Turkish aviator Sabiha Gokcen lived more than eighty years and flew up to the last year of her life. In gratitude for all that she has done for Turkish people, the government named after Sabiha the airport in Istanbul.
The history of this amazing woman began back in 1913 in the town of Bursa, known today as a tourist center in Turkey. Little Sabiha was born there in a town destroyed during the First World War and suffering from hunger... In modern times, researchers put forward the original version of the birth of a cult Turkish woman. Ostensibly, she was one of the survivors after the Armenian massacres of children who got to an orphanage and became adopted by the Turks. Is it true or not, we'll never know. In any case, it just makes the honor to Sabiha's parents - real or adoptive. And her parent was nobody else than ... Ataturk himself! The head of the Turkish Republic saw a 12-year-old girl in an orphanage, adopted her and took to Istanbul.
Ataturk had eight adopted children, all of them became outstanding people. His daughters became historians, his sons - scientists and soldiers. All children, including Sabiha, were raised strictly but with love. Children responded Ataturk with love, and for little Sabiha distinguished by delicate constitution, her father was in general an object of deification. And when Ataturk once mentioned that he would like to see someone from his children to be a pilot, Sabiha decided that it was her future. Her father was even glad and allowed the girl to attend performances of glider pilots and learn to fly. As not to be afraid of heights, Sabiha spent her day hanging head first on the railing of her father's house and walking along Istanbul bridges, looking down.
When she began to learn to fly for real, her teachers immediately noted Sabiha's abilities. Female pilot was doing amazing acrobatics and complicated figures in the air and in a short time became so popular that in her honor they even called the children! Meanwhile Gokcen (that in Turkish means "heavenly") continued to amaze. She decided to learn how... to skydive. Of course, the girl managed to do this, and she shocked the Turks during the demonstrations.
Sabiha's flight merits were so great and undeniable that the Turkish Government decided to name the second airport of Istanbul in her honour. The first international airport had the name of Ataturk. But not only the civil aviation limited Gokcen's contribution to the development of her country. This girl became also... the first military pilot in Turkey. Risking her live, she participated in military operations during the Second World War.
Gokcen lived almost ninety years. She was flying to the last as a civilian pilot, of course. In 1996 Gokcen was honored to get on "20 most famous pilots in history" poster as the only female pilot. It was published by request of the U.S. Air Force, and for a pilot it is probably the most significant recognition...
