By Yang Xuming and Zhu Jinrong

BEIJING, April 13 -- Four pilot cadets of main attack helicopters assigned to the PLA Naval Aviation University successfully completed their first solo shipboard landing and takeoff training in early April.

It was the first time for the pilot cadets to carry out such solo shipboard landing and takeoff training before graduating. In the past, they would first conduct basic skill training in academies, then receive key skill enhancement training after being assigned to naval troops, and thereafter complete such solo operations.

At present, there was a lack of uniform coordination between the ground-based and ship-based training for shipboard helicopter pilot cadets in the PLA Navy. In order to solve this problem, the PLA Naval Aviation University developed a training system that closely integrates the two types of training. The training system has greatly shortened the time period required for the qualifications of the shipboard helicopter pilots.

To further improve their technical and tactical level, the university has also added real-combat courses like hovering over the sea in the ship-based training, and required each pilot cadet to carry out more than 100 times of dual instruction flights and pass four assessments within a year, so as to achieve the leap from instructed flight to solo flight.