Flying ace keeps feet on the ground

It may be an exaggeration to some but 59-year-old Yue Xicui, China's first woman pilot to become an air force general, is a real somebody.

The Shandong native, who last flew at the age of 53, has 36 years of flying experience, spending an accumulated 6,000 hours in the air. The deputy chief of staff of the air force in Guangzhou Military Area Command looks smart and vigorous in her blue uniform among other CPPCC members in a group discussion.

Despite being busy with meetings, she managed to find time to write a message of congratulations to the eighth generation of the country's women pilots, who have just completed their training in Northeast China and are soon going to take to the air.