For the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the narrative of progress is often told through the lens of 'red genes'—a term the Communist Party uses to describe the inheritance of revolutionary spirit. This family saga, spanning three generations, illustrates the dramatic arc of China’s aerial modernization. It begins not with supersonic jets, but with the 'Old Northeast Aviation School' in the 1940s, where fuel was scarce and aircraft were famously towed by horses to save resources.
The first generation, represented by a grandfather who flew during the PLAAF’s infancy, defines the service’s foundational mythos: making do with nothing. His stories of using bicycle pumps for tire pressure and alcohol for fuel serve as the ideological bedrock for his descendants. This 'spirit of the old school'—characterized by hardship and sacrifice—remains a central theme in Beijing’s efforts to maintain morale even as the hardware becomes world-class.
The second generation bridge the gap between the era of survival and the era of expansion. During the late 20th century, as China began its push into more advanced jet technology, pilots like the father in this narrative operated in brutal conditions, such as the minus 35-degree winters of northern China. His career represents the 'bridge' phase of the PLAAF, where the physical demands of flying older, unheated cockpits were met with a stoicism that prioritized national mission over personal grief or physical injury.
Now, the third generation has entered a military that is unrecognizable from the one his grandfather joined. As a communication engineering student, the grandson’s role reflects the modern PLAAF’s shift toward a 'system-of-systems' approach to warfare. While he may not be in the cockpit, his focus on data links and electromagnetic 'lifelines' highlights the technological sophistication required to compete in a high-tech, multi-domain environment.
This family history is more than a personal memoir; it is a carefully curated archetype of the Chinese military’s social contract. By framing the transition from manual labor to digital engineering as a continuous thread of 'loyalty,' the state reinforces the idea that technological advancement does not replace the need for ideological purity. For the PLAAF, the roaring engines of today are meant to echo the same revolutionary fervor that drove the horse-drawn planes of the past.