Cancer did not knock her down, she returned to the blue sky at the age of 82, and the legendary life of "hardcore grandmother" Miao Xiaohong at the age of 86

Miao Xiaohong was born in Linqu, Shandong in 1937. She joined the military in June 1956 and was the second batch of female pilots in New China

Miao Xiaohong was born in Linqu, Shandong in 1937. She joined the military in June 1956 and was the second batch of female pilots in New China. She carried out multiple missions such as preparation for transportation, emergency rescue and disaster relief, and ended her 31 year flight career in May 1989. On May 28, 2019, 82-year-old Miao Xiaohong piloted the Tekkonen P2010 aircraft and flew into the blue sky again after 30 years, setting a record for the oldest female flight in China and being referred to as the "hardcore grandmother" by the entire internet.

On September 13th, as a special guest of the 2023 "Extraordinary Speech @ Women's Park" series of activities, 86 year old Miao Xiaohong and his fellow veteran partner He Xiaoming walked into the Shanghai Women and Children's Service Guidance Center (Women's Park) to tell the legendary story of the first and second batch of female pilots in New China dedicating their youth to the 10000 mile airspace as firsthand and witnesses, And presented her own works on female pilots such as' Daughter of the Blue Sky 'to the' Women's Garden '.

Miao Xiaohong said that she is an ordinary member of Chinese women and an ordinary elderly person. She encouraged readers present: "Whether you are a pilot or not, as long as your physical conditions allow, as long as you want to fly, dare to fly, and have the conditions to fly, you can fly. Whether your dream is to fly into the blue sky or not, as long as you have a dream, you must be brave to fly

Miao Xiaohong shares with Shanghai readers at the Women's Garden, provided by interviewees

Without the China Women's Federation, there would be no Chinese female pilots

It is very warm to be able to tell the story of Chinese female pilots at the 'Women's Park', which was personally named by Sister Deng Yingchao. This is also a 'Women's Home' built by 6 million women in the city, one yuan per person, and generously donated by people from all walks of life, "Miao Xiaohong said at the beginning of the event.

1949101195111Without the China Women's Federation, there would be no Chinese female pilots

On November 30, 1951, the first group of female pilots successfully graduated. In March 1952, the country held a takeoff ceremony for the first group of female pilots, with six female pilots flying six Li 2 planes over Tiananmen Square. The People's Daily reported on the front page of this historic event. At that time, Miao Xiaohong, who was a freshman in junior high school, copied the entire text into her diary and frequently flipped through it, sowing the seeds of her lifelong relationship with a female pilot.

In the summer of 1956, the army came to Miao Xiaohong's school to recruit air force pilots, both male and female. Miao Xiaohong registered and the physical examination results showed that she was the only qualified female student in the entire school. Holding the notice of enlistment in her hand, she couldn't believe that her dream had come true: "Am I going to heaven

Honor female pilots in extreme flight

After entering the army, Miao Xiaohong began to undergo arduous training. She picked dirt and rubbed bleeding marks on her shoulders; Practice using a spiral staircase and fixed rollers for over a hundred times. Of the more than 140 female students who entered the preparatory school together, only 21 became pilots, which is the second batch of female pilots in the history of New China. Due to her excellent training, Miao Xiaohong was rated as a top five student and achieved third class merit. Over the next 30 years of her flying career, she performed countless important missions and encountered multiple extreme flights.

Young Miao Xiaohong provided by interviewees

In 1963, Hebei Province was hit by a major flood disaster. Miao Xiaohong's troops were closest to the disaster area and were tasked with airdropping supplies. One day, Miao Xiaohong led her crew to fly over the destination. Due to poor visibility, even maintaining a basic flying altitude of 1200 meters was a problem, let alone accurately throwing materials into the disaster area. At that time, the natural disaster had just ended, and the materials we threw were bags of pancakes. If we threw them into the water and wasted the pancakes, it would be a crime! "Under the control of Miao Xiaohong, the plane circled and descended to a height of 80 meters before seeing the scene clearly. She risked the risk of a plane crash and accurately delivered bags of supplies to the people in the disaster area.

