A senior officer with the Air Force Draft Board said that several thousand high school students from various institutions have passed their initial physical exams to enter flight school. Approximately 60,000 students have applied to enter the Air Force flight training program this year.

Applicants must pass the national college entrance examinations scheduled for June, said the officer, who declined to say how many of them will ultimately be selected.

A stringent second round of physical testing will be administered to applicants who pass the college examinations and initial physical exam.

The Air Force has started recruiting and training high-caliber service people to match the increasing complexity of weapons and equipment.

Last June, the Air Force announced that it had selected its first group of 19 science and engineering graduates from among thousands of applicants from 74 Chinese universities. They were the first students enrolled by the aviation college from universities without military affiliations since China implemented its military aviation college enrollment reform in 1987.

The successful applicants will study aviation theory and flying at the China Air Force Aviation College for two years, said the officer. Those who qualify will become pilots with a military bachelor's degree.

Also in June last year, 20 pilots—China's first group of Air Force pilots with bachelor's degrees -- left flight training for service in combat units flying new fighter planes.

They were selected from among 5,000 university graduates from 19 military academies or colleges in July 2000. After graduating in 2002, they spent a year in flight school.

The pilots were described by Air Force officers as well informed and well educated with a good command of foreign languages.

(China.org.cn, eastday.com May 8, 2004)