KIFIS
18th Oct 2001, 16:27
John Robert Young is both author and commercial pilot and is one of the few westerners to be granted access to mainland China’s military installations for the purpose of compiling data for his book. “ The Dragons Teeth : Inside China’s Armed Forces. “ Read what he had to say about the girl pilots of the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) . Quote:
“ There are women pilots flying with the PLAAF but just how many the Chinese were unwilling to say: I would estimate several hundred. The officers were quick to point out, just as they were in the Army, that women were not trained in combat roles, and emphasized that they only flew transport aircraft.However, I have little doubt that the Chinese women I met would have no trouble flying a jet fighter after a conversion course and weapons systems training. Anxious to meet them, I went out to the Shahe Air Force base, an hour and a half’s drive to the north of Peking, where seven of them , all military pilots with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Transport Command, had agreed to meet me. They all arrived on their shiny new bicycles, dressed in a variety of candy-coloured blouses, revealing dainty Western-style bras beneath. For comfort, they wore their dark blue service trousers, carrying skirts and service dress over the handle bars. Their feminine dress was a sign of the times among China’s young people and part of a much quieter revolution than that of a few years ago. These young women had little in common with the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. All were in their early twenties, had mischievous smiles and laughed quietly among themselves as we all shook hands. Then we strolled over to the vintage Ilyushin 14 parked in a nearby dispersal area. It was cooler under the aircraft. As we spread ourselves under the port wing, the women insisted that I sat on their leather flying jackets, then for the next half hour or so, with the interpreter’s help we talked flying. It was all the “in” chatter of any group with a common interest. I was anxious to hear about their training and what the old Iluyushin 14 was like to fly. After selection, the women did their basic training on Yakovlev 18s known as ‘Max’ by NATO Forces. This aircraft has been modified by the Chinese, and now has squared-off wingtips and rudder and is designated the BT6.
Liu Huafeng, who was not as shy as her six companions, told me that they had been flying for three and half years, and were just completing their night flying training on the IL14. They were longing to join an operational unit now that their training was nearly finished. None of them had more than four hundred flying hours, a third of which were night hours. By now, I expect all will be flying passengers and cargo in and out of remote airstrips in some part of China. They were coy about their social lives; one or two admitted to having pilot boyfriends – but nothing serious. There seemed to be little chance of a light-hearted love affair. The Chinese forces discourage any form of fraternization between its men and women, other than for marriage. When I asked them what it was they enjoyed most about flying their reply indicated to me that they had previously been briefed by some political commissar: “ To win honours for the women pilots in China. “ They all saluted smartly one by one as we said our goodbyes. Liu was the last to depart as I had been taking photographs of her. As she slowly cycled away she turned round, waved and smile intimately . ” Unquote.
After reading this I formed the distinct impression that the author left that air base carrying a number of wounds inflicted by arrows from the bow of you know who.
KIFIS
“ There are women pilots flying with the PLAAF but just how many the Chinese were unwilling to say: I would estimate several hundred. The officers were quick to point out, just as they were in the Army, that women were not trained in combat roles, and emphasized that they only flew transport aircraft.However, I have little doubt that the Chinese women I met would have no trouble flying a jet fighter after a conversion course and weapons systems training. Anxious to meet them, I went out to the Shahe Air Force base, an hour and a half’s drive to the north of Peking, where seven of them , all military pilots with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Transport Command, had agreed to meet me. They all arrived on their shiny new bicycles, dressed in a variety of candy-coloured blouses, revealing dainty Western-style bras beneath. For comfort, they wore their dark blue service trousers, carrying skirts and service dress over the handle bars. Their feminine dress was a sign of the times among China’s young people and part of a much quieter revolution than that of a few years ago. These young women had little in common with the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. All were in their early twenties, had mischievous smiles and laughed quietly among themselves as we all shook hands. Then we strolled over to the vintage Ilyushin 14 parked in a nearby dispersal area. It was cooler under the aircraft. As we spread ourselves under the port wing, the women insisted that I sat on their leather flying jackets, then for the next half hour or so, with the interpreter’s help we talked flying. It was all the “in” chatter of any group with a common interest. I was anxious to hear about their training and what the old Iluyushin 14 was like to fly. After selection, the women did their basic training on Yakovlev 18s known as ‘Max’ by NATO Forces. This aircraft has been modified by the Chinese, and now has squared-off wingtips and rudder and is designated the BT6.
Liu Huafeng, who was not as shy as her six companions, told me that they had been flying for three and half years, and were just completing their night flying training on the IL14. They were longing to join an operational unit now that their training was nearly finished. None of them had more than four hundred flying hours, a third of which were night hours. By now, I expect all will be flying passengers and cargo in and out of remote airstrips in some part of China. They were coy about their social lives; one or two admitted to having pilot boyfriends – but nothing serious. There seemed to be little chance of a light-hearted love affair. The Chinese forces discourage any form of fraternization between its men and women, other than for marriage. When I asked them what it was they enjoyed most about flying their reply indicated to me that they had previously been briefed by some political commissar: “ To win honours for the women pilots in China. “ They all saluted smartly one by one as we said our goodbyes. Liu was the last to depart as I had been taking photographs of her. As she slowly cycled away she turned round, waved and smile intimately . ” Unquote.
After reading this I formed the distinct impression that the author left that air base carrying a number of wounds inflicted by arrows from the bow of you know who.
KIFIS