In 1980, Miao Xiaohong encountered a thunderstorm while on a mission to Guangzhou. At that time, there were over 100 foreign tourists on board the plane, and the throttle had dropped to a low-power state of landing. Low clouds and heavy rain suddenly covered the airport, making it impossible to see the runway. Miao Xiaohong decisively pushed the throttle to the full power position, pulling the lever to climb while notifying the crew: "Go around!" The plane plunged into the dark clouds and bounced in the chaotic air mass. Miao Xiaohong held the steering wheel tightly, and finally made the plane land safely in the storm with her landing skills in rainy days that she had learned for many years. Under the insistence of the passengers, Miao Xiaohong arrived in the cabin, and foreign tourists were amazed by the "remarkable Chinese female captain".

Looking back on her flight experience, Miao Xiaohong said, "Pilots can be said to be made of gold by the country. It is the country and the people who have raised me from a child of a poor farmer to a mature pilot

As long as the country needs it, I will continue to contribute

In 1989, Miao Xiaohong grounded her flight and retired. At first, she lived a fulfilling life, but soon became bored with nothing. His wife pulled her to the study and said, "You are sick and lovesick! You can't live without Blue Sky." He took out Miao Xiaohong's Notes of a Female Navigator and How Steel Was Tempered from the bookcase, which she had liked to read since she was a student, and encouraged her to write a biography for Chinese female pilots and Blue Sky sisters.

With the help of troops, comrades in arms, and old friends, Miao Xiaohong has published nearly a hundred literary works in newspapers, including works such as "The Daughter of the Blue Sky", "The First Female Pilots of the Republic", and "The Sky of Women".

When writing "A Generation of Tianjiao: A History of Early Female Pilots in China and Foreign Countries," Miao Xiaohong discovered that some female pilots in foreign countries were still flying in their 80s. Chinese female pilots are no worse than them. China is a big country with 'female pilots', and we cannot leave a gap without the age of' female pilots'. Moreover, the unity of knowledge and action is the highest level of education, and I cannot neglect practicing optics

Provided by Miao Xiaohong interviewees

After more than half a year of physical recovery training and with the support of Hua'an Navigation Company, Miao Xiaohong flew back to the blue sky on May 28, 2019. On the plane, she connected with her comrades and sang "I love the blue sky of our country" from the sky to the ground. Miao Xiaohong said, "The joy of singing the same song in heaven and earth is only for me. This day is the happiest and most proud for me. I want to shout: My motherland, your 82-year-old daughter, has flown into the blue sky again today

In 2021, Miao Xiaohong was diagnosed with rectal cancer. While undergoing painful cancer treatment, she persisted in writing and completed a nearly 300000 word manuscript titled 'I am a Blue Sky Female Soldier'. When writing books, I often enter a state of selflessness, with excellent itching and pain relieving effects, "said Miao Xiaohong.

In recent years, Miao Xiaohong, who has always been low-key, and her husband have been wandering around regardless of their age and illness. She said, "What is my purpose in writing articles and books? Isn't it to let more people see the history of female pilots and benefit from the 'spirit of female pilots'? So, whenever a unit asks me to tell the stories in the book, I respond to every request

This event is organized by the Shanghai Women and Children's Service Guidance Center (Women's Park), organized by Xinchao Bookstore, supported by People's Daily Publishing House, and co organized by the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce Cultural Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai Federation of Overseas Chinese Women's Association, Shanghai Women's Entrepreneurs Association Better Life Special Committee, Ruijin Second Road Street Women's Federation, Chuangmingqiao Women's Federation, and Xinchao Bookstore Women's Federation. Miao Xiaohong's comrade in arms, Xu Junqing, who was also the second batch of female pilots in New China, and Lu Yanping, the daughter of Ruan Hezhen, the first female pilot to fly solo in New China, attended as special guests.

Source of question: Provided by respondents

Source: Author: Shi Chenlu

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