Having flown Su-30 fighter jets since the age of 25, Tran Thanh Luan believes that he must always remain calm in all situations to master the skies.

In his air force officer's uniform, Tran Thanh Luan looks more mature than his 27 years. The nearly 1.8-meter-tall lieutenant with a radiant smile is one of the youngest fighter pilots.Su-30 fighter jetThis unit is part of Squadron 1, Regiment 935, Division 370 of the Air Defense and Air Force Command. Its mission is to protect the airspace and territorial waters of the southern part of the country, especially the Spratly Islands.

Luan graduated top of his class from the military pilot training program at the Nha Trang Air Force Officer School. He was one of six pilots who were immediately assigned to combat units and flown the Su-30MK2 without having to transition through several aircraft like the others. To date, Luan has accumulated a total of 450 flight hours on various fighter aircraft such as the Iak-52, L-39, and Su-30, participating in day and night flight crews and flying in rear areas to train Su-30 instructors.

Tran Thanh Luan was the only representative from the air defense and air force forces to attend the 2nd Young Talents Congress held in Hanoi.

Luân recounted that his journey to becoming a pilot was quite accidental. Back then, as a 12th-grade student, he saw a pilot recruitment examination in his local area and decided to check it out. Unexpectedly, he was the only one in Nghi Xuân district (Hà Tĩnh province) who met the health requirements. After passing two rounds of medical examinations and a general knowledge test, Trần Thanh Luân entered the pilot school.

"I was 18 at the time, I liked the military because my father was also a soldier, and I admired pilots a lot, but I didn't dare think about it. The profession chose me; perhaps it was fate," Luan recalled.

Six years of training at the pilot school transformed Thanh Luan from a student whose physical fitness only met the initial requirements into a true fighter pilot. He said that many people still mistakenly believe that good health alone is not enough to become a pilot. Besides health, courage, and bravery, intelligence is very important; to fly well, one must study well.

Regarding his combat unit, Luan immediately "befriended" the Su-30. He spent six months diligently studying theory, then practiced flying from June 2013 until now. His first flight on the fighter jet was to survey the terrain. "The impression it left on me was immense. I wasn't nervous, but standing in front of one of the most modern weapons systems in the region, I still felt a little anxious mixed with excitement," he said.

For military pilots and fighter pilots, every flight is a matter of life and death. No matter how modern the equipment is, human skill and mastery are the crucial factors determining success or failure.

"I really like the quote from my mentor: 'Staying calm is key to being a leader.' For pilots, some people learn theory quite well on the ground, but their reflexes slow down in the air. The job demands speed but also near-absolute accuracy, so staying calm is always the golden key in any situation to mastering the skies," Luan shared.

Despite having flown many flights in his life, each time he flew over the Spratly Islands and gazed upon the entire shape of his homeland from the cockpit, the young lieutenant was deeply moved. At that moment, his pride soared, and he constantly reminded himself to do his best in protecting the sacred airspace and waters of his country.

According to VNE