Seventh Acroteam - Turkish Stars
No regularly-performing acroteam was formed between 1971 and 1992. Turkish Air Force, which had decided to establish an aerobatic team after a 20-year break, commenced activities in 1992 in order to realize the project. Through the directives of the Air Force Commander Halis Burhan, activities in order to form an acroteam were initiated in 1992; and the authorization for the creation of an acroteam within the 132nd Weapons Tactics and Standardization Squadron Command of the 3rd Main Jet Base Command (Konya).was obtained on September 11 1992.
As the establishment and inspection activities were carried out, the decision to form an acroteam with NF-5 type aircraft within 132nd Squadron was issued on November 7, 1992. In the meantime, the four pilots who would constitute the core of this acroteam were selected.The aerobatic flight plan and the detailed flight plans was prepared and presented to the Air Force Commander Halis Burhan; and the first trainings were started. The entire training, both within the nation and abroad, was successfully completed on January 1993.
From 1993 TO 2000: In 1993, dual wing training was started and soon, after five sorties, the result was a success. Later on, the right and left wing pilot training was initiated and the four-ship-wing training followed.In the time being, members of this acroteam were sent for further research and training to Canada, the U.K. and Italy.In order to reinforce the working safety and improve the activities of the acroteam, the smoke system and coloring were re-introduced, as well as further precautions taken for flight safety of the NF-5 type aircraft on April 27, 1993.
As the activities continued, the Turkish Stars acroteam performed before the authorities and other guests with four planes during the last day of the Fire-Range Contest of the Turkish Air Force on June 19,1993 in the 4th Main Jet Base Command (Akıncı/Ankara). After this performance of the Turkish Stars assumed the squadron status and has been considered to be the youngest supersonic aerobatics teams of the world.
In August 1993 several modifications and painting activities started within 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center (Eskişehir).During this period, the trainings for five-planed and six-planed wing flights were started, the modifications and maintenance were accelerated.Nine NF-5A and one NF-5B aircraft which had been under maintenance were given back to the Turkish Stars in perfect condition in July 1994.In October 5, the team was introduced to the public in 1994 during the F-16 Activation Celebrations within the 8th Main Jet Base Command (Diyarbakır) and during the ceremonies conducted for the Day of the Republic in October 29 1994 in Ankara.
Besides, the Turkish Stars performed its first seven-planed demonstration before many national and foreign guests during observer day of the "Distant Thunder-95" exercises in Eskişehir on April 20 1995. In Baku/Azerbaycan on August 24 2001, Turkish Stars performed a display to an audience of over a million people, that is to be a world record.Turkish Stars performed their 100th demonstration on October 29, 2000 at the Day of the Republic activities in Ankara.
The activities in order to upgrade the show package to eight aircraft for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of the demonstration were initiated in 2003/2004 Educational and Training Year.The first show by an 8 aircraft formation was performed on March 30, 2004. The 200th show was performed in Türkiye/Rize on July 03, 2004, 300th show was performed on August 8, 2008 Florennes/Belgium, 400th show performed in Girne/Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on November 15, 2012 and 500th show was performed on August 26, 2018 Türkiye/Afyonkarahisar.
