The train driver in the courtyard

"Comrades, good news! The higher-ups have agreed to send a Y-5 transport aircraft to help us with mineral exploration!"

"The flight exploration mission will be specifically handled by Comrade Li Aiguo."

Upon hearing this news, the experts and team members of Team 915 were filled with enthusiasm.

"Meeting! Meeting now!"

When Li Aiguo received the meeting notice, he was assembling a geological exploration drilling rig with wild car experts.

After several days of hard work, the drilling rig has been mostly assembled. All that's left is to install the drill rods before it can begin drilling operations.

Li Aiguo entered the tent conference room, and Tang Guangwu pointed to the large rock next to him: "Come on, Aiguo, sit here."

Li Aiguo didn't stand on ceremony and went over to sit next to Tang Guangwu.

Tang Guangwu first briefly introduced the superior's decision, then waved his hand and said, "The fact that the comrades from the Air Force were able to allocate an aircraft despite the shortage of planes is a great support for our work. We must make the necessary preparations. Let's discuss it together."

Upon hearing this, the experts and team members offered their suggestions and advice.

"We should first modify the high-altitude uranium ore detector so that it can be installed directly once the aircraft arrives."

"I heard that conducting reconnaissance at high altitudes is very dangerous, and that flight training is required to select team members who can board the aircraft."

Regarding the former, Li Aiguo had already obtained the technology from the system and worked with Professor He to develop a modification plan, so there was no need to worry.

The key is how to conduct flight training, since we don't have any airplanes.

Li Aiguo recalled the cosmonaut training he had seen in Moscow, raised his hand and said, "We can set up two steel pipes in the courtyard to form a single-bar frame, hang people on it and spin them around. After spinning around a few hundred times, once they can distinguish east from west, they'll probably be ready to go on board."

Professor He agreed with Li Aiguo's opinion: "I've talked to the Russian pilots, and they say this is called vestibular function training, which can improve the ability to resist dizziness."

"We have plenty of steel pipes and ropes, so it's settled!"

Tang Guangwu nodded and continued, "There's also the issue of the runway. To prepare for the arrival of the Y-5, Air Force comrades, we need to prepare a runway. Due to the tight schedule and heavy workload, in addition to the two squads, I've decided to involve the comrades from the commune as well."

"After the meeting, I'll go talk to the Party Secretary about this." One of the leaders nodded.

Tang Guangwu then looked at Li Aiguo: "Equipment modification is of paramount importance, and you must get it done as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Li Aiguo stood up and made his statement.

After the brief meeting, Li Aiguo led the wild car expert and Professor He into the warehouse.

The universal gamma radiation instrument was placed on the workbench by Li Aiguo. Professor He was a little nervous: "Aiguo, be careful. We only have one of these. It's the team's precious gem."

"Don't worry, Lao He." Li Aiguo picked up the pliers and grinned at the universal gamma radiation meter.

The universal gamma radiation meter can only be used to measure alpha, beta, gamma, and x-rays, making it one of the simplest radiation measuring instruments.

Because it is simple, it also has great potential for modification.

Uranium primarily releases alpha rays during decay, which are not very penetrating and are essentially unable to penetrate the atmosphere.

The most penetrating rays are gamma rays, so Li Aiguo recalibrated the radiation instrument, focusing the detection frequency band above 3×10 Hz.

The radiation meter needs to be installed on the aircraft, so it should theoretically be lightweight. However, considering the carrying capacity of the Y-5, no changes were made. The only changes were to the power supply method and rubber pads were added to the bottom for shock absorption.

Li Aiguo also installed a separate power supply for the radiation meter, which could be shut down during critical phases of flight.

"Old He, bring over the calibration radiation and let's test it." After working for most of the day and completing the initial modification, Li Aiguo called Professor He to bring the radiation source.

The switch clicked open.

The radiation meter emitted a buzzing sound, and the pointer spun rapidly before settling at 10 μSv/h.

This is the midpoint of radiation. If the radiation level is lower, it may cause temporary interference, such as when passing by a hospital's ultrasound room.

If it gets any higher, you need to move away immediately and report it to the environmental protection department.

