Biography.guide
Home › People › Test pilot › Yu Zhenwu
Portrait of Yu Zhenwu

Yu Zhenwu

1931 – 2023

Chinese pilot

Test pilot
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Yu Zhenwu

Lived 1931 – 2023 (aged 91–92). Yu Zhenwu was a Chinese test pilot.

Yu Zhenwu (; July 1931 – 29 September 2023) was a pilot and general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). As one of China's first test pilots, he conducted the 1958 maiden flight of the Shenyang JJ-1, China's first indigenously developed jet aircraft. He later served as commander of the Guangzhou Military Region Air Force from 1982 to 1985, deputy commander of the PLAAF from 1985 to 1994, and commander of the PLAAF from 1994 to 1996.

Early life Yu Zhenwu was born in July 1931 in Kuandian, Liaoning, Republic of China. He enlisted in the army in December 1947 and joined the Chinese Communist Party in August 1949. After the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was established, Yu transferred to the PLAAF and trained to become a fighter pilot. He was deployed in North Korea in the last few months of the Korean War. Yu, one of the top fighter pilots in the air force, was selected for the dangerous job as the test pilot for the second plane. On 26 July 1958, Yu successfully completed the maiden flight of the JJ-1, which has since been celebrated as a landmark in the history of Chinese aviation. In August 1958, Yu performed an air show at the celebration ceremony for the successful development of the JJ-1, which was attended by Marshal Ye Jianying and the PLAAF Commander Liu Yalou. Yu attained the rank of full general in January 1996,

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1931, Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County
Birth century
Died
2023
Occupation
Test pilot
Positions held
National People's Congress deputy

People in Yu Zhenwu's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Yu Zhenwu's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Yu Zhenwu?

Chinese pilot (1931–2023)

When was Yu Zhenwu born?

Yu Zhenwu was born in 1931 in Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County.

When did Yu Zhenwu die?

Yu Zhenwu died in 2023.

What was Yu Zhenwu's occupation?

Yu Zhenwu was a test pilot.

What nationality was Yu Zhenwu?

Yu Zhenwu was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Yu Zhenwu

· Wikidata: Q8314370

· DBpedia: Yu Zhenwu

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Yu Zhenwu. https://biography.guide/yu-zhenwu/

MLA: "Yu Zhenwu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/yu-zhenwu/.

Chicago: "Yu Zhenwu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/yu-zhenwu/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:32 UTC