Young pilot builds and flies his own aircraft in SW China's Sichuan

Li Yinghao, born after 2000, is both a flight instructor and the founder of a general aviation company in southwest China's Sichuan Province, where he focuses on pilot training.

"Through training, we can bring more aviation professionals and enthusiasts into the field, expand the general aviation market, and accumulate hands-on experience in aircraft manufacturing," he said.

Li Yinghao, born after 2000, pilots the "Yinghao 100" aircraft. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Inside a hangar at Huaizhou Airport in Chengdu city, Sichuan, a plane with silver-white wings sits quietly on the ground, its wingspan stretching over 5 meters. The aircraft, named "Yinghao 100," was built by Li.

Li was surrounded by aircraft models from an early age, as his father is a pilot. When he enrolled at Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic University, he chose aircraft electromechanical equipment maintenance as his major.

"Aviation just fascinated me — I wanted to try building a plane of my own," he said.

With the help of his class teacher, Li secured access to a campus laboratory equipped with training tools and instruments. The university also had no shortage of skilled machinists and fitters, and whenever he needed parts, he would seek them out for guidance.

Throughout the design and manufacturing process, Li referred to China's airworthiness certification standards for civil aircraft and completed a series of tests, including aviation material inspection, high-precision measurement, and the development of a scaled verification prototype. The aircraft ultimately received an experimental-category special airworthiness certificate issued by the Department of Aircraft Airworthiness Certification of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

On April 5, 2024, Li piloted the "Yinghao 100" in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, successfully completing its maiden flight.

"My dream is to build a general aviation aircraft that serves the public — something classic and built to last," Li said.

After graduating, he joined an aviation company to work in aircraft maintenance and went on to obtain several licenses, including a flight instructor certificate.