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Chen Zhongchao teaches his children how to control the joystick accurately. Photo by Shi Tao, a reporter from Hualong.com

When you first meet Chen Zhongchao, he looks very serious. But when he talks about the children around him, he suddenly opens up and his round face is full of smiles.

In September 2020, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, where Chen Zhongchao worked, issued a document to recruit teachers for volunteer teaching. "Teaching is a very meaningful thing," Chen Zhongchao signed up immediately and was later assigned to the Jianga Township Central School in Zhenning Buyi and Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou Province.

At first, Chen Zhongchao just wanted to reduce the burden of teachers in remote mountain schools. After he took up his post, he thought of his aviation knowledge and began to teach students about aviation. “If I can plant the seeds of aviation dreams, it may bring more possibilities to the children.”

Chen Zhongchao and the children are fulfilling their “aviation dream” together.

With this idea in mind, Chen Zhongchao began to contact the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics and learned that the country is currently vigorously building national aviation specialty schools.

In September 2021, Chen Zhongchao was assigned to the Liangtian Town Central School in Zhenning Buyi and Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou Province. After communicating with the former principal Wang Shungao, he decided to offer aviation-related courses for the students starting on September 15.

"Teacher, are drones expensive? I want to learn about them." One day, Chen Zhongchao brought a drone to school. Some students were very interested in it but were deterred by the price.

The children painted "planes" on the painted wall.

Chen Zhongchao immediately ordered ten toy drones for 48 yuan online at his own expense, and after they arrived, he took them to school for students to practice.

"Several children performed well in their first operation," said Chen Zhongchao. It happened that in April 2022, Liangtian Town Central School successfully applied for the National Aviation Specialty School. In June of the same year, Chen Zhongchao saw the notice of the 6th National Drone Competition issued by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and found that the school met the requirements for the competition in all aspects. He immediately decided to "prepare for the competition with all our strength!"

During the preparations for the competition, various problems arose one after another. At that time, the school was in the early stages of exploring the construction of aviation courses, and the drones used by students for practice were not competition-specific drones, but cheap toy drones. The training grounds did not even have standard training equipment, and used some homemade obstacle circles. In addition to equipment and venue issues, Chen Zhongchao and his team did not understand the rules of the drone competition.

At that time, there were less than two months left before the start of the competition. What to do?

"I will practice with you guys during the vacation!" Chen Zhongchao came up with this "stupid method" after a few slaps in his head. He believed that more practice would definitely pay off. So Chen Zhongchao and his students spent the entire summer studying the rules of the competition.

Chen Zhongchao explained the rules of the game to the children.

On August 1, the competition drones were finally delivered to the students. "At that time, one student flew the competition drone for the first time in less than 30 seconds, which shocked me!" Recalling the scene at that time, Chen Zhongchao smiled from ear to ear and said several times, "These kids are really talented."

On August 8, before the competition, the principal Wang Shungao took Chen Zhongchao to have a "secret talk": "Let's not talk about the results, just bring them back safely."

"Teacher Chen, how much is this stone pier? It's so beautiful, I've never seen it before."

"Teacher Chen, come here quickly, the trash can here is made of wood."

Chen Zhongchao gives pre-match guidance to contestants outside the stadium. Photo by Hualong.com reporter Shi Tao

Chen Zhongchao remembers the first time he took the children to participate in a competition, which was also their first time out of the mountains. "They were curious about everything. One child was so nervous during the competition that he broke the joystick of the control handle." But Chen Zhongchao summed up these "interesting things" as the children's growth experience. He said that only through continuous learning and exploration can children truly progress and grow.

At the 6th and 7th National Youth Drone Competitions, Chen Zhongchao and his team won the second and third prizes in the individual flight competition and team relay flight competition respectively.

A group photo of the team. Photo by Hualong.com reporter Shi Tao

"After participating in the competition, the children have changed significantly." Huang Jiacheng is also a volunteer teacher at Liangtian Town Central School. He led the team with Chen Zhongchao this time. "Because they have a goal and know what they want, several children can feel that they have become more stable and down-to-earth, and have also developed good study habits. One child used to score more than 30 points in the exam, but after returning from the competition, it can be seen that his study attitude has changed significantly and his grades have improved."

"During these three years of teaching, I have always believed that what I am doing is meaningful." Chen Zhongchao said that at this stage, giving children the opportunity to contact, cultivate their interests and hobbies, and allow them to have the opportunity to go out is a good start.

"I like flying drones and I want to keep learning," this is what student Hou Tianyou often said to Chen Zhongchao.

Chen Zhongchao and the contestants.

"Hou Tianyou and Liu Yilin are about to enter middle school. They have participated in the National Youth Drone Competition for three consecutive years and achieved excellent results." But Chen Zhongchao also has concerns, "After they finish elementary school, what will happen to junior high school? What about high school?"

"Wouldn't it be enough to develop both junior high schools and high schools into national aviation specialty schools!" Since November 2022, Chen Zhongchao, as an aviation science popularization expert of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics, has begun to actively help local schools in Anshun apply to become national aviation specialty schools.

Driven by Chen Zhongchao, many schools in Anshun have now opened aviation science and technology courses. In August this year, the No. 1 Middle School of the Buyi and Miao Autonomous County of Zhenning and the No. 2 Senior High School of Anshun City have successfully applied and were awarded the title of "National Aviation Specialty School" by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics. In the future, students can continue to learn relevant knowledge in school. These schools will also play a leading and exemplary role, continuously strengthen the popularization of aviation science and technology courses and the construction of aviation specialty school classrooms, and promote the in-depth development of aviation science popularization and talent system construction.

"I believe that in the near future, more children will 'fly' out of the mountains!" Chen Zhongchao firmly believes that this day is not far away.

Hualong.com Chang Hanxiao Lin Nan/Text

Yang Qi, Sun Simou, intern Deng Yu/video

Shi Tao, interviewees, oriental fairy tales/pictures

Tan Sufei/Art Editor