Chinese university to train students to become helicopter pilots

A Chinese university will offer programs that will help student to become helicopter pilots, according to a report on Newssc.org.

A total of 50 students will be enrolled in an aviation vocational college in southwest China's Sichuan province, said Zhang Lin, director of the Department of Enrollment of the school.

Zhang said China lacks helicopter pilots and the annual income of the pilots can reach 600,000 yuan.

Given the fact that low altitude airspace gradually opens to the public, there will be more than 5,000 general aircraft in China by 2020 and the value of the industry will be over 1 trillion yuan, Zhang said.

Zhang also said that if there are two pilots in one aircraft, more than 10,000 pilots will be needed to pilot general aircraft by 2020. In current circumstance, 8,000 people are still needed, Zhang added.

According to the enrollment plan of the college, both male and female students in either science or liberal arts can apply for the major. The major has strict requirement on students' height. The height of male students must be over 170 centimeters and that of female students must be over 162 centimeters. And all students should have no difficulty in identifying different colors.

The license the school offers will be a private one.