When is World Pilots’ Day?
World Pilots’ Day is celebrated annually on April 26. We commemorate this day each year in honor of our pilots – who have safely carried millions of passengers around the world, reunited them with loved ones, and been instrumental in writing new stories. We thank our pilots from the bottom of our hearts!
The History of World Pilots’ Day
Although World Pilots’ Day has a relatively brief history, it is highly significant. The Turkish Airline Pilots Association sought to highlight the importance in the history of aviation of Türkiye’s first pilot, Fesa Evrensev, who was born in 1878. Thus, the Association first declared April 26 as Pilots’ Day in 2013. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) had determined that a common special day for pilots around the world was necessary. As the IFALPA was aware of the importance of the first flight of Mehmet Fesa Evrensev on April 26, and Everensev’s subsequent place in the history of Turkish aviation, the Federation designated April 26 to be World Pilots’ Day in 2014 – exactly one year after the Turkish April 26 designation.
Who was Fesa Evrensev?
Fesa Evrensev was our first pilot – the holder of Badge Number 1 – and he was also the first General Manager of Turkish Airlines. Evrensev was a young and talented pilot who had been trained in France. As the first certified Turkish pilot to graduate, with Badge Number 780, Mehmet Fesa Evrensev has a unique place in our aviation history.
And Türkiye’s women pilots
As we celebrate World Pilots’ Day, we want to highlight our women pilots. Türkiye’s first female pilot was Bedriye Tahir Gökmen. Emel Arman, who was the first woman pilot to work in commercial flights, starting from 1993, was also Turkish Airlines’ first woman pilot and the airline’s first woman captain. Arman, who is still with Turkish Airlines, flew in the co-pilot’s chair of the Airbus 340. However, the firsts achieved by Arman – who flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1997 to New York, USA and became the “first Turkish woman pilot to cross the ocean” – include many more accomplishments.
In more recent history, on March 29, 2016, on a Turkish Airlines long-haul flight, there were two female captains in the cockpit for the first time. Emel Arman and Ferihan Işık flew from Chicago to İstanbul in 10 hours. Today, they successfully continue to inspire many young women on their way to becoming pilots.
The question on the minds of young sky lovers: How to become a pilot?
Becoming a pilot, making the skies one’s home, and safely transporting countless passengers to other worlds is a dream for many talented young people. You can get one step closer to your dream of becoming a pilot by following Turkish Airlines’ pilot candidate announcements. We wish all pilots and pilot candidates a fulfilling career above the clouds and congratulations to all pilots and pilot candidates!
