BEIJING, July 1 (ChinaMil) -- On June 30, the selection and recruitment of the 12th batch of the PLA Air Force’s female pilot cadets kicked off in Beijing. Nearly 200 female high school graduates from various provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) who have passed the primary selection will go through a high level in physical and psychological selections to compete for 40 places.
According to the recruiting staff, this is the second time that the Air Force has recruited female pilots nationwide since two years ago. The candidates must undergo 10 categories of over 100 medical tests, and more than 400 psychological tests during the process. The Air Force will select the best nationwide based on the combined consideration of the recruiting criteria of the fighter pilots and the candidates’ performance in the National College Entrance Examination (CEE) and the recruitment examinations.
Different from previous years, female cadets with outstanding enlisting results this year can enter Peking University, or Tsinghua University, for joint training with “dual enrollment” just like their male counterparts. PLA Air Force is determined to work together with the top national universities to cultivate high-quality female military flight personnel who can control new type fighter aircraft and adapt to the future air combat.
According to reports, the Air Force began to recruit female pilot cadets since 1951 and have enlisted more than 600 people in 11 batches so far. In the future, female pilot cadets will be given more opportunities to control more types of aircraft and carry out more diverse tasks than before. They will extensively participate in China-foreign joint trainings and international exchange activities.