How good are Chinese pilots?

skyhawk2005 said:

I wonder why PAF and PLAAF pilots don't have mock combats?

Since the two share similar planes J7s, it would make sense for both countries to test their pilots against each other.

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perhaps its because they dont want countries such as india believing the joint combats are targeted at a third nation. besides, pakistans f-16s wernt designed to be "excercise" compatable with su-27s. you would need special captive traing missles.

MIGleader said:

perhaps its because they dont want countries such as india believing the joint combats are targeted at a third nation. besides, pakistans f-16s wernt designed to be "excercise" compatable with su-27s. you would need special captive traing missles.

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I think Pakistan will not now! Otherwise the F-16 is going back in the package.

Actually KANWA claimed that training for certain PLAAF regiments, especially among the Su-27/30 groups have gone through the roof in recent years, perhaps even in the 200-300 hour range. The increase has been stressful for many pilots, opening the risk of accidents if it has not caused a few already. To ease the pressure, pilots are not mandated to perform risky maneuvers if they feel they are not up to it.

I don't know how many of those hours are actually spent on an Su-27, J-11 or Su-30. Given the operability conditions, I don't believe all those hours are spent on the Flankers. They would divide the time and raise their flight hours by flying on J-7s for practice.

crobato said:

Actually KANWA claimed that training for certain PLAAF regiments, especially among the Su-27/30 groups have gone through the roof in recent years, perhaps even in the 200-300 hour range. The increase has been stressful for many pilots, opening the risk of accidents if it has not caused a few already. To ease the pressure, pilots are not mandated to perform risky maneuvers if they feel they are not up to it.

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Yes I believe that was the alleged cause of the crash of an Su-30MKK about a year or two ago.


There's a section about training in this global security article and they mentioned the MKK crash too

tphuang said:

well, probably not very good. Even the people on the Chinese sites have admitted that PLAAF pilots are not as good as PAF pilots and probably not as good as IAF pilots.

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1. Chinese pilots are at least capable enough to fly in outer space (ShenZhou 5 and 6).

2. Modern jet fighters required less skill pilots to make them effective. It doesn't take much skill to launched long range BVR missiles, or even short range AA missiles. Aerial dogfights were rare occurences in Vietnam war , 30 years ago. It will be more rare in the future.

3. China just entered the Olympics sporting events in 1984. China won many Gold medals in many events since then. One event China does well is shooting, despite the fact the U.S. has a great deal more shooters and firearms floating around in the country ...:coffee:

double post?

flying in outerspace is a great achievementy, but unless your flying a mig-31, its going to do you little good. as for skill, bvr, lock on, hms,...have really made aircombat more light a moving video game. just push a button and the enmy is dead.

iaf pilots are extremely well trained however, and probably only the most elite plaaf units are on par with them. thats the way it is.

Don't mean to jack the topic. But it seems to me that the best way to create new tactics and increase the quality of training requires a lot of training and joint exercises. After all my friend in the USAF said that F-15's simulating MiGs and Sukios doens't really help when the airframes are completely different. Training perpares one for effieciency so there are less unexpected incidents. Nations have sought training together to share knowledge ie NATO. India is jumping in the boat to be home to advanced training for pilots and sea men. It already has CI training facilities for infantries around the world and some others. China only recently had an exercise with Russia, and what an exercise all though mistakes were made in filled. Does the PLA plan more exercises and with whome? Also seems that Russia isn't interested in training with the PLA since China had to pay for the entire large scale exercise! I remember PLA gettting trained by Pak in CT. Why have they not gone back for more training for the rest? Exercises with NK isn't even worth mentioning since NK will be the only one to learn. It would help PLA greatly to learn modern warfare techniques expecially from Pakistan who has fought a lot of wars, fast paced. I don't think the PLA has ever been in a war that required modern warfare or even skirmishes.

Suprising and nice to hear Paf is so good considering the nations small defence budget,

dont worry it links in with my china point.

With their larger defence budget and chinese airforce willingness to learn they can rapidly gain parity skill wise its best to learn your defencies in peace time and fix them then in war.

Question a few years back i remember a documentary on the vietnam war briefly saying two US jets strayed into or close to chinese airspace and were destroyed. Was the plaaf aircraft or SAMs which shot down these aircraft. Is there any sources to validate my claim.

It was PLAAF aircraft who shot them down. There was also a number of unmanned aircraft that was also shot down. The most celebrated shooting was that of a J-6 that managed to take down an RF-104 (reconnaissance Starfighter). The American pilot survived, taken prisoner and was released, and much later in the eighties, visited China as part of a goodwill visit.

There was a Chinese Korean war ace by the name of Han Decai who shot down four to five American fighters including an ace with 16 kills.

I am just wondering would plaaf holding exercise with paf would benefit. All i could think of is tactics and air formation that would benefit us. The think that is really lacking is bvr engagement since paf dun have any bvr missile, and this is a critical part for modern engagement.