Troops, fighter jets ready for National Day parade

• Source: Global Times
• [09:30 September 15 2009]
• Comments

By Hao Junshi and Xu Shenglan

Dozens of domestic-made fighter jets and more than 1,000 air troops are busy rehearsing for the National Day parade at an airbase located in the outskirts of Beijing.

The air force fighter jets, based at the Guangzhou Military Area Command (MAC), arrived at the base in May for rehearsals.

"Our troops are now ready to take part under any weather conditions at the National Day parade," senior Colonel Liu Guosheng, head of the fighter plane team, told the Global Times.

Pilots and fighter jets from Liu's division will play a major role in the air force's operation at the National Day parade on October 1. The large-scale fighter planes, modified by the Chinese army, are the most advanced parade aircraft.

"China's third generation fighter jets are more capable of adapting to different weather conditions. Meanwhile, we can offer more accurate weather forecast now," Li Songjiang, director of an air force's weather station, told the International Herald Tribute. "So the jets will be capable of participating in the parade even if it's rainy or cloudy."

Lü Guangkun, chief of staff of a regiment, told the Global Times that the fighter jets would put in two teams doing air formations.

"The mix formation will be a highlight of the aircraft parade. It will demonstrate the air forces' transformation for a new combat mode," Lü said.

Liu is confident his team will put on a grand show.

"Every pilot in the team is capable of handling difficult tasks so we don't need to select special ones to attend the parade," Liu told the Global Times.

He also said that both the air and ground forces taking part in the parade will be the world's largest.

Some pre-planning was necessary to avoid serious obstacles. Skyscrapers in Beijing, including the World Trade Center's new building, may stand in the way and pose security hazards to pilots.

"We have conducted careful research on the landscape along the route designed for the parade. The pilots have the locations and heights of buildings higher than 200 meters at their fingertips. The jets will ascend rapidly to avoid the buildings after flying low over Tian'anmen Square during the parade," Liu told the International Herald Tribute.

Thirty-four jets flied over Tian'anmen Square in formations during a successful rehearsal held on September 12, according to air force authorities.