The oft repeated quote by Leonardo DaVinci goes, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Aviators and aircraft enthusiasts will attest to this sentiment, but a new group has also started looking upward and letting their minds wander with dreams of flying: Hong Kong’s youth.

From Nov 12-17, the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition was held in Zhuhai, which is a short bus ride away from Hong Kong. The event boasted over 500,000 visitors to purview the latest in Chinese military hardware. However, the major draw was aircraft manufacturer Shenyang Aircraft Corp unveiling its latest, fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, the J-35. The brief but stunning performance did not disappoint.

The event also confirmed what many in Hong Kong’s education sector have noticed over the last few years: a rising enthusiasm for aviation among Hong Kong youth. Inviting with it is the potential to build new bridges between the lingering differences some Hong Kong youths feel toward the Chinese mainland.

Aviation’s history is relatively short, and yet still filled with tremendous advancements that, in the fullness of time, often come to supersede the personal politics of wherever those advancements originate. The time span between the Wright brothers’ first flight and mankind reaching lower Earth orbit is less than 60 years. Within the scope of aviation milestones, many legacies have been established that remain to this day. One of which is Hong Kong’s former airport, the Kai Tak Airport.

Kai Tak’s legacy in the world of aviation was due to its unconventional final approach. An approach only slightly less challenging than those such as the mountainous, winding approach to the Paro International Airport in Bhutan, of which less than 60 pilots today are qualified to perform.

Kai Tak was Hong Kong’s answer to a previous generation’s aviation challenge, and today, a new set of challenges have emerged. With these challenges, global and geopolitical conditions are also at a convergence, with new opportunities for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its residents to contribute to aviation. Meaning, a new generation of Hong Kong talent may be ready to make their mark on the aviation industry but with the benefit of doing so in an age of rapid technological advancement. If we look closer, we can see new business opportunities for building STEM education initiatives, strengthening cross-border cultural relationships, and the chance to address global aviation employment demands.

Employment demands that long- and short-haul carriers across the world are made a priority. A recent study conducted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projected that by 2025, the demand for airline pilots will surpass supply by over 4,000. Increasing the need for action on the part of the governments and multinational entities to ensure air travel remains safe.

Hong Kong stands to offer a potential solution to this global demand if policymakers seize the opportunity and devote local as well as national resources to training and development programs for aspiring, young Hong Kong aviators. With more support from the central government, a future generation of pilots from Hong Kong could be mentored to fill that demand.

Western countries such as Australia, England, Canada, the United States, and more recently Brazil already enjoy the benefits of a rich aviation history. And with the recent developments made by Chinese commercial aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. Ltd (Comac), Hong Kong is perfectly placed to start building its own reputation.

Several reasons lead this writer to believe such a future does not have to remain a dream for young Hong Kong aviators. First, is the rise of aviation -based science, technology, engineering and math institutions, operating in Hong Kong and the whole Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and offering courses that cover basic flight principles as well as specialized training for youngsters wishing to pursue cadet pilot-training programs offered by Hong Kong’s local carrier, Cathay Pacific.

Another reason for optimism is the pace of State-owned aircraft manufacturer Comac. The company continues to attain major business and cultural milestones in its relatively short time in the global aviation market. In September, its flagship aircraft, the C919, had achieved the distinctions of having carried over 500,000 passengers, logging over 10,000 flight hours and having completed over 3,700 commercial flights since beginning commercial operations less than a year earlier.

These developments clearly show the aviation landscape between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong is fertile, as other Chinese aviation firms are making big strides in the professional pilot-training sector. Beijing Moreget Innovation Technology Inc last year announced the development of its first flight simulator training platform, developed wholly by its in-house team of engineers. The simulator platform is the first of its kind to achieve a Level D certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Level D certification is awarded only to large flight simulators that meet stringent engineering criteria for use in civil and military training environments.

The company, established in 2006, leveraged its expertise in 4D motion theatres and earthquake simulators, and as of 2023 had delivered more than 40 sets of the 6-DoF (six degrees of freedom) motion systems for use in airline pilot training. The platform’s announcement disrupted a market previously dominated by US, Dutch and Canadian full-flight simulators manufacturers that held Level D certification.

Undoubtedly, for many an aspiring Hong Kong aviator, making the journey to Zhuhai last week for a chance to view the J-35 was well worth the journey; and may have inspired a sense of national pride. The idea of piloting a fighter jet is the dream of many; with the right policies in place, a path for any aspiring Hong Kong aviator to the controls of a cockpit could become a reality.

The author is a writer, columnist and historian based in Hong Kong.

The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.