Hsi-Chun Mike Hua
Hsi-Chun "Mike" Hua (Chinese: 華錫鈞) was a Republic of China Air Force pilot who played a leading role in the development of the Air Force and of aeronautics in Taiwan. He was known in Taiwan as "the father of the Indigenous Defense Fighter".[1]
Hua was born on December 6, 1925 in Wuxi, China. After immigrating to Taiwan, he graduated from the Republic of China Air Force Academy and qualified to fly the F-86 Sabre. He then attended the US Air Force Lockheed U-2 pilot training academy.
On August 3, 1959, during his seventh U-2 training flight, Hua was the hero of a famous aviation incident.[2][3][4] Thirteen miles above Utah, he lost engine power. Flying dead stick, he located the Cortez Municipal Airport and successfully landed his U-2, a notoriously difficult plane to land even in the best of circumstances.
After his return to Taiwan, Hua flew covert reconnaissance missions over People's Republic of China airspace flying U-2 spy plane as a member of the ROC Air Force 35th Black Cat Squadron.[1]
In 1964, he enrolled in the aeronautics engineering at Purdue University, from which he received both a master's degree (1965) and a PhD (1968) in aerodynamics. After working at Cessna and Lockheed Aircraft, Hua returned to Taiwan in 1970[5] to lead the Aero Industry Development Center, where he helped to develop the AT-3 jet trainer and the Indigenous Defense Fighter.[1]
During his military career, Hua served as an adjunct faculty member at National Cheng Kung University and Tunghai University.[5] In 1982, he was promoted to general.[1]
In his latter years, Hua sponsored domestic military aviation research and development. In 2012, he donated NT$15 million to National Cheng Kung University, and in 2017 he established the Hua Hsi Chun Aeronautical Engineering Foundation. He died in Taichung, Taiwan on January 24, 2017 at the age of 91.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Aeronautics developer Mike Hua dies aged 92". Taipei Times. 2017-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Wilkinson, Stephan (January 2015). "Dragon Lady Down: Crazy Night Landing in a U-2 Spyplane". Aviation History. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ "When 'Dragon Lady' invaded Cortez". Durango Herald. 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Leone, Dario (2021-11-27). "That time a Taiwanese U-2 pilot flamed out at 70,000 feet over the Rocky Mountains and glided to a rough night landing at a remote airport in Colorado". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ a b "Hsichun (Mike) Hua". Purdue University College of Engineering. 1990. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
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