Draft:How to shoot airplane

How to Shoot Airplane
File:How to shoot down airplane.jpg 《How to Shoot Airplane》Cover
Published
Publisher	Guangzhou Military Region Command of the People's Liberation Army of China
Published time	February 15th, 1965

In early 2006, the cover of the booklet was posted on an online forum. Because the term "打飛機" ("da fei ji") has come to mean male masturbation in modern Cantonese and slang, the image sparked lively discussions and speculation about the content of the manual.

「Shooting an airplane」Origin

In the early years following the founding of the People's Republic of China, after the War of Resistance Against Japan and the Chinese Civil War, the economy was in ruins, and the military lacked the capability to equip itself with heavy weaponry. Its strength was far inferior to that of the West, and even individual equipment was rudimentary. As a result, the People's Liberation Army sought to compensate for these shortcomings through the skills of its soldiers. At the time, the educational level of the soldiers was generally low, so the PLA included illustrated guides in the Military Training Manual to simply teach soldiers how to shoot down aircraft using rifles, helping them grasp the necessary techniques.

At that time, the act of shooting down aircraft with light weapons was referred to as "da fei ji" ("打飛機") and was commonly used within the ranks of the PLA. In 1943, a soldier of the Eighth Route Army, Song Lingchun, reportedly shot down a Japanese aircraft using a Type 38 rifle. In July 1952, when Mao Zedong met with the returning delegation of Chinese People's Volunteers, he learned that Zhao Baotong, a pilot from Wang Hai’s air force unit, had shot down several American aircraft during the Korean War. Mao remarked, "When it comes to shooting down planes, I’m no match for Zhao Baotong."

When the war broke out, the People's Liberation Army participated under the name of the Chinese People's Volunteers. On an early morning in March 1951, volunteer soldier Guan Chonggui successfully shot down a U.S. P-51 propeller fighter with a light machine gun, firing 14 rounds. This made him the first person in PLA history to successfully "da fei ji" (shoot down a plane). He was later awarded the title of "First-Class Combat Hero" and received a special merit citation. Guan Chonggui’s achievement was likely seen as a morale booster; from then on, the technique of "da fei ji"—a skill requiring both precision and luck—was widely promoted and celebrated.

Book Contents and Discussions

The Vietnam War broke out in 1961, and by 1965 the conflict had escalated significantly. Due to ideological and geopolitical considerations, the State Council of the People's Republic of China decided to provide military aid to North Vietnam, supplying large quantities of anti-aircraft weapons to counter U.S. air raids using ground-based artillery. Nevertheless, the PLA's weaponry still lagged behind the advanced technology of the U.S. military. In the face of the threat posed by American fighter jets, the PLA sought to respond by employing "da fei ji" techniques to shoot them down.

Against this backdrop, the Guangzhou Military Region Command of the People's Liberation Army of China compiled and published a combat manual titled How to Shoot Down an Aircraft, which provided detailed instructions on how to use light weapons to bring down enemy planes. Though only a few pages long, the booklet included not only written explanations but also color illustrations and conversion tables to help guide soldiers in calculating shooting distances and angles.

Below is from《How to Shoot an Airplane》：

“ When shooting at an enemy aircraft flying level, the lead should be calculated based on the size of the aircraft and the distance. The method for calculating the lead is as follows: multiply the aircraft's speed by the time it takes for the bullet to reach the aircraft, and then divide by the length of the aircraft's body. The resulting number represents the amount of lead to be considered when aiming. ”

With technological advancements, aircraft speeds have become much faster than before, and the armor protection on aircraft has been continually strengthened. Meanwhile, rifles and machine guns have evolved toward smaller calibers and lighter designs, which has reduced the kinetic energy of their projectiles. As a result, the role of light weapons in targeting airborne objects has become less significant, and the chances of hitting an aircraft have become nearly zero. Consequently, the concept of "da fei ji" (shooting down aircraft) became a mere talking point. However, during the Iraq War, on March 24, 2003, farmers in southern Iraq used an AK-47 to shoot down a U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopter and captured two U.S. soldiers, which amazed the world.

Derivative

In early 2006, the cover of How to Shoot Down an Aircraft was uploaded from mainland China, sparking a viral sensation. Due to the slang term "da fei ji" being associated with masturbation, many people joked about it online. By September 2, 2006, a netizen uploaded other content from the book on the Mop.com forum, which once again led to widespread sharing and discussion.