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Only a start
“We all participated in the National Day Parade in Beijing in 2009, but the display this time was so different,” Sheng Yifei recalls of the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition show.
The formation spacing was 15 meters in the 2009 National Parade, but this time it was just 3 to 5 meters. Maneuvers on the lateral and longitudinal axis subjected them to gravitational effects.
“The team applies same standards to female and male members. And only after training on the aerobatics team did we find our real ‘flying senses’,” says Sheng Yifei, adding the female pilots had acquired far better skills in maneuvers and coordinating flying compared to their performances in 2009.
Cao Zhenzhong, head of the Bayi Aerobatics Team, was also satisfied with their performance. He says the women had worked harder than anyone could imagine. At the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, their outstanding performance gained respect from their teammates and won applause from the audience.
“I believe this is only the start for them. They will stage even better shows,” says Cao.
