Previously, operational unit training consisted of two phases. The first phase lasted for two years and consisted of 240 hours of theory and 240 hours of flying. Operations were conducted during the day, at night, and under bad weather conditions. The first 100 hours were flown in the F-5 for basic airmanship, then the pilot transitioned to the F-6 or F-7 for 100 more hours. After this, the pilot continued to train in the F-6/F-7 for 200 more hours. The second phase was actual tactics training (zhanshu xunlian). 

For all practical purposes, the new transition training bases have taken over the responsibility for the first year of operational training from the units. Training at the transition bases now lasts for one year and includes 100-120 flying hours. The pilots must be capable of flying in three weather conditions before they can graduate. 

The second year is still conducted at the operational unit. Whereas it previously took about 4-5 years at an operational unit for a pilot to become proficient (i.e. fly in four weather conditions), according to an Air Force report in December 1990, it now takes only 2-3 years. Once the pilot arrives at his unit, annual flying hours vary according to the type of aircraft as follows: 

Aircraft                                                               Flying Hours

- Bombers                                                                  80

- Fighters                                                                 100-110

- A-5 ground attack aircraft                                         150

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* The PLAAF refers to flying in day VFR (zhoujian jiandan), day IFR (zhoujian fuza), night VFR (yejian jiandan), and night VFR (yejian fuza) conditions as flying in different types of weather conditions (qixiang feixing) . For example, flying in day and night VFR and day IFR is referred to as flying in "three weather conditions" (sanzhong qixiang). Flying in day/night VFR and IFR is considered "four weather conditions." 

Since 1982, each MRAF has formed 1-3 "lanjun/Blue Force" units (fendui). The PLAAF Flight Test and Training Center in Cangzhou also formed a "Blue Force" fendui. All of the pilots in these fendui are selected from Class A Regiments (jia lei tuan). 

In 1985, the Nanjing and Beijing MRAFs each established (a) tactical training cooperation areas) (zhanshu xunlian xiezuo qu). Thereafter, each of the other MRAFs established similar area(s). The purpose of these areas was to have unified training among all of the PLAAF's branches (SAM, AAA, radar, and communications), with the aviation branch as the most important. 

In 1986, some MRAFs and Air Corps established either joint (hetong) tactical training cooperative areas with Group Armies, or Army-PLAAF opposing (lu long duikang) training cooperative area(s). Each training period in these areas lasts about a week and is called a war training week (zhanshi xunlian zhou). The Nanjing MRAF was the first MRAF to use this training method. 

Zhongguo Kongjun magazine provided a good description of B-6 bomber training in 1986 and 1987 as follows: 

In September 1986, eight B-6 bombers from an air division in the Guangzhou M1tAF participated in an inter-MRAF long range raid training exercise. The bombers first dropped bombs at a bomb range in Hunan Province, then flew through five provinces for over three hours to drop bombs at a bomb range in the northwest. Although the bombing results were good in Hunan, they were unsatisfactory in the northwest. It was a strange target, the sun was in their eyes, the target was difficult to find, and they were not on time over target, so they had to return home with those bombs. As a result, they only received a rating of two for this portion. The total flight time was 6-7 hours. 

In August 1987, another cell of eight bombers conducted a long range raid inspection based on a tactical scenario. The first target was hit during low level bombing, which was followed by a high altitude long distance navigation route with a direct run on a target range on another lake. Before entering a false enemy radar enemy net, they rapidly descended to quietly close on the target. Following this, they used maximum climbing speed to conduct their bombing. However, before entering the bombing starting point, they met an unpredictable event. The number one target on an island in the middle of the lake could not be seen because the water had risen. By the time the first two aircraft discovered this, it was too late to switch to another target. The third aircraft quickly switched to target number six on a peninsula can the lake. The bombs were dropped and hit 15 meters from the center of the target, resulting in a rating of five.