Establishment efforts of Ottoman aviation (1911-1912)

The Ottoman Empire has made attempts since 1909 to use modern aircraft in its army. While the state was procuring aircraft from the producing countries, it also needed the technical personnel required for the use of these vehicles. In this context, foreign pilots were initially brought in to meet the need for technical personnel. On the other hand, students were sent to Europe to train domestic pilots. Due to the cost of both methods used for personnel procurement, it was decided to establish an aviation organization and school in 1911 to meet the need for expert personnel. For this purpose, examination delegations were sent to Europe and examinations were made in the field of aviation. In line with the determinations and suggestions of these delegations, the foundations of the organization were laid in June 1911. In this thesis, starting from the flight trials reflected in the epics, the flight trials in many parts of the world, the pre-modern aviation process, the successful balloon and airplane initiatives are mentioned, and the first aviation organization established by the Ottoman Empire with the use of these aircraft in the armies is explained in detail. The aim of the study is to show the contribution of this school to the history of Turkish aviation by evaluating the establishment phase and later of the Aircraft School. This thesis consists of two parts, apart from the introduction and the end. In the introduction, flight events in legends and mythological stories are mentioned, and the phase before the use of modern techniques, which came with the development of science in the field of aviation, is explained. The tools and machines that people make to fly are mentioned. In the second part, the organization of the Ottoman Empire in the field of aviation is explained in a gradual and detailed way. This section is divided into nine subheadings. Mentioning the first airplane and balloon flights in Ottoman lands, the attempts of the Ottoman military authorities to add these aircraft to the army, is the first example of the use of aviation in warfare; The decision to establish an aviation organization after the Ottoman-Italian War was also mentioned. The effect of the Balkan War on Ottoman aviation, which took place after a trip to Europe to conduct investigations for this organization, and the latest organization and report regulation were evaluated. In the conclusion part, a general critique of the study was made.