The pilots, cadres and officers of the Military Aviation Brigade 918 have been busy carrying people and equipment to Dien Bien to prepare for the parade on the occasion of the anniversary.

One of the pilots of the special flights is Senior Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Chu Khiem. 

In 1996, at the age of 18, Khiem left Cao Bang, his hometown, for Hanoi to prepare for the university entrance exams. At that time, like many other men who dreamed of discovering and conquering the sky, he registered for training to become a pilot.

Khiem did not know what he needed to become a pilot. He registered to attend medical examination and met the requirements for attending training. 

He overcame difficulties he faced at that moment, including home sickness, to practice every day and pass the entrance exam to the Air Force Officer College.

Khiem said he would never forget the day he sat in the cabin and flew together with his teacher many years ago. To date, Khiem has had thousands of safe flying hours on large transport aircrafts such as An-26 and Casa C295.

“I once flew to Truong Sa. When I landed in the airport and saw people greeting me and waving their hand, I felt so touched,” he said. “And when I flew to Dien Bien across the country’s northwestern part, I was filled with emotions and pride."

Khiem has 10 years of experience of flying with Casa C295, the largest and most modern transport aircraft of Vietnam’s military force.

“Over the last 30 years of working as a pilot, I flew many types of aircraft. Since I began serving at the Military Aviation Brigade 918, I have flown An 26 and Casa C295,” he said.

To fly Casa C295, a large and modern transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus, Khiem and other pilots had to attend training courses overseas. The language barrier was an obstacle for them. They had to study Russian in the past, and English now. 

Previously, the brigade used aircraft manufactured by the former Soviet Union, with mechanical equipment, but now electronic aircraft can support pilots.

Dinh Hieu - Kieu Oanh - Nguyen Duc