A J-20 fighter joins a drill in this undated photo. The aircraft is working with other jet types on joint attacks.Yang Jun / Xinhua The People's Liberation Army Air Force has begun training its pilots a new airstrike tactic that involves all of its best fighter jets. An Air Force aviation unit in northwestern China, the first to use the PLA's most advanced fighter jet, the J-20, has recently been performing joint tactical exercises with J-16 and J-10C aircraft, according to the Air Force. In the exercises, the radar-evading J-20s take advantage of their situational awareness and stealth abilities to seize air superiority. Then J-16s and J-10Cs launch long-range precision strikes against land targets. The J-20 has displayed not only overwhelming air combat superiority in the drills, but also a crucial ability to clear the path for and coordinate combat with other types of fighter jets, the Air Force said in a statement. It added that many pilots in the unit are able to fly all of the three top planes. He Xing, a pilot taking part in the drills, was quoted by the statement as saying that the unit's pilots are trained to operate J-20, J-16 and J-10C to familiarize themselves with the aircraft and get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Then we will be able to know how to use the advantages of a certain type of plane to complement other models and how to make the best use of each aircraft, he said. Yang Wei, chief designer of the J-20 at Aviation Industry Corp of China, said in a China Central Television program about the exercises that the J-20 was designed to carry out strike operations to help obtain air combat superiority. The J-20, the first of China's fifth-generation combat aircraft, made its maiden flight in January 2011 and was declassified in November 2016. It started to be commissioned to the Air Force in 2017, becoming the third stealth fighter jet to enter service, after the United States' F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. It has been sent to take part in a series of combat exercises and has practiced beyond-visual-range aerial fighting maneuvers during the drills, according to the Air Force. The jet bears the important responsibility of clearing a path for other aircraft in an air battle, according to Zhang Hao, head of an Air Force flight-testing center that has deployed the jet. The J-16 and J-10C are also among China's latest combat aircraft and were developed by Chinese designers. They were delivered to the Air Force around 2017, according to the Air Force. rubber bracelets custom cheaptyvek event wristbandsrubber wristbandsbat fidget spinnercustom silicone bands
Shanghai Airlines has reintroduced cabin announcements in the Shanghai dialect on selected flights, following suggestions from passengers. The prerecorded messages will initially be played only on flights from Taipei and Kunming, Yunnan province, to Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao international airports. "We'll test the Shanghai dialect on these two services until the end of August," said Xu Mei, a manager in the carrier's passenger cabin services department. "If the feedback is positive, we may expand it to other flights." The 60-second messages will be broadcast before takeoff and landing, she added. Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, operates about 350 flights a day to domestic and international destinations. It first introduced local dialect announcements in January 2012 but halted the practice without explanation a few years later. The return of the local language service appears to be an attempt by the airline to build its Shanghai brand, as well as to promote the city's image and its culture. To make sure the dialect is spoken with genuine flavor and fluency, the airline invited Huju Opera performer Mao Shanyu to record the messages along with Lin Jiaqing from the airline's passenger cabin services department, both of whom are Shanghai natives. "I have played quite a few characters, but this is the first time for me to be a chief flight attendant," Mao said. "I always think the promotion of the Shanghai dialect is the responsibility of people from all walks of life. The decision to use it on Shanghai Airlines flights is helpful in displaying the city's enthusiasm and charm, and I am willing to be part of it," she added. Questionnaires will be gathered from passengers after the flights, and their feedback will be reviewed before fine-tuning the service. Broadcasts in the local dialect have been part of Shanghai's public transportation system for years. According to a staff member at Shanghai Ba-shi Public Transportation (Group) Co, passenger feedback has been positive.
