First Flights in Serbia

At the dawn of the 20th century, Belgrade became a key location for pioneering aviation activities in the Balkans. The city’s residents showed great interest in flight from the very beginning, and early demonstrations of aviation prowess quickly captivated the public. Both local enthusiasts and foreign aviators contributed to establishing Belgrade as one of the birthplaces of aviation in Southeast Europe.

Kalfa Manojlo (1841)

One of the earliest known flight attempts in Belgrade took place in November 1841, when Kalfa Manojlo tried to fly using a self-made apparatus with wings and a parachute-like device. He launched from the building of the Customs House (“Đumrukana”), near today’s Hotel Bristol. The flight ended with a fall into snow, and Ottoman authorities reportedly took him into custody. Though unsuccessful, the event marked an important symbolic beginning.

Dr. Vladimir Aleksić (1909)

On October 17, 1909, Dr. Vladimir Aleksić flew a twin-wing glider of his own design in Pančevo. The glider was launched using a rubber rope catapult and reached an altitude of 15 meters. Sadly, Aleksić passed away in 1911 before he could motorize his aircraft, missing the chance to become one of the country’s earliest powered flight pioneers.

Rudolf Simon (1910)

Czech aviator Rudolf Simon flew over the Banjica area in September 1910 using a monoplane powered by a 30 HP Anzani engine. His flights covered several hundred meters. On September 21, his plane crashed, though he was unharmed. Despite the accident, Simon’s appearance marked the first powered flight above Belgrade and generated major public interest.

Boris Maslenikov (1910–1911)

Shortly after Simon, Russian pilot Boris Maslenikov flew a Farman aircraft with a 50 HP Gnome engine in late 1910 and early 1911, also over Banjica. He completed over ten flights. Among his passengers were Prince Đorđe Karađorđević and the wife of the Russian ambassador Hartwig, the first woman to fly in Belgrade.

Jan Čermak (1911)

Jan Čermak, a Czech-trained pilot, flew a biplane over Banjica in the spring of 1911, completing approximately 25–30 flights. One of his flights ended with a forced landing due to engine failure, but he was uninjured.

Edvard Rusjan (1911)

Slovenian aviator Edvard Rusjan performed a flight from the lower Kalemegdan area on January 9, 1911. Despite strong winds (the “košava”), he attempted the flight in his own aircraft. Tragically, he crashed along the Sava riverbank and did not survive. He is considered the first pilot to die in an aviation accident in Serbia.

Dragiša Stojadinović (1912)

In 1912, Dragiša Stojadinović became the first Serbian to fly an airplane in Belgrade. He piloted a Bleriot aircraft purchased from Mihajlo Merčep (a Serb from Zagreb). The plane used the same engine once flown by Simon. Unfortunately, it was later destroyed when the hangar collapsed.

Agafonov (1912)

Russian pilot Agafonov flew an R.E.P. aircraft over Banjica in 1912. The plane had been confiscated while being shipped to the Ottoman military. During a return flight from Niš, Agafonov crash-landed, but the aircraft was repaired and handed over to the Serbian Supreme Command.

Early Enthusiasts and Builders

Bane Nušić, Srbobran Stanojević, Đorđe Roš, and brothers Aleksandar and Jovica Deroko were young Serbian enthusiasts who carefully followed aviation developments abroad, attended early flights at Banjica, and began building gliders and models. They tested their aircraft around Košutnjak and Prokop, achieving varying levels of success.

Kosta Miletić

Kosta Miletić was Serbia’s first military aviator and the founder of organized military aviation in the country. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1895 and from the Aeronautical-Technical School in Petrograd. He became the first commander of the Aeronautical Command and the Air Squadron of the Serbian Army.