Harbin Flight Academy

The Harbin Flight Academy (Chinese: 哈尔滨飞行学院; pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn Fēixíng Xuéyuàn) is an important aviation training school in the People's Republic of China. It reports directly to the People's Liberation Army Air Force headquarters. This academy is one of only three flight schools in the PLAAF and is special because it is the only school that trains pilots to fly bomber planes.

Located in the city of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, the academy plays a key role in preparing future air force pilots. The school uses several types of training aircraft, including the Hongdu JL-8, Guizhou JL-9, Chengdu JL-10, and Xian H-6. These planes help students learn the skills needed for their important jobs in the air.

History

The Harbin Flight Academy was started on December 1, 1949, just after the People's Republic of China was created. At first, it was called the Air Force 1st Bomber School and was part of the Shenyang Military Region Air Force. Over the years, it changed its name several times. In 2011, it became the Harbin Flight College after merging with another school. That same year, the Chinese Air Force decided to combine six flight schools into three, with Harbin becoming one of the main schools.

In 2017, the school’s English name was changed from Harbin Flight College to Harbin Flight Academy. In 2008, the school began accepting female pilots for the first time.

Organization

The Harbin Flight Academy used to have separate groups for basic and advanced training. But in 2012, it changed to use numbered training brigades, from the 1st to the 5th. Each brigade has three flight groups for different training classes. The academy’s staff is organized like a regular military unit, with departments for staff work, political work, and support.

Unlike other air force schools, the instructors at Harbin Flight Academy are top graduates who stay to teach after they finish their studies. The planes at the academy have special numbers that start with '1', and the second-to-last number shows which training brigade they belong to. Planes with numbers starting with '2' or '3' belong to other flight academies.

Training

The 2nd Training Brigade at Harbin Flight Academy focuses on training bomber pilots. In the past, students learned on H-5 bombers until 2007, then switched to Y-7 transport planes. In 2015, they began using new H-6K bombers, with the first group finishing their training in 2016.

Students at Harbin Flight Academy already have a bachelor's degree from Air Force Aviation University and will earn another one after finishing their studies here. In 2018, the academy started new air combat exercises to prepare pilots for surprise situations. That same year, it began accepting female pilots. In 2020, the academy got JL-10 trainer planes to better match the skills needed for real aircraft. In 2021, students practiced flying at low heights in the mountains of Liaoning province.

Notable alumni

Some well-known people who studied at Harbin Flight Academy include Jiang Jiaji, who was the first pilot to win a big award three times. Liu Boming is a fighter pilot and space traveler who spent a lot of time outside their spaceship. Liu Yang was the first woman from China to travel to space. Song Zhiyong worked at the top of China’s aviation group and also led a big airline. Wang Yaping was the second woman from China to travel to space and the first to walk outside their spaceship. Zhai Zhigang was a top leader in the space force and the first person from China to walk outside their spaceship.