Sky's the limit for air show

Amid colorful contrails and aerial stunts, the five-day Changchun Air Show concluded on Tuesday, wowing an audience of more than 450,000 in Northeast China's Jilin province. Attracting fans from across the country, the show in Changchun was the first public event hosted by the People's Liberation Army Air Force in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show featured aerial stunts such as tumble dives, barrel rolls and back flips by the PLA Air Force's aerobatic teams, including the Bayi Air Demonstration Team, which is China's best-known aerobatic team, and the Red Falcon and Sky Wing air demonstration teams.

The Bayi team was founded in 1962 as the Chinese military's first air display team and was named after the PLA's founding date, Aug 1. The elite unit has performed more than 660 aerobatic shows at home and abroad.

This year marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the PLA.

Besides aerial stunts, every night from Aug 24 to 26, a drone performance illuminated the sky in Changchun. Consisting of 2,022 drones and controlled by 100 operators, the light show formed various images, including landmarks in Jilin and the official symbol of the air show.

The air show also featured aerial demonstrations of new aircraft in different types of service with the PLA, such as the J-20 fighter jet and the Y-20 transport plane. Another highlight of the air show was the debut of the YY-20 large aerial refueling aircraft, the latest addition to the PLA.

Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, spokesman for the PLA Air Force, said at a news briefing in Changchun two days before the opening of the air show that the event was the first opportunity for the public to get a close look at the new plane, which was declassified in late July.

The new tanker is a variant of China's Y-20 strategic transport plane. Built by the State-owned defense contractor Aviation Industry Corp of China, the YY-20 will boost the PLA Air Force's long-range capabilities.

Covering about 140,000 square meters, an exhibition, displaying aircraft as well as stalls highlighting the latest technology, makes use of six indoor halls and outdoor display areas. According to the organizers, the air show attracted 124 exhibitors and 180 aircraft.

Established in 2011, the Changchun Air Show has grown into a major event to demonstrate civilian and military aircraft to the public in China. The city, Changchun, has been historically significant to the PLA Air Force.

In March 1946, the first flight school of the Communist Party of China armed forces was set up in Tonghua, Jilin, moving later to Changchun. The school is regarded as the top training facility of the PLA Air Force.

"Changchun can be called the second 'hometown' for pilots like me, where we started with our dream to reach the sky," Jilin Daily quoted He Xiaoli from the Bayi team as saying. She is one of the country's first female fighter jet pilots.