Trainee Chinese pilots take off for the US

Overseas instruction serves to meet demand at home

Zhu Cheng was in high school when he came across Catch Me if You Can, a biography of Frank Abagnale, who impersonated a Pan Am pilot and other professionals. The Hubei native quickly became enthralled with the novel's fascinating depiction of an aviator's life.

But when Zhu jumped at the chance of becoming a People's Liberation Army Air Force pilot in high school, he failed to meet the stringent vision test requirements.