It has been 10 years since the first show of SOLOTÜRK, a gift to the Turkish nation on the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Air Force. Continuing its activities at Konya 3rd Main Jet Base, the team from 132nd Weapons and Tactic Fleet Command includes 2 pilots, 1 press and public relations officer and 9 aircraft maintenance personnel.
Major Emre Mert, one of the pilots of SOLOTÜRK, emphasized that SOLOTÜRK planes are no different from other warplanes, “SOLOTÜRK planes are the same as the other planes we use in operations. When I climb to 53,000 feet above Konya, I could see the Mediterranean and the Black Sea at the same time. In the demonstrations, we have an altitude of up to a minimum of 100 feet (30 meters) and a maximum of 15,000 feet (4,500 meters)” he said.
“The control system is an aircraft based on electrical systems. It is an aircraft designed with a very clear and wide field of view. An aircraft with very good maneuverability, very small turning radius. An aircraft that combines all the supporting elements of the show is the F-16. For this reason, the F-16 was preferred for SOLOTÜRK” another SOLOTÜRK pilot Captain Serdar Doğan said.
Ali Gözeten – Sinan Yeniçeri