preparations, the formalities with the Iranian and Turkish authorities for transit and customs were also taken care of. The Turkish Ambassador sent us the approval of his ministry in a special document. We could fly and everything went smoothly. First day to Tabriz, second morning to Diarbekir. Once again this place brought great trouble, but this time of quite a different kind. As soon as we landed, officers and men threw themselves on us. There were a few acquaintances among them, and they asked us, quite astonished, where we came from and what we wanted, and who gave us permission to land at a Turkish army airfield in the war zone. I pulled out our papers but, to my great surprise, was told they were worthless. A permit from the Foreign Office is irrelevant for the military. Only the general staff could issue such a statement. Since we do not have it, since we are in a war zone, since we have continued to fly over areas that are forbidden for everyone, the plane is confiscated for the time being and we are prisoners, until further instructions are received from Ankara on our behalf. We were treated well, we were billeted, the officers were friendly, but all my protests were in vain. We had to wait for the decision from Ankara, and this waiting was different from the last time. For now summer, scorching summer, was especially unbearable in Diarbekir, because that city is built entirely of black stones, which soak up the heat of the day and let it out at night. I don't like to think about what we went through back then. And no answer came. Days passed, the commanding general did not want to make a decision; whatever I said was listened to politely but fell on deaf ears. But even this dreadful time came to an end. One day an officer came and informed us that the telegram had arrived. And what did it say? Order to fly back to Persia! This was what we least expected! I tried to explain to them that it made no sense if we were to fly again over the forbidden area east of the Tigris up to the Persian border, where the rebellious Kurds were based. I asked if the land to the west was also banned. They replied, no, it was not closed, nevertheless we weren't allowed to go forward since we had flown in illegally. As absurd as the decision seemed to me, we had to submit. In our hearts, of course, we planned that, once again in the air, we would turn around and fly west towards Ankara. The matter would probably be solved more easily there than here with the stubborn officers and their aversion to diplomats and foreign office permits. But as if the gentlemen had been thought-readers, a colonel warned me most seriously before leaving. If we disobeyed, we would have to be shot at by the war machines that would accompany us to observe. If we escaped anyway, the plane would be confiscated and a large sum of money would have to be paid as a fine. Under the circumstances, all we could do was gnash our teeth as we flew over the forbidden area back towards Iran. Two days later we landed back in Tehran. I then travelled south to Europe. In order to make up for lost time - I had been summoned urgently - despite heat and ill health I rushed through Baghdad, Palmyra, Homs, Beirut, Haifa, Cairo, Alexandria with such haste that I set a record for the trip from Tehran to Beirut , who was much talked about and which could not be beaten for several years. However, I arrived at the Mediterranean Sea in a condition that was more than miserable. Resa Shah had recognised and correctly assessed the future of the airplane and its importance for aviation at an early stage. He therefore had the greatest personal influence on the development of military aviation, had an assembly plant built for military aircraft and founded an aviation club that aimed to train civilian pilots. After the Second World War, air traffic in Iran prospered greatly. Aeroplanes became the most important means of transport both domestically and abroad. The largest airlines fly to Iranian ports, so that Tehran suddenly moved very close to Europe. It is in the nature of the country that, because of its vast extent, it has only a very wide-meshed network of important settlements. That alone makes it highly desirable to cover long distances without stopping, and that's why the internal air traffic is developing faster than in many European countries. This air service is operated by Iranian companies using only Iranian personnel. They also fly to some foreign capitals. Aviation had a peculiar effect on pilgrimages to Mecca. This pilgrimage, prescribed to every Mohammedan as
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