Training process for female military pilots in China.

Chinese female pilots must undergo lengthy and rigorous training to bear the honor of being a "national asset."

A female pilot flies a Chinese JH-7 bomber. Photo: Chinese Air Force.

According to People's Daily, Yu Xu, China's first female fighter pilot, died in a training flight on November 12, a major loss for the country's air force.

This 30-year-old female military pilot, born in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is a member of the Chinese Air Force's 1/8 aerobatic team. She is one of the few female pilots capable of flying domestically produced fighter jets.
Before becoming pilots, Yu and 15 other female teammates had to undergo rigorous training, which Chinese media hailed as "one in ten thousand" to become "national assets."

One in a million

China began recruiting female military pilots in 2005. By 2009, approximately 200,000 applicants from 12 provinces had traveled to Beijing to audition for the aerobatic team. Yu Xu was one of 35 girls selected as pilot trainees in this recruitment drive.

Chinese female fighter pilots must undergo rigorous physical training. Photo: Chinese Air Force.

Typically, female pilot trainees enroll at the Chinese Air Force University or the Pilot Academy. Their enrollment date marks the beginning of their military service age calculation, and their families are also entitled to benefits under policies for military personnel's relatives.

Despite being exempt from all tuition fees, Chinese female pilot trainees must undergo very rigorous training. Due to the nature of flying fighter jets, they must constantly practice and train with new fighter aircraft models and adapt to weapon systems.

Each day, female pilot trainees must participate in training for at least 5 hours. Due to gender characteristics, the upper body and neck muscles of female pilots are weaker than those of male pilots, while the downforce during maximum acceleration can reach 9G, so female pilots must train very rigorously to graduate.

Every day they wake up at 4-5 am, take off at 6-7 am, study theory at noon, and review in the evening, which is quite physically and mentally exhausting. Each flight can subject them to 5G pressure, equivalent to five times their body weight.

"Without a steely resolve, you would never have passed the training," said Ha Xiaolei, a female pilot who performed at Tiananmen Square in 2010. Ha is a female pilot who set a record for flying for over 4.5 hours without adverse reactions, a challenge that many of her male colleagues have yet to surpass.

Only 16 people graduated from Yu Xu's class after four years of training to become China's first female fighter pilots. Yu is also one of only four Chinese female pilots capable of flying third-generation fighter jets.

The starting salary for newly graduated military pilots is reportedly around 4,000 yuan (over $583) per month. In addition, pilots receive allowances based on flight hours. Military pilots earn significantly more than those in other branches of the military, making their income a dream for many soldiers, according to QQ.com.

'Cover it with gold'

Because the training process is so rigorous and expensive, the Chinese regard each pilot as a precious "national asset," "paved with gold."

Female military pilots like Yu Xu are considered even more valuable assets. During training, they enjoy the best possible military diet and receive a month of rest and recuperation each year. Single women are provided with fully furnished housing, and if they marry, their husbands can immediately enlist and receive priority in job and housing arrangements.

Pilots flying J-10, J-11, and J-11B fighter jets like Yu receive an allowance of 900 yuan per hour of flight. Adding other benefits, the total annual income of a Chinese fighter pilot is 110,000-300,000 yuan (US$16,146-US$44,036).

The loss of a valuable female pilot like Yu Xu is considered a major shock to the Chinese Air Force. She is believed to have died after her J-10 collided with another aircraft during training. After ejecting, she struck the wing of the other aircraft and did not survive.

China is one of the countries with the most female pilots. The country has trained nine pilot training courses with 545 female trainees, of whom 328 have graduated.

Currently, the Chinese Air Force has 52 female pilots, flying transport aircraft, fighter jets, or providing flight guidance. Besides China, approximately 16 other countries also employ female pilots for military operations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Israel.

According to VNE