The Most Famous
PILOTS from Türkiye
Top 3
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Turkish Pilots of all time. This list of famous Turkish Pilots is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Sabiha Gökçen (1913 - 2001)
With an HPI of 71.96, Sabiha Gökçen is the most famous Turkish Pilot. Her biography has been translated into 52 different languages on wikipedia.
Sabiha Gökçen (Turkish: [sabiˈha ɟøcˈtʃɛn]; 22 March 1913 – 22 March 2001) was a Armenian aviator who is known for bombing Alevi separatists in Tunceli on Ataturk's orders. During her flight career, she flew around 8,000 hours and participated in 32 different military operations. She became the world's first female fighter pilot, at age 23. As an orphan, she was one of the nine children adopted by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. She is recognized as the first female combat pilot by The Guinness Book of World Records and was selected as the only female pilot for the poster of "The 20 Greatest Aviators in History" published by the United States Air Force in 1996. Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the second airport in Istanbul, is named after her.
2. Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi (1609 - 1640)
With an HPI of 64.41, Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi is the 2nd most famous Turkish Pilot. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi (Ottoman Turkish: هزارفنّ أحمد چلبی,, lit. 'Polymath Ahmed the wise'; 1609 – 1640) was an Ottoman scientist, inventor, chemist, astronomer, physician, Andalusi musician, and poet from Istanbul, reported in the writings of traveler Evliya Çelebi to have achieved sustained unpowered flight.
3. Ahmet Ali Çelikten (1883 - 1969)
With an HPI of 56.56, Ahmet Ali Çelikten is the 3rd most famous Turkish Pilot. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Ahmet Ali Çelikten (born İzmirli Alioğlu Ahmed; 1883 – 24 June 1969), also known as İzmirli Ali Ahmet (English: Ahmet Ali from İzmir), was a Turkish aviator of Afro-Turkish descent regarded as the first black pilot in history. He was one of the first black men to become a fighter pilot, receiving his "wings" in 1914. He was one of the few black pilots in World War I, similar to African American Eugene Jacques Bullard (flying for France), William Robinson Clarke from Jamaica (flying for Britain), Pierre Réjon from Martinique (flying for France) and Domenico Mondelli from Eritrea (flying for Italy). Ahmet's maternal grandmother was born in Bornu (now in Nigeria) and was brought to what is now Turkey as part of the Ottoman slave trade.
People
Pantheon has 3 people classified as Turkish pilots born between 1609 and 1913. Of these 3, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased Turkish pilots include Sabiha Gökçen, Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi, and Ahmet Ali Çelikten. As of April 2024, 1 new Turkish pilots have been added to Pantheon including Ahmet Ali Çelikten.
Deceased Turkish Pilots
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Sabiha Gökçen
1913 - 2001
HPI: 71.96
Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi
1609 - 1640
HPI: 64.41
Ahmet Ali Çelikten
1883 - 1969
HPI: 56.56