"It really worked! Well done, Aiguo, you've got some skills." Professor He excitedly gave Li Aiguo a thumbs up.

Professor He's stubbornness is well-known. A while ago, when leaders from the ministry came to inspect the area, he even slammed his fist on the table with them.

Professor Liu and the technicians exchanged glances, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Just yesterday, Professor He was yelling at the train driver to quit, so why has his attitude changed so drastically?

Captain Tang Guangwu had been keeping a close eye on the work here. After receiving the news, he rushed over and, upon confirming that the radiation meter had been modified, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Patriotism, the horizontal bar for aviation is set up. The team members are training right now. Do you want to go and join in the fun?"

"Aviation Horizontal Bar" is a nickname given to it by the team members. After all, that horizontal bar is five or six meters high, far exceeding the height of a regular horizontal bar. If they still used the old name, it would seem less imposing.

When Li Aiguo brought the wild car experts to the courtyard, one of the team members was already tied to a horizontal bar with ropes.

At this moment, Liu Tianquan and his group were shaking the turntable below. The horizontal bar spun rapidly, and the team member spun around like a roast chicken skewered on a barbecue grill, only faster.

At first, the team members found it a bit novel.

The dizzying sensation felt good, but as the speed increased, my stomach began to churn, and I couldn't hold it in any longer: "Put me down!"

As the machine spun at high speed, the team members' voices became elongated and distorted.

"Xiao Liu, with this level of skill, you still want to get on the plane? Aren't you ashamed to embarrass our exploration team?" The team leader shouted to stop the training and ordered the team members to be taken down from the horizontal bar.

As soon as the team member landed, he squatted down and started vomiting, even bringing up the food and drinks from the previous night. He looked incredibly disheveled.

He's definitely not capable of conducting a direction-finding test in this state.

"Help him aside, and bring a few more people." The team leader shook his head helplessly and waved to the team members.

Despite the tragic examples, the young team members still enthusiastically signed up, and even Liu Tianquan raised his hand. Soon, a long line formed in front of the horizontal bar.

Although there are many people, only a few team members can withstand the test of the horizontal bar in aviation.

Like the first one, most of them couldn't even get off the horizontal bar. Some managed to get off, but couldn't tell which way to go.

Only one short man from the coast managed to identify north and south after being spun around 9981 times.

This man's name is Chen Chuan. According to him, he was born and raised on a fishing boat, and his resistance to dizziness far exceeds that of ordinary people.

According to the plan, two team members are needed to board the plane to carry out aerial prospecting missions, but one person is still missing.

Needless to say, those old professors simply couldn't withstand such intense training.

The guards are physically fit, but they lack the relevant operational knowledge.

Captain Tang Guangwu turned his gaze to Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, why don't you give it a try?"

"Then I'll make a fool of myself." Li Aiguo had ridden on professional training machines in Russia and wanted to know the difference between his creation and those machines. He rolled up his sleeves, lightly jumped, and hugged the horizontal bar.

The wild car expert stepped forward, carrying a rope: "Comrade Patriot, bear with me, I'm very strong."

"You're quick on your feet, kid." Li Aiguo felt that the self-taught car expert was becoming increasingly disrespectful to his superiors.

When he gets back to the locomotive depot, he'll be punished by having to write a 6,000-word self-criticism, so he'll know who's in charge.

Wild car expert Le Hehe used ropes to tie Li Aiguo up tightly to the horizontal bar, while Liu Tianquan and another team member cranked the gears.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The horizontal bar spun rapidly.

At first, Li Aiguo felt dizzy, but the strange feeling quickly disappeared.

He opened his eyes wide and could even see the surrounding scenery transforming into long strips as it spun at high speed.

The team members on the ground were all waiting for Li Aiguo to call a stop, but after spinning around for over a hundred times, they realized something was wrong.

"Stop right now, don't spin around, has Aiguo fainted?" Captain Tang Guangwu shouted immediately.

Liu Tianquan and the others stopped what they were doing and rushed over to take a look. Li Aiguo was staring at them with wide eyes and laughing: "This thing is really quite fun, huh?"

Liu Tianquan: "."

Tang Guangwu: "."

The dozen or so team members who were squatting nearby vomiting: "."

