Tibetan woman writes history, flies fighter jet

Kelsang Pedron

Over the years, Tibetan women have piloted battle tanks, maneuvered warships and served in missile units of the People’s Liberation Army. Now 23-year-old Kelsang Pedron has become the first Tibetan woman to pilot a fighter jet.

Born in May 2000 in Lhokha city of Xizang Autonomous Region, Kelsang Pedron was studying at Beijing Tibet Middle School in 2017 when she heard that a senior student from the school had secured a place at the Air Force Aviation University to learn to fly. military plane.

That nugget of information planted the seeds of what then seemed like an unattainable dream in the young girl’s mind. After all, until then, no Tibetan woman had ever flown a military aircraft in China.

“It’s great to become an air force pilot and I wanted to try to protect the blue sky of the motherland. But flying seemed like a distant dream to me at that time, an ordinary girl,” said Kelsang Pedron, adding that it changed everything when she saw China’s first two female astronauts, Liu Yang and Wang Yaping, on television.

“I wanted to be as smart and cool as them,” she recalled, adding that the stories of the female astronauts inspired her to pursue her dreams with courage and determination.

Two years later, an opportunity arose when her teacher announced that the PLA Air Force was recruiting female flight cadets, and encouraged interested students to apply.

An excited Kelsang Pedron immediately turned to her parents and asked for their permission and support.

“My father said yes without hesitation. He also encouraged me to try bravely. So I told my teacher that I would apply and soon started preparing for the first selection tests,” she said.

After the initial tests, the teenager was shortlisted along with more than 200 other schoolgirls from across the country for the final round of the process, which would see 40 candidates accepted into the Air Force Aviation University in Changchun, Jilin province.

Kelsang Pedron passed all tests. Moreover, she also achieved a high score in the National College Entrance Examination.

In August 2019, Kelsang Pedron reported to the Air Force Aviation University, becoming the very first Tibetan woman to begin training in combat aircraft. Tibetan airmen have been part of the Chinese armed forces since the mid-1970s, but they were all men.

According to her instructors, Kelsang Pedron trained very hard to excel in her chosen career as a pilot.

So far, she has flown basic and advanced jet trainers and recently passed a solo flight test in a fighter jet.

“Now I have my wings. Passing the solo flight test was one step closer to my goal of one day becoming a real fighter pilot,” said the Tibetan woman. “In the Tibetan language, Kelsang sometimes refers to a kind of beautiful flower that represents the Tibetan people’s desire for happiness and happiness. I will continue to train hard so that I can fly above this country to protect the happiness and happiness of the people.”

The PLA admitted the first female pilots in 1951. Since then, hundreds of women have flown for the force. The PLA Air Force began recruiting female fighter pilots in 2005 and has since inducted dozens of fighter pilots into frontline units.

“Flying a fighter jet involves great risks and is very challenging. It requires not only excellent technical skills, but also high mental agility and aptitude. In this respect, it makes no difference whether you are a man or a woman” , said Lt. Col. He Xiaoli, one of the researchers. of the country’s first female fighter pilots who served in the PLA Air Force for nearly two decades.

In addition to the air force, the PLA Navy has also started recruiting female flight cadets last year, aiming to send those who will successfully graduate to fly fighter jets on aircraft carriers.

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