Eskişehir fest welcomes dozens of parachutists

ESKİŞEHİR

The Sivrihisar International Sport Aviation Center has organized the fifth edition of the “Skydiving Fest,” raking scores of parachutists across the country together in the central province of Eskişehir.

In the fest held in a facility, some 50 parachute athletes used two model planes, an Antonov An-2 and a Cessna 172, to reach a height of 3,500 meters before they jumped into the void.

The vice chairman of the aviation center’s organizing committee Işıl Görenoğlu has stated that the festival begins in the wee small hours of the morning.

“It is a very nice, sunny day. The jumps started at 5.30 a.m. and have been continuing since then,” she said, adding that though the event is specific to the parachutists, citizens of all ages are allowed to come and enjoy the show.

Mustafa Kavak, one of the parachutists who participated in the event and has been doing the sport for 36 years, has expressed his gratitude for the aviation center’s great efforts in providing the parachutists with rare opportunities.

“Every parachutist has access to this fantastic chance offered by Sivrihisar Aviation Center. They gave us a ton of opportunities. They assigned two planes and offered us lodging. We spent the night here; it is such a great place. It is the only place for such an event in Türkiye. We do jumps here for free, and this is very valuable for parachute athletes who do not have such opportunities," he said.

Semin Öztürk Şener, Türkiye’s first and only professional female aerobatic pilot, has also performed a glamorous show within the scope of the parachute festival.

Şener's performance, which featured expertly executed power moves in the air, garnered a lot of interest from the audience.

Remarking that she was pleased to host all the parachutists across the country in their facility, Şener said, “It is such a nice day. The weather is nice, too. I am glad I performed a demonstration flight following the show parachutists put on with their colorful parachutes.”