Tang Guangwu found it unbelievable that Li Aiguo showed no signs of dizziness and could even jump high after being put down.

However, he didn't think much of it and simply attributed the situation to Li Aiguo's exceptional talent.

"I think we should let Comrade Aiguo and Comrade Chen Chuan board the plane to carry out the mission," Tang Guangwu suggested.

The teammates next to them were somewhat envious, but there was nothing they could do, since they couldn't withstand the high-speed rotation.

Several professors in the exploration team also supported the decision.

"Patriotism improved the high-altitude uranium ore detector, so that if the instrument malfunctions, the fault can be eliminated in time."

Tang Guangwu made the final decision: "Li Aiguo and Chen Chuan should not participate in the construction of the temporary runway for the next few days. They should continue their training on the single bar and the operation of the equipment."

"In addition, we will also provide some care in terms of food."

Li Aiguo readily agreed.

After arriving here, Li Aiguo's biggest problem was the terrible food.

The team's cook only knew how to cook two dishes: roasted flatbread and wild vegetable and cornmeal porridge.

Going to a restaurant in the commune would take too much time; my mouth has been so dry these past few days.

In the following days, Li Aiguo and Chen Chuan continued training, while Lao Mao and Lao Qin led the team to join the work of building a temporary running track. The temporary track was located in a wasteland not far from the compound, filled with gravel of all sizes.

The commune sent militiamen and activists to help clear the gravel with camels, and the scene was very lively.

On the third day after the temporary runway was completed, a Y-5 transport plane was dispatched from Jinan.

Li Aiguo was enjoying the amusement park on the horizontal bar when he heard the sound of a propeller turning. He immediately untied the rope and jumped down.

"Patriotism, let's go welcome our Air Force brothers!" Tang Guangwu ran out as soon as he heard the news.

The group went outside and saw a Y-5 transport plane landing, its wheels scraping against the runway and emitting plumes of yellow smoke.

Although the runway had been cleared, it was still uneven. It was only because the Y-5 was relatively light that it was able to withstand the impact; otherwise, a larger transport aircraft would have already suffered a tire blowout.

The pilot was very skilled, and the transport plane came to a steady stop on the ground after taxiing for over a hundred meters.

Seeing the pilot open the cabin door and jump out, Li Aiguo stepped forward and extended his hand: "I am Li Aiguo, who is in charge of this mineral exploration flight."

The pilot saluted Li Aiguo: "Zhang Tianfang, squad leader of the 5th squad of the 1st battalion of the 34th regiment of the 12th Air Division of the Jinan Military Region, and his squad members are here to report for duty."

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo was filled with respect: "Is it the flight squadron that received the collective first-class merit? The squadron that produced combat heroes?"

The 1st Squadron of the 34th Regiment of the 12th Division shot down seven enemy aircraft and 12 high-altitude reconnaissance balloons on the northern battlefield, making it a star flight squadron of the Air Force.

"That's all in the past. We can't rest on our laurels, Comrade Patriot. This time we're just ordinary pilots." Zhang Tianfang was very conscientious and didn't dwell on the past.

Zhang Tianfang then introduced the flight crew members to Li Aiguo. The crew consisted of two pilots and two flight mechanics.

The co-pilot's surname was Huang, and his given name was Huang Cheng. He was a young man with a southern accent, and he didn't say a word after arriving at the base.

Because this is a special mission, there are currently no civilian air routes in the Northwest region. The application process is also very simple; as long as the weather permits, you can apply and take off at any time.

After a brief welcoming ceremony, team leader Zhang Tianfang, without taking a break, led the mechanics to inspect the radiation meter that Li Aiguo had modified.

"This thing is quite ingenious. I think it should be fine to install it on an airplane," the mechanic commented.

"It's still early, let's install it first and then conduct a test flight." Zhang Tianfang was very enthusiastic about his work.

At this point, pilot Huang Cheng offered his opinion: "Old Zhang, we've already flown over a thousand kilometers. The ore isn't going anywhere because it's buried underground. Let's rest for a couple of days before we start working again."

Zhang Tianfang's face immediately turned ugly.

