For most boys , China would seem the ideal place to go to school . Just days after football was officially added to the national curriculum in a bid to win the World Cup , the country 's air force has announced plans for Top Gun-style training for pupils as young as 14 to develop tomorrow 's fighter pilots . A total of 16 senior high schools have been enlisted as 'Air Force Teenager Aviation Schools ' , according to the People 's Daily Online . Sky-high dreams : A team of 77 pilots aged 18 and over recently took to the skies for the first time in a five-hour flight training demonstration at one of the air force 's existing junior flying schools . Aspiring face : These teenage pilots have been trained by elite from Chinese Air Force while maintaining academic studies - as the new younger recruits will be . Off you fly : Each student conducted two flights , logging around 80 minutes of time in the air . The news came as China 's air force released pictures of its current intake of 18-year-old trainee pilots being taught at its junior flying school . The new 'Top Gun ' schools that will give training to boys aged 14 and up will be located in 15 cities across China , including regional capitals like Wuhan and Changsha , and will be chosen based on their previous performance and the level of support they are able to get from local government . The judging body is formed by representatives from the Ministry of Education of China , the General Political Department and Air Force . All schools are regular senior high schools that offer mainstream academic courses . Cream of the crop : The students were selected from senior high schools around the country . Learn to fly : The students have to complete 18 hours ' training in basic aviation theory as well as 28 hours of pre-flight study and one hour in a flight simulator . Lead the world : Officials from the Air Force said China had decided to step up its game because major powers in the world all invest heavily in training pilots from young ages . We want you : The poster of China 's Teenage Aviation School programme . Special 'Aviation Experimental Classes ' will be set up in these Teenage Aviation Schools , which plan to recruit 1,000 students every year . A class is usually made up by 30 to 50 students in China . This means there will be approximately 20 to 30 teen pilots classes every year . These classes are jointly managed by the schools and Air Force recruiting authorities . Male teenagers between 14 and 16 years old from all over China can apply before September 1 , the start of an academic year in China . Once accepted , successful candidates will be given meal and living allowances , a rare exception for students in China . Scholarships will also be offered to the cream of the crop . These teen pilots will be taught under the programme for three years before entering the University Entrance Examination in China for a chance to further their studies in aviation universities in the country . While news about Teenager Aviation School has just been released , People 's Daily Online published a gallery of a team of trained Chinese teen pilots taking to the skies . These 77 students , who are aged around 18 , were selected from senior high schools around the country to receive Air Force training at junior flying schools . Start them young : The country is endeavouring to provide pilot training among young male pupils in senior high schools . Large-scale recruitment : Besides specialised air force schools , regular senior high schools are to set up experimental classes to train young pilots . In their first public flying demonstration recently , these teen pilots carried out five hours of real-equipment flight training . The training took place at a air base in Changchun , provincial capital of Jilin in northeast China . Shi Yansong , one of the teen pilots , said though their training followed a quasi military standard , he felt he still had much to learn from their commanders who were Air Force elite . Unprecedented showcase : This was the first time China had arranged real flight training for teen pilots . Ready for take-off : Shi Yansong , one of the teen pilots in the flying training , said it was his dream to become a pilot in the future . Air base : The training took place in Changchun in northeast China . 'Flying a jet feels so amazing , ' said Shi , ' I must become a real pilot in the future . ' As China 's first batch of training pilots who maintain regular academic studies , the teenagers ' flying debut is a landmark on the history of China 's teenage aviation education , commented People 's Daily Online . Peng Junxia , head of China 's Air Force recruiting bureau , told Chinese media that the junior flying schools were established because major powers in the world all invest heavily in training pilots from young ages . In addition , China hopes such schools can raise a large number of outstanding Air Force commanders in the years to come . Big occasion : Students and trainers take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the military training demonstration . Military vs academic : Unlike regular air force members who often give up academic study for military training , these teen pilots are taught by top faculty in China .
16 senior high schools across China have been selected to give training . 'air force 's will be set up for cultivating young pilots . Classes are set to recruit 1,000 boys between 14 and 16 years old annually . Pupils have the chance to enter air force universities upon graduation . Trainee fighter pilots at Aviation Experimental Classes ' existing junior flying school recently took to the skies for public demonstration of training regime .