Hatice Nur Gündoğdu, the middle child of the three children of the Gündoğdu family living in Çanakkale, successfully completed high school to realize her childhood dream of becoming a psychologist. Hatice, who was admitted to the psychology department of a private university in Istanbul, started working in the ground services department of an airline company in order to cover her expenses throughout her education. However, the time he spent here changed his life radically and made him decide to become a pilot.
The First and Only Female Pilot in Turkey
After working as a cabin crew member on airlines and private jets, he headed to a flight school to receive pilot training. His success here introduced him to sport aviation. Hatice, as Turkey’s first and only female pilot, carried out the pre-flight field planning work of the mapping engineers with the ultralight aircraft she used. His achievements in this field made him a figure that attracted the attention of the aviation community.
Support for Young Aviators
Hatice Nur Gündoğdu, who served as the Head of Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) Bursa Branch for more than a year, donated all the income she earned from the sky photographs she has taken since 2016 to the education of young people interested in aviation and children with diabetes It implemented a European Union project called ‘Those Who Look at the Sky with Hope are on an Internship in Europe’ and provided internship opportunities in Europe to young people in aviation schools with grant support. This year, Hatice also introduced foreign pilots who came to Turkey with 40 planes to young aviators in many provinces with a tour she organized.
‘Being a Pilot Was Not My Dream’
Hatice Nur Gündoğdu was nominated by the Turkish Aeronautical Association as the only pilot representing Turkey in the ‘The FAI Silver Medal’ category organized by the FAI. She states that she is the first and only female pilot in Turkey to fly gyrocopter rotary wing ultralight aircraft. In his statement to the DHA reporter before the flight, he said, “Being a pilot was not my dream like other people. Since there are no planes in the sky in the area where I live, you cannot imagine something you cannot see. I “I wanted to study psychology and I succeeded. I got into the psychology department at a private university in Istanbul.” “For this reason, I started working in ground services at a private airline company. One day, I was assigned to take a child traveling alone to the plane. At that moment, I said, ‘I should be here’. I received the “It is necessary training to become a pilot and I have been doing this job for 10 years.” he said
Passion for Flying and Photography
Stating that he uses the SL600 type ultralight aircraft for aerial mapping missions, Gündoğdu said, “There is only one of this aircraft in Turkey. I learned that gyrocopters used for sports and hobby purposes have different service areas. Its difference from a helicopter is that it is lighter, more economical in terms of fuel, and easier to take off and land. “I started flying with this aircraft and taking photographs from the sky,” he said. Gündoğdu, who also uses many single-engine aircraft models, is receiving special training to operate twin-engine jet aircraft.
Visual Show Dream
Stating that she participated in various aviation-related competitions, Hatice Nur Gündoğdu said, “The first award I received was the award I received from the International Air Sports Federation (FAI). I am one of this award given to only 26 people in the world. I am proud of this situation. This year, Turkish Aeronautical Association “I was nominated by the FAI for the silver medal, which is given to only one person in the world. I am very happy and I would like to receive this silver medal. My future goal is to form a team with women using gyrocopters and organize a visual show. I believe I will achieve this,” she shared her dreams.
