Bedriye Tahir

Bedriye Tahir (also known as Bedriye Tahir Gökmen) was an aviator from Turkey. She was the first Turkish woman to earn a pilot licence.

Life

Tahir trained at the Vecihi Hurkus Private Flying School and earned her licence in 1933. However, her employer did not approve of her flying, and reduced her salary as a punishment. Nevertheless, she graduated from the flying school in 1934 and applied to the Undersecretary of the Airforce to confirm her licence. The office sent a team of inspectors to the school, however unfortunately due to an accident the school did not have any aircraft available for Tahir to use to demonstrate her skills. The team did not return and the school closed later the same year.

A Turkish parachutist, Abdurrahman Turkkusu, gave her the nickname Gökmen Baci ("big sister of the blue skies). In 1934, when the Turkish Surname Law was introduced, she took the surname Gökmen.