Team 5 was considered one of the top-performing teams in the 1st Squadron. Their crew was originally scheduled to travel to the South Asian region to carry out transport missions.

Just before departure, they suddenly received orders from above that the entire team would be transferred to the geological department and the Y-5 would be converted into a high-altitude mineral exploration aircraft. From then on, these pilots could only help find minerals.

This would be hard for anyone to accept.

As the team leader, Zhang Tianfang set an example by responding to the superior's call first, while the other three members of the team were somewhat reluctant.

Huang Cheng, in particular, dreamed of becoming a war hero.

Li Aiguo had long noticed that pilot Huang Cheng had a problem with the base. Seeing Zhang Tianfang's face turn red, he smiled and said, "Team Leader Zhang, why don't we take a two-day break? That way we can plan our flight route and test the radiation meter."

These words gave Zhang Tianfang a way out, and he nodded accordingly: "It would be good to rest for two days."

This minor incident did not affect the atmosphere within the May 19th Regiment.

That evening, Captain Tang Guangwu led his men to the commune to purchase a batch of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with some camel meat left over from the previous trip, and held a welcome banquet.

The next day, Tang Guangwu and Professor He were responsible for planning the flight route, while Li Aiguo led a team to install the radiation meter on the Y-5 transport aircraft.

Zhang Tianfang, along with Huang Cheng and two mechanics, also performed maintenance on the aircraft.

After finishing his work, Li Aiguo tested the radiation meter and, seeing that the aircraft maintenance was not yet complete, went over to check on it.

"Comrade Aiguo, I heard you're a train driver. What, are you also interested in airplanes?" Zhang Tianfang had a good impression of Li Aiguo because of what happened yesterday.

Conflicts within the work group should be resolved internally. Spreading them out will not only draw criticism, but the group leader will also be held responsible.

"Every man wants to fly a plane," Li Aiguo said casually.

Liu Tianquan also came over, looked at the disassembled engine parts, and clicked his tongue: "The plane is a good plane, but this engine is a bit lacking. I heard from the Russian experts that their new engine is much more powerful than this."

"What?! What did you say!" Huang Cheng had been given a long pep talk by Zhang Tianfang last night, which eased his negative emotions somewhat, but he was still unconvinced. Now, when he heard Liu Tianquan talking about transport planes, he immediately dropped the wrench.

"Xiao Huang! What are you doing!" Zhang Tianfang glared at him and shouted sternly, "Comrades Aiguo and the others are just chatting, what kind of behavior is this, making such a fuss!"

"Captain!" Huang Cheng retorted, pointing at Liu Tianquan, "This is our country's best transport plane! What does he know, someone who spends all day digging in the dirt? Does he even have the right to say the engine is bad?"

Liu Tianquan was just chatting casually, but Huang Cheng suddenly got angry and blushed so badly he couldn't say a word.

“Comrade Huang Cheng, you can’t say that.” Li Aiguo originally thought Huang Cheng was just young and impetuous.

But his words were getting increasingly harsh, and he couldn't help but frown. "What do you mean by 'playing with rocks'? Without these geological team members who 'play with rocks,' where would you get the aluminum, iron, and gasoline for your plane?"

He pointed to the busy exploration team in the distance, raising his voice a few decibels: "They brave the elements in the Gobi Desert, crawling through ravines and climbing cliffs, searching for no ordinary rocks! They're the foundation of the nation's construction! Without ore, factories can't operate, machines can't be manufactured, and your plane can't even take to the skies!"

Huang Cheng was speechless for a moment when asked the question. His mouth moved, but he couldn't say anything in rebuttal.

"There are only different divisions of labor, not distinctions of rank or worth!" Li Aiguo's voice rang out firmly. "Flying airplanes is serving the people, and prospecting for minerals is also serving the people. They are both public jobs, so why should they be divided into different classes?"

Li Aiguo's words have already taken a serious stance; if things aren't handled properly, there could be big trouble.

Zhang Tianfang quickly tried to smooth things over, tugging at Huang Cheng's arm: "Comrade Aiguo is right! Xiao Huang, you need to improve your ideological awareness! I just told you yesterday that we should work together, why are you being stubborn again?"

