Female pilots with J-10 fighters to debut LIMA air show

Four female acrobatic pilots will perform at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia next week, in China-made J-10 fighters.

The four members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force acrobatic team left for Malaysia on Wednesday in the J-10 fighter jets, said Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke.

Pilots Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei and He Xiaoli's stunt show will be the first time China's female fighter pilots have performed abroad, Shen said. ( The four women, with an average of more than 800 flight hours, participated in a high-profile military parade marking the People's Republic of China's 60th anniversary in 2009.

They also performed with J-10 fighters at the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last November.

The Air Force acrobatic team's participation in the LIMA air show will help consolidate ties with Malaysia, enhance political and military mutual trust, build on the image of the Chinese military and showcase China's aeronautic equipment and military spirit, Shen said.

The five-day LIMA show, held since 1991, will open next Tuesday. Stunt flying of fighter jets from Malaysia, the United States and France will be staged.

Shen said the Air Force had in recent years paid more attention to international exchanges. The Air Force acrobatic team gave its first overseas performance at the Moscow air show in 2013.