Chairman Mao meets the first batch of female pilots of the PLA Air Force at Zhongnanhai.

　　"Are these girls pilots now?" asked Chairman Mao in pleasant surprise when he met the first batch of female pilots of the PLA Air Force in Zhongnanhai on 24 March 1952. Liu Yalou, the then commander of the PLA Air Force replied: "yes, they are all pilots now, and all of them can carry out flight missions independently."

　　Actually you can hardly blame Chairman Mao for his surprise, as it is really unbelievable that these female pilots could learn to pilot aircraft in such a short time.

　　Right after the founding of New China, the Central Committee of the CPC made a decision to train female pilots. In April 1951, the first batch of 55 female pilot cadets selected from all over the country were sent to No. 7 Aviation School in Mudanjiang to receive training. At that time both the training and living conditions in the aviation school were very poor. For instance, there was a sad dearth of aircraft, air materials and aviation gasoline; hence several aircraft had to share one set of propeller and one set of landing gear tires. It was under such extreme difficult conditions that these female pilots began to apply themselves to theoretic study and flight training. On March 8, 1952, these female pilots were inspected by the Party and people at Xijiao Airport in Beijing.

　　In the past several decades, the PLA Air Force has cultivated large number of proficient female pilots, who have accomplished all kinds of important missions such as combat air transport, military exercise, scientific research test flight, emergency airlift of relief supplies, artificial rain making and aerial sowing for afforestation, etc. At present, China has more than 300 female pilots, and the 8th batch of female pilots are under training and among them China's first female astronaut is expected to emerge very soon.

　　By Huo Yan

　　(July 25, PLA Daily)