In recent days, the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China took a new step in the form of new naval aviators. It was announced that on April 25th, the first carrier-based aircraft pilot successfully completed her first solo flight.
The course, conducted in several phases, took into account the training of pilots through solo flights, non-technical command flight, and subsequent landing. It is worth noting that pilots trained to pilot carrier-based aircraft are the core of the embarked combat capability of the Chinese Navy, in units such as Liaoning, Shandong, or the more modern and currently in trials, Fujian.
This aligns with the increasing development of China’s naval industry and consequently the need to increase the number of specialized naval pilots for carrier operations. In recent years, the Chinese naval force has focused on pilot training, expanding the training model, as highlighted by the local media Global Times.
In 2023, the Chinese Navy selected for the first time the first group of female carrier pilots from local universities. These were the first to be trained by the Naval Aviation University. This training program focuses on reinforcing students’ theoretical foundations in aviation and improving their responsiveness to risks, with the aim of minimizing human errors and maximizing their flight potential.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that female personnel have reached the necessary standards to pilot fighter aircraft. Such is the case of Yu Xu, the first fourth-generation J-10 fighter pilot who completed certification in 2012. Years later, five female pilots completed solo flights of J-11B fighters.
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