On April 29, 1957, Prodan Stoyanov Tarakchiev - Bulgarian officer, colonel, died. One of the first Bulgarian pilots and creators of Bulgarian military aviation. In 1908, he graduated from the Military School in Sofia and served as an officer in the 11th Sliven Infantry Regiment.
He participated in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) as an observer pilot. On October 16, 1912, together with the pilot Radul Milkov, he made a combat flight with an airplane over the Karaagach station and dropped distress signals and hand bombs over the Turkish positions. He graduated from an aviation school in Gatchina (Russia).
During World War I, he served in the First Aeroplane Division (1915-1918). After the war, he was the head of the Aeroplane School.
He was born on November 12, 1885 in Sliven, Klutsohor district. He studied at the Second Primary School "Hristo Botev". He graduated from the Military School in Sofia in 1908 and served as an officer in the Eleventh Sliven Infantry Regiment.
He was the assistant head of the Aeroplane School and head of balloon groups. He participated in the Balkan Wars (1912 - 1913) as an observer pilot and also provided the balloon of the 1st Balloon Division near Edirne. He was granted admission to study at the St. Petersburg Aviation School after successfully passing an exam, recalls "On the Square".
On October 16, 1912, Colonel Prodan Tarakchiev, together with Colonel Radul Milkov, were assigned to conduct reconnaissance of the enemy with an "Albatross" plane. At the same time, the crew was given the task of bombing a military facility at Karaagach station. There are disputes about what exactly was achieved by the crew and therefore the significance of their work.
It is accepted that this was the first combat flight of the Bulgarian aviation, but the claim that they maintain in their memoirs, written dozens of years later, that it was also the first in world aviation is also questioned.
Documents confirm that the combat flight was reconnaissance, and in the combat log of the Aeroplane Department the event is reflected very briefly, along with other data on the activities carried out during the day:
„Flight of an „Albatros“ aircraft to Edirne and back, piloted by Lieutenant Milkov with a passenger Lieutenant Tarakchiev. … The landing gear of the aircraft broke upon landing. “ Documents also confirm that the first Bulgarian bombardment of an enemy target was carried out by the crew of Giovanni Sabelli and Major Vasil Zlatarov on November 17, 1912. Data is also provided that world analogues of these events occurred earlier.