Türkiye's first unmanned combat aircraft, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, performs autonomous maneuvers in the sky, while a female engineer leads the team guiding it at the ground control station. Elif Ergin, the KIZILELMA Pilot Team Leader, who started working at Baykar with a background in Surveying Engineering and Mathematics, recounted her journey from the TB2 to the AKINCI and the challenging training processes of flying the unmanned combat aircraft of the future.
While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often associated with fully autonomous systems, human intelligence and command capabilities lie behind them. Elif Ergin, who has been working at Baykar for 5.5 years and has been involved in critical projects, stands out as one of the key figures leading this team. After leaving her career abroad and returning to Türkiye, Ergin decided to join the Baykar family and is currently leading the pilot team for KIZILELMA, one of Türkiye's most important projects.
From Mathematics and Engineering to Ground Piloting
Elif Ergin's career journey is based on a multidisciplinary background. In addition to her undergraduate degree in Surveying Engineering, she also studied mathematics and holds a master's degree in Geographic Information Technologies. Ergin applies this analytical acumen to UAV operations.
Ergin began his career at Baykar with the Bayraktar TB2, one of the world's most well-known UAVs. After completing theoretical, simulation, and flight training there, he moved on to the Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA project. Today, he is one of the rare ground pilots capable of flying the TB2, AKINCI, and KIZILELMA, and he leads the KIZILELMA ground crew.
How to Become a KIZILELMA Pilot?
Ergin points out that, contrary to popular belief, the training process for a UAV pilot is very challenging and consists of gradual stages. He states that the training processes consist of the following stages:
Theoretical Training and Examination Process
At this stage, trainees undergo intensive technical and theoretical training. At the end of the training, they are subjected to a rigorous exam.
Simulation Training
Trainees who pass the theoretical exam continue their flight training in simulators before the actual flight.
30 Sorties of Real Flight Training
Candidates who complete the simulation begin real flight operations, consisting of at least 30 sorties. Ergin describes this process as follows:“Each of these sorties is a test.”He summarizes it with these words.
Tireless Watchman Akıncı, Game-Changing Red Apple
Ergin, who has witnessed the development of Turkish aviation with his 5.5 years of experience, describes the platforms he uses as follows: Bayraktar AKINCI, with its operational altitude, ammunition capacity, and flight duration, is a tireless observer and strategic force in the skies of the homeland. Bayraktar KIZILELMA, on the other hand, is changing Türkiye's defense concept and is a game-changer for the future.
A Message from Elif Ergin to Women: Follow in Sabiha Gökçen's Footsteps
Elif Ergin, mentioning that it was a great source of pride for her to be part of such a critical system for the benefit of the country, made a special point about young people and especially women in her interview.
Adult, “May our young female sisters never give up on taking their dreams beyond the horizon. May they continue to advance in the footsteps of Sabiha Gökçen, the spiritual daughter of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who illuminated our path by saying, ”The future is in the skies.’” She emphasized the pioneering role of modern Turkish women in aviation.
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