Today in History – 2 September

Civil aviator Vecihi Bey embarks upon his big tour

Perhaps the most leading and colorful name in the history of Turkish aviation, Vecihi Bey (Hürkuş) embarked upon the Turkey tour he planned to benefit Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) from Ankara on September 2, 1931. Visiting Kızılcahamam, Gerede, Bolu, Ereğli, Zonguldak, Cide, Sinop, Samsun, Trabzon, Of, Rize, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, Suşehri, Zara, Hafik, Sivas, Şarkışla, Akdağmadeni, Sorgun, Yozgat, Sungurlu, and Kalecik with his plane and lecturing the public on aviation at every destination, Vecihi Bey’s tour of Turkey ended back in Ankara. Following this first tour, Vecihi Bey organized a second one on November 9, 1931 that began in Ankara and ended in istanbul.

Vecihi Hürkuş was born in istanbul in 1896. After he was wounded in World War I, he entered the Aircraft School in Yeşilköy and was trained as a pilot. He then joined the Turkish Air Force. He made history as the first Turkish aviator to hit a plane. Although he was taken prisoner by the Russians, he managed to escape. He joined the National War of Independence and was honored with a Medal of Independence of red stripes and three citations from the Grand National Assembly.

After these achievements, he leaned more towards aircraft design and flight training. Using the engines confiscated from the Greeks, he manufactured the first Turkish airplane he named VECIHI K-VI in 1923. While expecting an award for it; however, he was prosecuted for flying without permission. He then left military aviation and continued to work in the same field as a civil aviator. In 1930, he built his second airplane VECIHI XIV.

After completing the tour of Turkey in 1931, he launched the civil aviation school he named “Vecihi Civil Aeroplane School” in 1932. He produced Turkey’s first civil airplane VECIHI XIV, first education and sports aircraft VECIHI XV, and aquaplane with a plane engine VECIHI SK-X. In 1954, he founded Turkey’s first civil airline company Hürku? Airlines. Vecihi Bey died on July 16, 1969.