Chinese pilots catching up
According to this from AirForce Magazine last month http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2012/February%202012/0212china.aspx
In flight training, today’s PLAAF reportedly gives pilots 200 hours a year in the air, a striking increase from the fewer than 24 hours a year during the depths of the Cultural Revolution. In this respect, the PLAAF is approaching the standard set by USAF. China’s days of fielding obsolete air forces with poor training and outdated doctrine have clearly come to an end.
(not mentioned, but US and most Western pilots are twice that)
Basic USAF Flight training is pretty extensive : all students receive initial flight training in the T-6A. Those selected for airlift or tanker aircraft fly advanced training in the T-1A Jayhawk and in the T-38 Talon for students going on to fly bombers or fighters. More than 800 pilots a year each receive approximately 208 flying hours, 450 hours in ground training, and 62 hours in flight simulators and cockpit familiarization trainers. (from 19th Airforce Factsheet http://www.randolph.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6428)
Annual US average is about 250-300 per year for tactical pilots and more for cargo, tanker guys, and instructors who often break 500-600. Many USAFR and USANG ‘reserve’ pilots also can cover another 1000-hours in their civilian jobs as airline pilots.
Hope this helps