PLA Navy's first group of carrier-based female trainee pilots ready to take off

The first group of female naval pilot trainees selected to train as carrier-based aircraft pilots recently passed their daytime individual landing assessments in the Bohai Bay in Shandong province, marking a significant step forward in the People's Liberation Army Navy's efforts to train female pilots for carrier-based aircraft.

The female flight cadets were enrolled at the PLA Naval Aviation University in 2023 and completed their maiden flights in April 2024, demonstrating their ability to independently pilot aircraft. Over the past three years, the group has progressed from theoretical study to aircraft type conversion training.

Wang Mengdi, a female flight cadet from the PLA Naval Aviation University, told China Central Television News that landing over the sea presents a psychological challenge because the landing platform is relatively small and is affected by waves and sea winds.

"The ship's pitching and rolling require more precise control for landing," she said.

During the assessment, a helicopter lifted off as Han Meng, another flight cadet, steadily raised the throttle. As strong winds over the sea caused the aircraft to shake, Han made subtle adjustments with her left hand on the collective — a lever that controls the pitch angle of the rotor blades — and gently worked the control stick with her right hand to keep the helicopter on course.

As she entered the landing phase, the ship swayed with the swells, leaving the deck unsteady. Han remained focused on changes in the ship's wake, carefully monitoring the aircraft's altitude and speed while sensing feedback from the control stick with her fingertips.

Upon receiving the landing guide's command, Han seized a brief moment of stability, decisively reduced the throttle and lowered the collective, guiding the helicopter to a smooth touchdown with virtually no impact.

The group of female flight cadets completed the assessment as multiple aircraft took off and landed in an orderly manner.

After completing the assessment, Han said, "It feels as if there's an invisible high wall in front of you during landing, and the psychological pressure suddenly increases."

According to training unit leaders, a progressive training model — moving from instructor-led flights to phased individual flying — has been adopted for the first group of female flight cadets.

The approach draws on the female cadets' calm, meticulous nature and gentle handling skills while strengthening areas in which they are less proficient, including attitude awareness, instrument interpretation and deviation correction, the leaders said.

Training plans were also tailored to each cadet and each training subject, covering ground simulation, in-flight execution, and post-flight review and evaluation, with strict oversight throughout the process.

After each landing, instructors led the cadets in reviewing flight data, replaying their control trajectories and analyzing deviations in their actions to identify their causes and develop improvement plans. This closed-loop training process helped the first group of female flight cadets improve their ability to coordinate and operate carrier-based aircraft.

Next, they will undergo training and assessments for more challenging subjects, such as formation flying and nighttime landings.

lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn