Today is the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Air Force
77 years ago
Military Parade at the Founding Ceremony of New China
17 planes flew over Tiananmen
Because there are not enough planes
9 of them flew twice
On October 1, 1949, the newly established Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force formation flew over Tiananmen Square. Source: Xinhua News Agency
Today, 77 years later
We no longer have to fly our plane twice.
J-20 and J-35A "double stealth" side by side
Oil transportation-20A transcontinental accompanying guarantee
H-6K regularized combat patrol in the South China Sea
Yuanyou-20 performs aerial refueling for Kongjing-500A. Source: CCTV News
we can't forget
Their courage in those years of "fighting with bayonets in the air"
1950
The War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea breaks out
The People's Air Force, which was established less than a year ago, was ordered to enter North Korea
The average flight time of a pilot is only a few dozen hours
Lack of air combat experience
And their opponents have flown for more than a thousand hours.
American pilots who experienced World War II
The first batch of the 28th Brigade of the 10th Regiment of the 4th Division of the Volunteer Air Force to participate in the war. Source: Central Committee of the Communist Youth League
two years and eight months
The Volunteer Air Force conducted a total of 26,491 combat sorties.
4872 actual combat sorties
A total of 425 enemy aircraft were shot down and damaged.
Volunteer Army Air Force heroic collective "Wang Hai Brigade". Source: People's Liberation Army Daily
At that time, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Vandenberg exclaimed:
“Almost overnight China became
One of the world's major air force powers. "
Chinese People's Volunteers Air Force fleet. Source: Xinhua News Agency
we can't forget
Those flights that use their tracks to measure a country’s confidence
1965
China completes first atomic bomb "air blast" test
Air force aviation unit performs airdrop mission
To ensure the safety of atomic bomb dropping
The bombing procedure for bombers entering the target area three times
The bomber that dropped the atomic bomb for the first time. Source: Two Bombs and One Satellite Cadre Academy
9 hours 59 minutes 10 seconds
Pilot Yu Fuhai controls the sight
Make the observation angle and bomb release angle accurately coincide
The circuit is connected and the atomic bomb is decoupled...
A huge mushroom cloud rose again on the golden Gobi Desert
The crew members who carried out my country's first aerial bomb test mission. Source: Two Bombs and One Satellite Cadre Academy
Less than 8 months
China has made a leap from "ground explosion" to "air explosion"
It marks that China has completely broken the nuclear monopoly of Western powers.
Really possess nuclear weapons that can be used in actual combat
Atomic bomb air blast mushroom cloud. Source: Two Bombs and One Satellite Cadre Academy
2011
The Air Force sends transport planes to evacuate overseas Chinese for the first time
The Libyan civil war broke out
There are about 30,000 Chinese in Libya
Their personal safety is seriously threatened
The Chinese government decided to launch a national-level response
Withdraw Chinese citizens in Liberia one by one!
Within 97 hours after receiving the mission, the crew
12 consecutive flights, 43 hours
The total range of a single aircraft is nearly 30,000 kilometers.
Transported 1,655 people to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan
Safely transported 287 compatriots to Beijing
2025
Commemorating the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
and the 80th anniversary conference of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War
Air Force weapons and equipment accelerated update
New weapons roar by
China’s new military force refreshes the world’s understanding with strength
we can't forget
Those names that measure the sky with their lives
"Call 81192,
Please return immediately! "
"81192 received,
I can no longer return home,
Please keep going! "
April 1, 2001
A U.S. reconnaissance plane violated our airspace in the South China Sea
Chinese pilots Wang Wei and Zhao Yu
Piloting a fighter plane for emergency takeoff
Tracking and interception
The "81192" fighter piloted by Wang Wei. Source: China News Service
During the confrontation
U.S. plane suddenly turned in violation of flight rules
The fighter plane piloted by Wang Wei was hit by a US military plane
Wang Wei was forced to parachute and fell into the sea
heroic sacrifice
Photos of Wang Wei during flight training before his death. Source: Zhejiang Provincial Archives
May 12, 2008
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan, Sichuan
In the absence of meteorological data, no ground signs, and no command and guidance
Under the "three noes" conditions
Fifteen paratroopers made a blind jump from an altitude of 5,000 meters
Open rescue channels for earthquake-stricken areas at that time
Before departure
They wrote a petition for war
"I'm willing to give everything I have,
To save the lives of people in disaster areas,
Realize the value of our military personnel. "
In 2008, 15 paratroopers parachuted into Maoxian County. Source: People's Air Force WeChat official account
Fang Futang, in order to cover his comrades, flew the plane towards the enemy aircraft group.
Song Yichun, trying to avoid the fishermen under the wing during the emergency landing
Falling into the sea with the fighter plane
Sun Shenglu, after running out of ammunition, flew the injured fighter plane towards the enemy group.
And those who didn't leave their names
The sky where they guard each other with their lives
Now the war eagles line up
What does the Air Force look like today?
Composed of J-20, J-16 and J-10C
The era of the "Three Musketeers" has just passed
The commissioning of the J-35A has made the People’s Air Force
Officially entering the "double stealth" era
Yun-20's flight path rescue from China
Extended to transporting the remains of volunteer army martyrs back to the country
to cross-continental joint training
At around 8 a.m. on August 27, 2026, a Y-20 aircraft took off from an air force airport in the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army. The theater guidance team took the opportunity to go to the disaster-stricken area in Jilong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, to provide on-site guidance on joint mudslide disaster relief. Photo by Song Zhengsheng
December this year
to be held in Zhuhai
The 16th China International Aerospace Expo
Multi-type new combat forces will make their debut
The Air Force will also open cargo bay experience and set up digital intelligence booths
Let the public touch this power up close
Younger blood pours in
"Post-2000" pilots have already sat in the cockpit of third-generation aircraft
Complete solo flight
On July 21, 2022, the first batch of J-10 pilot trainees directly trained by the Air Force’s academies graduated. Source: People's Air Force
In 1977, from "flying twice" to "flying further"
From "bayonet fight in the air" to "meeting in the clouds"
What changes is the equipment, what remains unchanged is the belief
Today, no matter where you are
look up at the sky
There are thousands of miles of rivers and mountains they protect.
Happy 77th birthday, People's Air Force
China News Service (CNS1952) is integrated from Xinhua News Agency, People's Air Force, CCTV Military, Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, People's Liberation Army Daily WeChat, Two Bombs and One Satellite Cadre Academy, Zhejiang Provincial Archives, etc.
Author | Cheng Jiaxin Zhu Huan
Cartography | China News Service Sichuan Branch
