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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| China readies squadron of chick pilots, with pics |
| 2009-04-05 |
| The first batch of female pilots to fly Chinese fighter jets will make their debut - and history - at the National Day parade on October 1, it was announced yesterday. All 16 women, who range from 21 to 24 years old, graduated with distinction in five final assessments after 44 months of training at the Third Flying College, the First Flying College and the Aviation University of People's Liberation Army Air Force, reported Xinhua News Agency. With pics! Click the link and then page through the article, lots of pics. And their reward will be becoming the first female pilots involved in the National Day celebrations, which this year will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China. Deng Changyou, political commissar for the air force who attended the pilots' graduation ceremony, said China had finally fulfilled a dream, while an official who refused to be named told Xinhua: "Due to the improvements in flying ability, the accumulation of training experience and modern military needs, we've started to train women combat pilots and the air force plans to increase their numbers to enable women to enter all areas of military service." The 16 newly qualified pilots all underwent 28 months of basic training, which included parachute jumping and field survival training at the in Aviation University of the China Air Force, as well as 16 months of flight training. Each now has an average of 135 hours of personal flight time. |
| Posted by:gromky |
| #6 Congratulations to them for their achievement. Now, what about their stick and rudder skills? Can they take off from a short gravel bar on a river with a big load of moose meat in a Super Cub? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-04-05 16:06 |
| #5 I hope they are good....but not as good as ours. (Yes, I'm nationalistic, deal with it.) I already know they have got to be better than the Arab world's best. |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-04-05 14:27 |
| #4 Sexist pig that I am, I much prefer the look of the Japanese women. |
| Posted by: WolfDog 2009-04-05 12:11 |
| #3 Well considering how well their male counterparts drive , this may be an improvement in overall performance. A little less testosterone territorial behavior by undisciplined 'hot shots' probably will be welcomed in Beijing. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-04-05 09:01 |
| #2 If the gals become carrier-qualified, will they be part of the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-04-05 04:19 |
| #1 If it's good enough for the U.S., Israel, and several European countries -- although I am ashamed to say I don't know which ones -- then China is wise to follow suit. Besides, it's so much fun to taunt the idiots who think being beaten by a girl is the most shameful thing, when one has done so. /No, I'm really not at all a nice person. |
| Posted by: trailing wife in Buffalo 2009-04-05 02:03 |