Hellenic Air Force - Early History
The year of our Lord 1911 was the year in which the Hellenic Air Force was established. Creators of this glorious branch of the Armed Forces being Eleutherios Venizelos and the TiPsiIta law passed on March 27 1911. According to this law, this force was to be established based upon French standards and prototypes.
To accomplish this, 13 officers from France were transferred to Hellas to establish the foundation with which the Hellenic Air Force could operate and expand on. The first officers to join this new branch were Dimitrios Kamperos (First Lieutenant Artillery), Mihail Moutousis (First Lieutenant Corp of Engineers), Mihail Adamidis (Second Lieutenant Cavalry), and a little later Loukas Papaloukas (First Lieutenant Infantry), Markos Drakos (First Lieutenant Artillery), and Panoutsos Notaras (Second Lieutenant Cavalry). These officers were trained in France, where they obtained their diplomas.
as part of the reorganization of the Armed Forces of the French military mission in April 1911, began the effort formation Aviation Services. In April 1912 Lt. Luke Papaloukas, Markos Drakos and Anthypilarchos Panoutsos Notaras trained as aviators at the school of Farman brothers in Etampes, near Paris. At the same time ordered the first four aircraft type Farman Henry III. The first military flight was conducted by Lieutenant Dimitrios Canberra on 13 May 1912. At Faliro, where today is the Air Force History Museum. Flights performed to two major military maneuvers for the period until 19 May 1912.
The plane quickly demonstrated its value to companies of the Army and given the marine geographic configuration of Greece began in 1912, the efforts to create Naval Aviation. Note that Demetrius Kamperos turned one of the first in Henry Farman hydroplane and tested successfully in Faliro trail - Hydra - Faliro, on 24 & 25 June 1912, showing the possibilities of using the aircraft as a means aeronautical cooperation.
Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos, as a sign of faith towards this new weapon of the Hellenic arsenal, took flight with Emmanouil Argyropoulo on February 8 1912. In the same way the impressive demonstrations chose the journalist Alexander Karamanlakis with Bleriot aircraft. In an effort to impress Karamanlakis, they chose to perform maritime journey from Athens to Rio Patras, project especially daring for the times. The lack of experience and strong winds led to ditching the Corinthian Gulf, which resulted in their drowning.
The first official flight/appearance of the Air Force is considered to be May 13 1912 for a military exercise, during which Dimitrios Kamperos flew over Paleo Faliro. The Air Force received her first aircraft, 4 Henri Farman's, on May 27 1912. The aircraft were named Dedalos, Aetos, Gyps, and Ierax by Eleutherio Venizelo.
The arrival of the aircraft allowed the formation of the first Air Force Company. The above aircraft were of course not designed for military operations, so soon after operations started, the new Maurice Farman aircraft were ordered. Pilots in the company were the officers Kamperos, Moutousis, Notaras, and Adamidis. Added to the above four, by special law, was Second Lieutenant Emmanouil Argyropoulos, who took part in the war with his privately owned aircraft. Argyropoulos also happened to be the first casualty incurred by the Air Force, when his airplane crashed on April 4 1913.
Since that first flight of May 13 1912, the Hellenic Air Force has written pages of glorious victories and of personal sacrifices for the Nation. Since the first victories over the Turks in the First Balkan War, to the untold victories taking place every day over the Aegean today, the Hellenic Air Force always provided the Nation with victories, even when numbers and odds should have proved otherwise.
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