"Yes...it was my fault. I spoke without thinking. I'm sorry, Comrade Liu." Huang Cheng understood this as well. Although he was unconvinced, he could only suppress his anger.

Li Aiguo was initially unwilling to argue with Huang Cheng, but considering that the flight mission still required his cooperation, he continued, "Comrade Liu Tianquan is not wrong either. The Y-5 is a good aircraft. It is robust, can carry a lot, and is highly adaptable. Its only drawback is its weak power."

In particular, the Y-5 is lightweight and therefore poses a great danger when flying through clouds, making it suitable for low-altitude flight.

Low-altitude flight requires agility and maneuverability, making weak power a fatal flaw.

If what I said earlier was an overreaction, Li Aiguo's words directly pointed out the fatal flaw of the Y-5.

In later years, the Y-5 became the most produced transport aircraft in China. It was involved in several accidents, most of which were related to engine power.

As the team leader, Zhang Tianfang was naturally aware of these things and quickly asked, "Currently, China does not have the capability to produce aircraft engines. These engines were purchased from Poland at high prices. To produce new engines would be harder than climbing to heaven."

"It's not actually that difficult." Li Aiguo stroked his chin.

The workshop can now manufacture V8 engines and has the technology to produce turbocharged engines.

South Asia is quite lively right now. If we had more advanced fighter jets, the progress would be much faster.

However, there's no rush for now.

After the maintenance of the Y-5 was completed, a short test flight was still required. At this time, strong winds had picked up on the Gobi Desert, and the flight conditions were far from ideal.

After Huang Cheng boarded the plane, he suddenly shouted to Li Aiguo, "Comrade Aiguo, you're going to be on a random flight tomorrow too, right? Why don't you come and experience it first?"

“Okay.” Li Aiguo seemed not to have noticed anything and boarded the Y-5 immediately.

Zhang Tianfang originally wanted to say a few words of advice to Huang Cheng, but knowing the boy's temperament, he didn't say much and directly started the plane.

The flight was very difficult; it encountered strong air currents, causing the plane to bounce up and down violently.

A mechanic was vomiting violently, making the ground covered with his excrement.

Huang Cheng's voice rang out from ahead: "Comrade Aiguo, can you still hold on?"

Seeing no response, Huang Cheng became a little smug: "Team leader, did you see that? These guys are all all talk and no action, all they do is spout nonsense. If they really went up in the sky, they'd all turn into cowards."

Zhang Tianfang glanced at him indifferently: "I'll control the plane, you go and take a look at the back."

Huang Cheng stood up, pushed open the cockpit door, and peered out. In the violent jolts, the seat and the bulkhead were shaking, and even his own hand gripping the door was straining.

But the train driver from the geological team was firmly nailed to the floor like a rivet!

With his knees slightly bent and his shoulders and back taut, he hunched over, his head barely an inch from the radiation meter panel.

The scene was completely different from the embarrassing image of him vomiting that he had imagined.

Huang Cheng's heart skipped a beat: "This is weird! These can't be geologists. Even our Air Force aces working in such a shaky cockpit wouldn't be able to do this much..."

"This guy can handle more than me, the pilot?" Huang Cheng sat back in the co-pilot's seat, still looking incredulous.

"Did you see the horizontal bar in the courtyard?"

"I saw it. These geologists are really unorthodox. Using that thing to practice flying, aren't they afraid of losing their lives?" Huang Cheng tried it once and could only spin a little over a hundred times. Any more and he couldn't stand up.

"That thing was designed by Aiguo. It can spin two hundred times and then walk normally after landing."

Huang Cheng: "."

Huang Cheng's facial muscles twitched noticeably, his lips parted slightly, and his eyes widened even more.

Shock, disbelief, and a hint of admiration for that monstrous "vestibular function" were all stuck in his throat, turning into an extremely awkward silence.

*****
The plane landed half an hour later.

Wild car experts and Professor He gathered around, and Li Aiguo pointed to the radiation meter and said, "We should design the current to have three levels, corresponding to three different altitudes."

"That's a good idea." The wild car expert got busy.

Seeing that Li Aiguo was completely unaffected, Huang Cheng sighed inwardly, thinking that this guy was truly a born ace pilot.

(End of this chapter)