The national aerobatics team Turkish Stars’ breathtaking air shows captivated the crowds of visitors at the country’s largest space and technology festival, which is set to wrap up on Sunday.
"The Turkish Stars, the seventh and final national aerobatics team of the Air Forces Command, in other words, we can call them the national team in the sky,” said Turkish Stars' Fleet Commander Lt. Col. Kemal Koyunluoğlu.
He said they are honored to perform for an enthusiastic crowd at Çiğli Airport in Türkiye's Aegean province of Izmir.
The five-day Teknofest, Türkiye's premier technology and aerospace event, kicked off on Wednesday and has featured numerous competitions, air shows, exhibitions and workshops where visitors can also experience vertical wind tunnels, simulations and planetarium shows.
"The suitability of the display location, audience safety and flight safety are evaluated, and an assessment is made based on the suitability of the display area and display flight,” he explained.
"After completing the approval process following a meeting held in at the air force, they are added to the display schedule, and we follow that schedule,” he added.
Maj. Kürşat Kömür, for his part, explained the team’s rare maneuvers that are considered their signature.
"We have a landing gear intersection maneuver where our solo leader passes through the four planes in front of the audience's eyes, a maneuver that requires courage and is rarely seen in other teams,” Kömür said.
"Another maneuver is where the team leader reverses and meets the main package of the other three planes, a special maneuver unique to the Turkish Stars, and the other three planes perform a ‘tonneau’ maneuver,” he added.
Maj. Hasan Kocabaş, the solo leader, stressed the importance of the pilots' physical and mental health. "Flying requires, first and foremost, being physically, mentally and equipment-wise at a sufficient level, and within the aerobatic team, this is at the highest level."
Maj. Mehmet Balta stated that the Turkish Stars, which were established within the Turkish Air Forces Command in 1992, began their performances with the NF-5 aircraft, which are the most suitable and beautiful aircraft for aerobatic team flights.
"With modernization, they continue their shows with the NF-5 2000 aircraft," Balta said, adding, "We hope to perform these flights with the Hürjet in the near future, and we are eagerly looking forward to adding the Hürjet to our inventory."
Maj. Gökhan Esen, for his part, said those who participated in the Turkish Stars after a long period of training and work are proud to fly the Turkish flag all over the world.
Maj. Şükrü Gümüş, who was training in the squadron, said they saw the feeling of admiration and patriotism in the audience's eyes.
