Türkiye’s youngest female solo flight pilot joins TIME’s list of inspiring girls

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s youngest female pilot to complete a solo flight has been named to U.S.-based TIME magazine’s “Girls of the Year” list, which honors ten young leaders worldwide for their courage, creativity and positive impact on society.

Defne Özcan, a 17-year-old high school student from the northwestern city of Bursa, began her flight training journey with the objective of earning the ultralight pilot certification.

“Being included in TIME was unexpected, and I was very surprised,” she told the press, reflecting on her achievement.

To fulfill her dreams of connecting with the sky, Özcan first joined an amateur aviation certification program in 2023.

After completing six hours of flight and ten hours of ground instruction, she continued her training, completing 18 hours of flight across 13 missions with five instructor pilots before achieving her first solo flight last year.

She then said it felt particularly meaningful to accomplish it on the 101st anniversary of Türkiye’s founding, following in the footsteps of the nation’s first female pilot, Sabiha Gökçen.

While aviation remains central to her life, Özcan plans to pursue a career in mechanical engineering, following her father’s path.

She sees her early solo flight not only as a personal milestone but also as a way to inspire and raise awareness in society.

Along with Özcan, TIME’s list includes nine other remarkable young women, aged 12-17, making a global impact.

Among the honorees is 15-year-old French singer Zoe Clauzure, who won the 2023 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with her anti-bullying pop anthem Coeur and became the youngest-ever Peace Ambassador for the Non-Violence Project in 2024.

The list also features 17-year-old Mexican racing pilot Ivanna Richards, who dreams of competing in the male-dominated world of Formula 1 and participated in test drives for the women-only F1 Academy Championship.

Others include 12-year-old German scientist Clara Proksch and 15-year-old Japanese Olympic skater Coco Yoshizawa, who won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.