China opens pilot higher education to female students ( 2003-10-21 09:40) (Xinhua)
Five young women has been picked up as the first
female Chinese university students to be trained into civil aviation pilots.
The five students were selected by the Civil Aviation Flight University of
China (CAFUA), which admitted only male students before, from among some 200
candidates after strict examinations.
The very first batch of 5 lucky
girls.
The university is based on the outskirts of Chengdu, capital of southwestern
Sichuan province.
With an average height of 1.72 meters and an age of 18 on average, the five
students are all in good shape and form, said Chen Dahuo, deputy secretary of
the Communist Party Committee of CAFUA.
When they graduate, Chen noted, they will be certified as co-pilots.
Candidates had to undergo an interview and a rigid medical examination first,
and those who had passed were later given a psychological test and finally a
written examination, according toZhao Tingyu, dean of CAFUA.
Besides a systematic training in aviation, they are also expected to have a
good command of English after their four years of learning, Zhao said.
Compared with male pilots, female pilots possess particular advantages and
quality in patience and carefulness, though physically they might not be as
strong and courageous as their male colleagues, said Chen Beibei, a woman
captain with China Airlines of Taiwan who was invited to give a lecture at
CAFUA.
The development of modern aviation technology has somewhat narrowed the gap
in physical strength between male and female pilots, and managing ability is
becoming increasingly important for a pilot, Chen said.
All the five students were recruited from within Sichuan province, but Zhao
disclosed that next year the recruitment will be targeted at the whole country
and the number will also rise to a maximum of 10.
Founded in 1956, CAFUA is regarded as a major training ground of China's
pilots. Over 90 percent of China's pilots graduated from the university attached
to the National Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC). The university has also
trained more than 5,000 competent special aviation technicians for the
country.
