Vecihi Hürkuş 1896-1969 Turkish Pilot WW1
Vecihi Hürkuş 1896-1969 Turkish Pilot WW1
Vecihi Hürkuş
(1896-1969) is known as one of the greatest aviators in Turkey. After getting injured in battlefield in World War I, he returned to Istanbul and joined Aviation School. As he received his pilot certificate, he fought against Russian fighters. He served in many recon and bombing missions also shot down a Russian airplane during one of his flights. He is first Turkish pilot to shoot down an enemy airplane. Then he was taken prisoner by the Russians but succeeded in escaping from Nargin land to Iran by swimming. He came back to Istanbul in 1918 and joined to 9th combat aircraft squadron.
After the war, he designed and also created a few aircraft despite many diffulties. He rented a lumber mill and produced his first airplane in there. He used Greek aircraft engines he had obtained during WWI for his designs.
He founded the first Turkish civilian airlines -Hurkus Havayollari (Freebird Airlines) in 1954.

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