orman Çiftliği. The works of this factory lasted until 1951 and due to the conditions brought by the period, it was transferred to the Machinery and Chemical Industry in the same year. This factory was completely closed in 1952, it is still operated as the Turkish Tractor Factory and contributes to the country's economy with tractor production.

Turkish youth, trained by THK in various branches of aviation since 1925, not only participated in sports activities, but also took an active role in the defense of the country. The most vivid example of this was seen in the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation. The Airborne Troop was composed of the young people trained by the institution, who did their military service as paratroopers at that time. During the operation, important duties were given to the aircraft and pilots of the institution.

Especially after the 1980s, THK made great progress in sports aviation, and after 1990 in international relations. In the FAI General Assembly and Commission meetings, an effective policy was followed and THK and Turkey were brought to the fore. In addition to the existing glider, parachute, flight school and model airplane school, the Very Light Aircraft School was established in 1996, which includes balloons, sailplanes and paragliders.

Since 1986, in the Young Painters Painting Competition, organized to increase the interest of the children of the member countries of the International Aviation Federation (FAI) in the subject of aviation and to promote especially air sports and aviation and space studies, our young people; He won 6 world first places, 8 world second places, 12 world third places and 3 special incentive awards.

He successfully organized the World Parachute Championship in 1995, the 1st World Air Games Test Competition in 1996, and the 1st World Air Games held in 16 aviation branches in 7 different regions in 1997, with the participation of 3200 athletes, referees, jury members and managers from 61 countries. With the 1st Turkish Air Games in 6 branches in June 2000, the 2nd Turkish Air Games in July 2002, and the 3rd Turkish Air Games in June 2004, he made indelible signatures in the history of national and international aviation.

THK continues on the path drawn by Atatürk. One of the big steps he took in this context was the pilot training contract with Turkish Airlines on October 10, 2004 for Turkish Airlines. Within the scope of the contract, 25 pilots were trained in the first period and 29 pilots in the second period. The training of 16 pilot candidates in the 3rd term continues. In addition, the training of 50 pilot candidates is still continuing in the private pilot courses given. In 2005, the Turkish Aeronautical Association carried out a study that is the first in Turkey and has very few examples in the world. The title of the work is Landscapes of Turkey from the Sky. Viewing the historical and natural beauties that make Turkey Turkey from the sky, the team of 3 people covered a distance of 76 thousand kilometers in 3 years, traveling to 26 provinces, 60 districts and towns. He shot a total of 210 hours with 380 flights.

THK also offers our young people the opportunity to meet different countries and different cultures every year as part of the International Air Student Exchange.

The Turkish Aeronautical Association, which takes its power from the Turkish people, launched a firefighting aircraft purchase campaign on May 17, 2007 in order to prevent the destruction of our country's lifeblood forests in the face of the global warming disaster, whose effects are felt every day.

Turkish Aeronautical Association has purchased 2 CL-215 amphibious fire extinguisher aircraft with its own means and added it to its fleet, within the scope of the campaign it started to protect our forests and leave a livable world to future generations by using its power to the fullest. Continuing to purchase 3 aircraft, THK's goal is to strengthen its fleet with 12 firefighting aircraft that can take water from lakes, seas and dams.

Turkish Aeronautical Association, which performs aviation demonstrations in provinces and districts on national and special days, performs patient, injured and organ transplant flights with air taxi planes, and has been carrying out aerial rabies vaccination since the beginning of 2008 in the Aegean region within the scope of the rabies disease control project.

THK, which provides training to thousands of young people in different branches of aviation every year, provides aviation training to thousands of young people with the model airplane courses it organizes at 356 Public Education Centers throughout Turkey. The Turkish Aeronautical Association, which introduced 11,000 young people to aviation in 2007 and 23,000 in 2008, reached the figures it aimed to achieve in 5 years in 2 years. Its target for 2009 is to provide aviation training to 43,000 young people.

The Turkish Aeronautical Association, which was established on February 16, 1925 with the directives of the Great Leader Atatürk, spread the seemingly dreamy aviation throughout the country, educating talented aviators and ground personnel, and achieved all this only with the support of its people.

Source:  www.thk.org.tr