Wind beneath her wings

Pilot Wan Qiuwen at Donghai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport in Shanghai. One of China's first female sea-rescue pilots looks back in pride at 300-plus missions and pledges to save more lives, Yang Feiyue reports. When the perfect storm brews over the boundless sea and lives are at stake, a crew of highly trained professionals embarks on a mission impossible to search for and rescue survivors from the choppy waters. The 36-year-old from Shanghai has broken the glass ceiling to become one of China's first two female rescue helicopter pilots who respond 24/7 to search and rescue missions involving cargo ship snags, vessel accidents, medical emergencies and special marine operations. Wan and Song Yin, the only other female pilot, graduated from Shanghai Maritime University in 2008 to join Donghai No 1 Rescue Flying Service of the Ministry of Transport, a career of both unparalleled adventure and mortal peril.