Hot-wire measurements are performed in boundary layers developing on a NACA0012 airfoil over which wakes pass periodically. The Reynolds number based on chord length of the airfoil is 2$ imes$10(sup)5 and the wakes are generated by circular cylinders rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around the airfoil. This paper and its companion Part II describe the phenomena of wake-induced transition of the boundary layers on the airfoil using measured data; phase-and time-averaged streamwise mean velocities, turbulent fluctuations, integral parameters and wall skin frictions. This paper describes the background and facility together with results of time-averaged quantities. Due to the passing wake with mean velocity defects and high turbulence intensities, the laminar boundary layer is periodically disturbed at the upstream station and becomes steady-state transitional boundary layer at the downstream station. The velocity defect in the passing wake changes the local pressure at the leading of the airfoil, significantly affects the time-mean pressure distribution on the airfoil and eventually, has influence on the transition process of the boundary layer.