Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria marks 111th anniversary of the first combat flight

Photo: www.lostbulgaria.com

A ceremony today will mark the 111th anniversary of the first combat flight of the military aviation and the Day of the Air Force. Wreaths will be laid in front of the Pilot's Monument near the National Assembly in Sofia in memory of the pilots who lost their lives during wartime and in peacetime.

111 years ago, on October 16, 1912, lieutenants Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev with their "Albatross" plane performed a reconnaissance flight over the Edirne fortress and managed to throw hand grenades over Karaagac station. The date of the first combat flight in the history of European aviation - October 16, has been accepted as an official holiday of the Air Force of the Republic of Bulgaria.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rain by the evening, temperatures remain warm for the season

Saturday will start off with lows between 6°C and 11°C, dropping to around 6°C in Sofia. Skies will brighten for a time over northern Bulgaria before turning cloudy again later, with rain moving in by evening and overnight. Cloudy spells are also..

published on 10/24/25 7:05 PM

Bulgaria expresses support for Lithuania following Russian incursion

"Bulgaria expresses strong solidarity with Lithuania following Russia's repeated violations of European airspace, a clear example of deliberate breaches of international law and the territorial integrity of our allies and partners," the Bulgarian..

published on 10/24/25 5:32 PM
Sofia University

Over 63% of Ukrainian students in Bulgaria are ethnic Bulgarians

In the 2024/2025 academic year, 2,104 students from Ukraine were studying at Bulgarian universities , according to the Ministry of Education. Of these, 1,750 were pursuing bachelor’s degrees, 304 were in master’s programmes, and 50 were enrolled in..

published on 10/24/25 5:22 PM