8 February 1914

To exhibit the skill of Turkish pilots, a "Cairo Expedition" was announced at the beginning of 1914. Two airplanes - a Bleriot XI and a Deperdussin - took off on February 8th 1914 to attempt the 1,470 mile trip from Istanbul to Alexandria, Egypt. The Bleriot XI crashed near the Lake of Galilee and its two pilots were killed. The Deperdussin crashed into the Mediterranean; one pilot drowned in the accident, while the other survived. Another Bleriot finally completed the "Cairo Expedition" successfully in May 1914.