Shen Dinglong
He was graduated from the chemical major of Lanzhou University, and an EMBA of Xi’an Jiaotong University’s Management College. He has years of experience in managing domestic and foreign companies and founding his own companies, which gave him real and actual experience in running companies. He is now the chairman of Guangzhou Sino-German Light Aircraft Ltd and under his leadership, this company, as the first generation of private general aviation enterprise, has worked hard in the field of general aviation and in deep cooperation with European enterprises in the aviation industry, introduce design, manufacture, management and intellectual property to our country. During its thirteen years of experience in the aviation field, this company mastered CAAC、FAA、EASA and other international civil aviation regulations, and it has accumulated plenty of experience in engineering supervision of aviation, has a profound understanding of the domestic aviation industry and has built connections and other foundations of a wide range of resource.
ONE OUTSIDE: We heard that you worked in the chemical industry, what kind of opportunity led you to aviation?
Chairman Shen: In 2006, I took part in the flying experience at Chinese Flight Test Establishment under the recommendation of a friend. The passion for airplane and flight attracted me, and opened the door of interest toward the aviation industry and co-founded Chinese Airplane Club and Chinese Airplane Prandtl Simulation Technology Ltd with Chinese Flight Test Establishment. Due to my enthusiasm in the aviation industry and my insistence, I became the CEO of Chinese Airplane Club and catered the flying performance of the first China General Aviation Conference in 2007. That performance was brilliant, rewarding, and had a great outcome.
I started business again out of interest and marched in general aviation. I faced many difficult challenges in the meantime, but I didn’t quit. My flexible business mind and my unique viewpoint of the market drove me to attempt in new areas, such as expectations for the future development of general aviation and foresee the need to buy advanced foreign airplane models and intellectual property. In 2008, when we were negotiating with an advanced light aircraft manufacturer from German, we introduced the concept of LSA to China and promoted. Meanwhile, we built a great business relationship with numbers of European light aircraft companies, gained great affirmation from foreign companies, established stable partnerships, and created a solid foundation for selling airplanes. Experience of long-tern investment in sunrise industries let us believe that we need to find the enormous potential of general aviation and seize the opportunity.
ONE OUTSIDE: As the pioneer of Chinese general aviation, I would like to know your experience so far.
Chairman Shen: After years of hard-working, we have accomplished a series of achievement in Chinese general aviation area: acquired the intellectual properties of many foreign aircraft models; we applied many airworthiness certifications for various plane models at the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the rotorcraft’s airworthiness certification filled the gap which there was not any kind of rotorcraft; pushed the issue of civil aviation’s rotorcraft airworthiness registrations; organized the first training class of rotorcraft pilots, ended the history of no rotorcraft teacher and student in China; held the first rotorcraft crew member class. In the meantime, our company has great partnerships with European aircraft invention companies and manufacturers, cooperate deeply in introducing the technology of airplanes, manufacturing, sales representatives, and airworthiness certification. Since 2012 to present days, we have founded Guangzhou Sino-German Light Aircraft Ltd and four sub-companies, and we also found the General Aviation Industrial Park in Datong. This year, the first domestic-made C42E plane will be finished in Datong base.
ONE OUTSIDE: Everyone dreams of flying, how did you achieve yours?
Chairman Shen: My dream of flying accomplished a long time ago, now my goal is to help others to achieve theirs. While Sino-German Light Aircraft is absorbing and digesting foreign advanced design and manufacture technology, we are building our own light aircraft research and development base. Datong base of Sino-German Light Aircraft and Datong General Aviation Industrial Park include researching and manufacturing center of aircraft, flight training center, aircraft sales center, air sports museum, flight physic center, and flight club; eventually, we will be able to realize the entire service of general aviation which includes research, manufacture and sale aircraft. In the park, we will hold flight experience, air tour, air sports, license training for pilots and maintenance personnel, flight culture education for teenagers, city air service, aircraft care, maintenance, flight club, and other programs. We are dedicated to bringing the most professional technology, most exquisite service, and best experience to Chinese users and flight lovers. Our mission is to help more people to fulfill their flight dream.
ONE OUTSIDE: What does general aviation and sports have in common?
Chairman Shen: Air sport is to use aircraft and other machines to do sports in the sky. International air sports include flight, aircraft model, sky-diving, paragliding, balloon, and others. Open air sports to the public is also an essential way to promote aviation and cultivate talents except professional training at schools specialize in aviation.
The General Administration of Sports of China and other relevant departments are currently making rules for air sports. More and more people who are fond of sports and outdoors will join air sports, this market has great potential. With the opening of low-altitude airspace which is below 3,000 meters, innovations of air sports, casual driving of air sports, training lessons for drone driving license, and airplane ground maintenance keep appearing.
ONE OUTSIDE: How did you feel about the years starting up a business?
Chairman Shen: We usually hear this sentence: direction is more important than hard work. Well, how important the strategic position is for running a company needs no further elaboration. I believe many start-ups nowadays are one step at a time. For the general aviation company, analyzing the market correctly is the trickiest problem. Many people who understand management don’t understand manufacture, and those who manufacture don’t understand the market. The result is with large investment, the outcome is not compatible and cause a lot of waste. You need to find a core position, which is the center of breakthrough, and that’s strategic position. You need to find your center and where to use your power, determine your advantages, create strategic position according to the company’s situation. When you formulate service production different from others, the production general aviation offers should be various from opponents and try to emphasize on quality and innovation when you try to show the differences.
ONE OUTSIDE: With the development of general aviation, what kind of change will be brought to people’s lives?
Chairman Shen: According to the GUIDING INSTRUCTIONS OF PROMOTING THE GENERAL AVIATION DEVELOPMENT which was issued in 2016 by the State Council, it deployed further promotion on aviation development. It also emphasized on reinforcing the cultivation of the aviation market, pick up the sped of airport construction, promote the industry to transform and upgrade, and enlarge the opened low-attitude airspace.
By 2020, more than 500 general airports will be built, and cities at or above the prefectural level will basically have general airports or transport airports that have general aviation services. The airports will cover major agricultural production areas, main forests, and over 50% 5A tour sites. There will be over 5,000 general aircraft, and they will fly over 2 million hours per year. And a bunch of market-competitive general aviation companies will be cultivated. The research and manufacture level of aircraft and increase rate will be largely improved. And the ratio of domestic-made general aviation aircraft in general aviation fleet will increase significantly. The economic scale of general aviation is over a thousand billion yuan.
The industry calls 2014 the first year of development. There are around 2,000 airplanes, 300 general aviation airports, 91 general aviation companies with 708 pilots in China. And according to plan, after 20 years of development, in 2034, China will reach the scale of 2014’s America. We will have two hundred and twenty thousand more aircraft, six hundred to eight hundred thousand more pilots, 1.2 million to 1.5 million more maintenance crews, over five thousand more airports, and the economic scale will reach a hundred thousand billion yuan.
From the date above, we can deduce that general aviation is getting closer to us, it’s safe to say that flight will be part of our daily life.
