More Chinese women should heed the call to "fly for the sheer passion and the joy of sharing that passion" in the country's booming general aviation sector, said the head of an international organization of female pilots on Sunday.

Chinese women should consider themselves not only worthy of flight, but also equally capable of men, said Susan Larson, president of the Ninety-Nines, an organization founded in 1929 by 99 licensed female pilots for the mutual support and advancement of women in aviation.

"The sky and its opportunities are truly endless," she said at the forum of the 2011 China International General Aviation Convention (CIGAC), held in China's northwestern city of Xi'an from October 14 to 17.

Larson has a commercial license for airplanes and helicopters as well as over 30 years of flight experience.

She said she has seen significant enthusiasm for general aviation in China as well as the benefits it is about to bring.

The Chinese government said in its 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) period that it will promote the development of the general aviation industry, reform the airspace management system and increase the efficiency of the allocation and utilization of airspace resources.

"Besides visiting family and conducting business, I also use it for vacation and for the sheer joy of flying. I've even flown my Cessna 182, a four-seat jet, to Alaska," said Larson, adding that she uses general aviation because it is faster and more convenient.

Joining her at the forum are four other female pilots from the United States. Together, they have logged over 15,000 flight hours in the general aviation environment.

They said their priority is to urge Chinese women to take advantage of the country's fast-developing aviation sector to realize their dreams of becoming pilots.

"For most Chinese people, the flight training fees totalling over 200,000 yuan (about US$31,360 ) are not just peanuts. Plus, there is a year and a half of full-time effort," said Zhao Mengyuan, a 24-year-old trainee at central China's Hubei Sky-Blue International Aviation Academy.

"I am so excited to realize my dreams of flying in the sky as a woman pilot. And it is much easier for me to enter the industry," she added.

Among 24 students this term, Zhao is one of the only two women in her flight training class, which is geared toward training private pilots.

"Step by step, I may have the chance to be an aircraft commander someday," said Zhao, adding that the general aviation industry in China has never been a field monopolized by men, especially since it has just begun to take off.

"Women have a lighter touch on the controls and our egos do not become a factor in the cockpit. We don't fly to prove we are better pilots than anyone else, rather we fly for the sheer passion and the joy of sharing that passion," said Larson.

She believes general aviation industry insiders in China are using their global vision to bring more economic opportunities to the country.

The Chinese are smart to partner with companies and organizations that have long histories in aviation, allowing them to jump the start-up hurdles and achieve their goals quickly, she said.