Farrukh Gayibov

Russian pilot of Azerbaijani ancestry

Farrukh agha Mammad Karim agha oghlu Gayibov (, ; 2 October 1891 — 12 September 1916) was a Russian pilot of Azerbaijani ancestry, and participant in World War I. He is considered to be the first Azerbaijani pilot.

Farrukh's father, Mammad Karim agha, was as cadet in the 4th Muslim (Azerbaijanis) Life Guards of the Caucasian squadron of the Emperors own convoy, in the 1870s. After the completion of his military service, he was transferred to be a warrant officer of a militia. In subsequent years, Mammad Kerim agha worked as head of the court in Kazakhsky Uyezd of the Elisabethpol Governorate, a police officer at the Dzhevanshirsky Uyezd of Elisabethpol Governorate. On 30 August 1894 Mammad Kerim agha was awarded the Third Class Order of Saint Stanislaus for exceptional military service. His father died before his birth. Farrukh agha Gayibov was born on 2 October 1891 in the Girag Salahly village of Kazakhsky Uyezd. He was raised by his uncle on his father's side, the prominent academic and public figure Samad agha Gayibov. Farukh agha studied five years at the Russian Azerbaijan school in his native village, and then he continued his education at Tbilisi Cadet Corps, following Ali Agha Shikhlinski's advice. After his graduation on 16 June 1910 with honors, he entered Konstantinovskiy Artillery School. He was distinguished for being observant, having courage, and skill with firing guns. There Farrukh agha was awarded a golden watch of the Swiss company "Pavel Bure". Graduating from Artillery School, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and was transferred to the second artillery battalion of the 39th artillery brigade of the 1st Caucasian Army Corps of Jelaus tract, where he was assigned as junior officer of the 4th battery.

Farrukh agha took part in the Caucasus Campaign of World Was I. On 31 August 1915 he was promoted to first lieutenant. On 3 February 1916 Gayibov was sent to the Western Front and attached to the squadron of airships. On 21 May he was assigned as artillery officer of "Ilya Muromets № 16" airship, which had been built by I. I. Sikorsky in Saint Petersburg, a Russo Balt factory. On the eve of the war, Russia had the largest air fleet among the belligerents: 244 airplanes in 39 squadrons. By the beginning of the hostilities, there were 221 pilots, 170 officers, 35 lower rank officers and 16 volunteers in the Russian air fleet. The logistics of the beginning of the war proved to be inefficient with petrol, castor oil, spares, tents and other aviation supplies. Airplanes routinely wrecked in the dry field circumstances, especially with bad weather, when there was scarcity of tents and moveable hangars, usage of areas of little avail for airdromes. After the first months of the war, many squadrons had to be taken back to home to be supplied with new equipment and retrained. Gayibov was in combat fights on board the "Ilya Muromets № 16" airship, and raided enemy positions.

On 12 September 1916 a raid was conducted under the command of Colonel Brant's General Staff, with an air squadron of two airplanes including the "Ilya Muromets", and 13 instruments. The aim of the raid was Baruny, 12 versts from the enemy front line, and the nearest district, where, according to reports, the staff of a German division was based, at the junction of a narrow gauge railway, together with artillery and quartermaster's storehouses and airdrome. Farrukh's squadron penetrated into Krevo and dropped 100 pound bombs, forcing the enemy to retreat. Six days later, on 18 September 1916, The Petrogradskiye Izvestiya newspaper wrote: "General headquarters report that our airplanes invaded the enemy's rear in the Western front in Borun Krevo district. Various posts were exploded by accurate bomb attacks, and storehouses of the enemy were set on fire. Transportation facilities, railway stations, and automobiles were also destroyed. Farrukh agha Gayibov and his team entered the battle with the enemy and destroyed four German airplanes. After destroying two Albatros airplanes, they fell into enemy's territory and perished".

On 8 November 1915 Farrukh agha Gaibov was awarded the Third Class Order of Saint Stanislaus with swords and bow, and on 14 December, the Fourth Class Order of St. Anna with the "For Bravery" legend on it. In 1916, he was awarded the Second Class Order of Saint Stanislaus with swords. On 26 January 1917 F. Gayibov was awarded the Second Class Order of St. Anna with swords (posthumously). On 14 March he was awarded the Third Class Order of St. Anna. On 25 March, as a lieutenant of 39th artillery brigade who died in air battle with his enemy, Farrukh agha Gayibov was posthumously awarded the Fourth Class Order of St. George.