Posted on 06/21/2002 8:37:50 AM PDT by tallhappy
Four Su-27 fighter planes of the Chinese air force have crashed or have been severely damaged during flight training over the past six months, Taiwanese defense sources said yesterday, attributing the poor performance to human error.
Two of the four planes were damaged while their pilots were trying to land, the sources said. The other two also crashed as a result of human error, they said, without giving further details. It is not known whether any of the pilots were killed.
The accidents bring to 15 the number of Chinese air force Su-27s that have been taken out of service due to crashes. China purchased 46 Su-27s from Russia in the early 1990s.
Of the 31 Su-27s still operational, about 16 are thought to be combat ready at any given time.
The Chinese air force now keeps its best-equipped Su-27s in Guangdong Province, the forward base for the planes.
The rest of the Su-27 fleet, including those that have been damaged, are at a base in Anhui Province.
Over the past six months, the Chinese air force has been trying to enhance the combat-readiness of its Su-27s, despite the lack of trained pilots to fly the advanced planes.
At the end of last year, an Su-27 crashed during large-scale exercises in northern China. The exercise was labeled at the time as a "high-tech drill" by the Chinese military.
It was the only Su-27 crash that year, following several years of incidents involving the accident-prone Su-27s in China.
In the following five months, another three Su-27s, including a twin-seater, developed problems during flight training. One crashed into a mountain, while the other two were badly damaged while landing.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said all these incidents were probably caused by the inexperience and poor training of the pilots.
"Chinese air force Su-27 pilots get only 10 flight hours per month. Practice makes perfect. A lack of sufficient flight training is one of the biggest factors hindering the Chinese air force from leapfrogging [us] in combat strength, despite having advanced fighters such as the Su-27," the official said.
"The Chinese air force purchased a flight simulator for the Su-27. But the single simulator is not adequate for use by all Su-27 trainees and pilots. Sometimes they have to wait months for simulator time," he said.
By contrast, a fighter pilot in Taiwan has much more intensive flight training. Trainees are required to fly 15 hours a month, and sometimes fly as much as 20 hours.
The flight hours do not include the time the pilot has to spend on the flight simulator of the kind of plane he flies, which varies from person to person.
Considering the fact that all Soviet designed aircraft have extra heavy-duty landing-gear for use out of un-improved airfields - those had to have been some truly bad landings.
Stlaighten up, fry light guys! Frying is selious wok. You sclew up, glavity cause you to be big stil fly mess.
Probably thought it was a landing maneuver
Sounds like a great spot for a possible future U.S. air incursion to me...
Extra ketchup please.....and can I get that supersized?
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