F-16s protect the homeland under the command of pilots Ihlas News Agency

F-16 warplanes, known as the “Fighting Falcon” and located at the 10th Main Jet Base Command in Adana, protect the homeland under the command of the pilots, instilling confidence in friends and fear in the enemy. Air Pilot Major said, “From now on, our new comrades who will enter the MSÜ Air Force Academy will have the honor of using the national aircraft produced by Turkey. MSÜ Air Force Academy will be the key not only to the skies but also to space.”

Defined as a multi-purpose, single-jet engine fighter aircraft, the F-16, “Fighting Falcon”, also known as the “Fighting Falcon” within the Turkish Air Force, is just one of Turkey’s striking forces in the sky.

F-16s, which take an active role in the fight against terrorism, take to the skies under the command of fighter pilots who have successfully completed more than 7 years of difficult training and psychological and physical tests. F-16 warplanes instill confidence in friends and fear in enemies.

10th Main Jet Base Command opened its doors to İhlas News Agency (İHA). Air Pilot Major, who works at the 152nd Jet Fleet Command of Adana 10th Main Jet Base Command, told İHA his story, which started at the Air Force Academy at the age of 17 and progressed to the F-16 chair.

“Fighter piloting, which I was not aware of, was in my blood”

The Air Pilot Major, who watched these moments on television and decided to become a pilot when the plane of the National Football Team, which came 3rd in the 2002 World Cup and made our country proud, was accompanied by F-16s on its return to Turkey, said, “Being a pilot is something that most young people do at some point.” It started to become my dream as well. When I was a senior in high school, our National Football Team became the 3rd in the world. While they were coming to our country, two F-16 planes met them in the air. This affected me greatly, which I was not aware of before. “On this occasion, I participated in the selection phases of the Air Force Academy. I am also a military child. I was very happy when I was first selected. My mother had reservations, but I gained the siblings I did not have at the Air Force Academy,” he said.

“Protecting Turkish airspace is a very serious duty”

Explaining that protecting Turkish airspace is a very serious duty, Air Pilot Major said, “This profession is a very different feeling. Protecting Turkish airspace is a very serious duty. It is a profession where knowledge is power but at the same time you need to be physically and mentally strong. Fighter piloting is all about discipline. We try not to go beyond our daily routines, from waking up in the morning until we go to bed at night. Our work starts with the general briefing and then continues with the leader briefing, flight and return briefing. ” he said.

“Our training continues throughout our professional lives”

Pointing out that being a fighter pilot requires serious discipline, work and sacrifice, Air Pilot Major said, “Our training continues throughout our professional lives. First, we receive an engineering diploma at the MSÜ Air Force Academy. At the MSÜ Air Force Academy, English language education is given great importance and English is very important for an airman.” It is important that not everyone who graduates from MSÜ Air Force Academy becomes a pilot. Those who pass certain exams then receive training on aircraft and those who complete this training become pilots of aircraft in the Turkish Air Force inventory. “Different weapons training is given to pilots by our instructor pilots in the fleets,” he said.

“Both lessons and English are very important”

Air Pilot Major also gave the following advice for young people who dream of becoming a pilot:

“Aviation is a constantly growing sector in the world and there is always a shortage of pilots. It is a very attractive career plan. First of all, English is very important because it is the language of aviation. In addition, the Air Force Academy is a department that accepts students with the highest scores in the National Defense University exams. For this reason Studying for classes is a must. Apart from this, you should have an athlete personality and make sports a routine in your life. It is also very important to have a social personality.

“MSÜ Air Force Academy will be the key not only to the skies but also to space”

Emphasizing that the defense industry in Turkey is developing day by day and that they are very proud of our own aircraft entering the inventory, Air Pilot Major said, “As the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, ‘The future is in the skies.’ This promise is so far ahead of its time that it constantly renews itself. Nowadays, Turkish aviation has started to produce its own planes. I hope that our new comrades who will enter the MSU Air Force Academy will have the honor of using the national planes produced by Turkey. “Turkey has now gone into space and become a part of the manned space mission. This means that MSU Air Force Academy will now be the key not only to the skies but also to space,” he said, congratulating all pilots on World Pilots’ Day.