Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 11, Nanjing Airport, learning aircraft maintenance, five consecutive workdays.

The plane landed at Nanjing Airport.

Five passengers disembarked and left, marking the end of the first day of the flight.

Only Fang Wen and Yue Jinping remained on the plane.

The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

We need to say something to break this social desert.

Fang Wen got out of the driver's seat and said:
"You might not be familiar with the work situation yet, so let me explain. The company has two flights a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each flight takes more than an hour. The morning flight will return on the same day, while the afternoon flight will require staying overnight in the airport dormitory. We specialize in the afternoon flight, so we have to stay overnight in the airport dormitory tonight. Now, let's go and get acquainted with the people at Nanjing Airport so they can arrange our accommodation."

Yue Jinping tried her best to appear calm and stood up straight. "Yes, sir."

This is an instinctive reaction, unconsciously revealing the habitual performance of long-term training.

Fang Wen asked in surprise, "You received military training in Europe? Then why didn't you join the army?"

“There aren’t enough planes, so even the officers can only fly civilian airlines.” Yue Jinping replied with a wry smile, “Besides, I’m the only female pilot, which isn’t suitable for the military, so I had to obey the assignment and be transferred here.”

"Don't worry, gold always shines," Fang Wen comforted her. This was the same comforting advice that Instructor Liu from Nanyuan Aviation had given her, and he hoped it would work on Yue Jinping as well.

He and Yue Jinping got off the plane.

A ground staff member from Nanjing Airport came over with a form.

"Commissioner Fang, please fill out the flight log form."

Fang Wen took the form and glanced at it. It was a simple record of the day's flight activities, and the pilot had to sign it himself to confirm it.

After filling out the form, he asked, "Have we been arranged for accommodation tonight?"

The ground staff replied, "I don't know, you'll have to ask at the airport control tower. Our control tower is staffed by our own people."

Then, Fang Wen led Yue Jinping toward the control tower, explaining along the way.

"The fact that people can travel to and from the airport in the morning without having to stay at the airport is a privilege reserved for the US. We can't control all of this, so we have to maintain this situation for the time being."

“I understand, sir. I have undergone professional military training and can handle even more difficult environments than this. Don’t worry about me.” Through this exchange along the way, Yue Jinping gradually relaxed.

The two walked to the control tower, but before they could go up, the people inside had already come out.

Some middle-aged men with slightly balding heads greeted him with smiles.

"Commissioner Fang, it's great to finally meet you. I'm Zhou Youxian, the station manager of Nanjing Airport Dispatch Center. You can just call me Lao Zhou. And this gentleman is?"

"The flight assistants assigned by the higher-ups, Yue Jinping and Fei Yizhen, take turns flying the plane while I conduct the actual flight training."

"Oh, Manager Xie mentioned that. Thank you for your hard work. By the way, since this is your first time here, let me show you to your accommodation, and we'll go out for dinner tonight."

"I'm not going out today. Does the airport cafeteria still have food?"

"If there's food, we'll eat at the airport cafeteria tonight. Let's go check out our accommodation first."

After successfully completing the negotiations, Zhou Youxian, the station chief, led Fang Wen and Yue Jinping toward a small building on the north side of the airport.

It was a dormitory building built specifically for pilots, with dedicated staff to clean it and provide hot water, just like a guesthouse.

Fang Wen and Yue Jinping's temporary accommodations were arranged on the second floor, side by side.

It was fairly clean and tidy inside; sleeping there for one night felt just like staying in a hotel.

After checking the room and getting the key, Zhou Youxian took the two to the airport cafeteria for a meal, then showed them around the airport before saying goodbye and leaving.

Through these experiences, Fang Wen gained a better understanding of Nanjing Airport and thus fully grasped his work process.

He said to Yue Jinping, "Let's go back." "Okay."

The two strolled along the airport runway in the night. After walking for a while, Yue Jinping asked, "Sir, you're such a good pilot, why are you flying a commercial airliner?"

"Because I can only fly commercial airlines. I graduated from Nanyuan Aviation University," Fang Wen replied. He had also learned about the current state of air piloting in the Republic of China during this period. Many of those who graduated from Nanyuan Aviation University were no longer in flight positions, and some could only fly commercial airlines at most in the future.

But there is another group of pilots who returned from studying in Europe and America, just like Yue Jinping and others. Most of them stayed in the military to fly fighter jets.

In just one sentence, Yue Jinping understood.

The situation was a bit awkward, and in order to make up for her rudeness, Yue Jinping changed the subject.

"Actually, this place is not bad either. During the flight, I overheard passengers talking. A ticket costs $80, which is about 300 Hong Kong dollars."

"Really!" Fang Wen was quite surprised. These days, a single flight cost 100 silver dollars, while his monthly allowance was only 150 silver dollars, not even enough for a round trip. And this was just a short flight between Shanghai and Nanjing; longer distances would be even more expensive.

No wonder the US is so keen on establishing joint ventures for civil aviation companies and controlling flights and technology; the profits involved are enormous.

"Yes, most people simply can't afford it. My monthly allowance isn't even enough for one flight," Yue Jinping said helplessly.

The two chatted as they returned to the pilots' dormitory building.

Here, there's hardly anything to say.

Standing at the door, Fang Wen said, "Take a rest, see you tomorrow."

Yue Jinping nodded, and they each went into their rooms.

The flight lasted for five consecutive days, with the entire trip consisting of eating and sleeping at the airport. Each time they arrived at Shanghai Airport, the two flight assistants would take turns working, while Fang Wen was working non-stop.

But that's okay, I only need to fly for a little over an hour a day, and the rest of the time is very free.

During these free times, whenever Fang Wen was at Shanghai Airport, he would spend time with mechanic Howard, either chatting or helping out.

This friendly behavior led him to become Howard's friend, and the two began to communicate more and more.

Fang Wen then requested to learn aircraft maintenance and offered to pay tuition.

Howard readily accepted this.

In his spare time, he would take Fang Wen to inspect the aircraft and pass on his knowledge to this friend from the East.

After just a few days of learning, Howard discovered Fang Wen's amazing talent in mechanical repair.

This talent is only applicable to airplanes. Once Fang Wen has piloted an airplane, he can roughly find some problems with it.

And that's exactly what the mechanic needs most.

Therefore, Howard taught his new friend how to repair various parts of the aircraft with great interest.

that's it.

After the first five-day workday ends, you are entitled to one day off according to regulations.

Fang Wen and Fei Yizhen got off the plane, and he went straight to Howard to invite him to go to the city together.

Howard, who was introverted by nature, did not agree, and Fang Wen did not say much either, and walked out of the airport with Fei Yizhen.

Outside the airport, Yue Jinping, dressed in a cheongsam, was waiting, along with Manager Xie from the company.

Manager Xie greeted him with a smile, "Commissioner Fang, thank you for your hard work. Let's go to Danfenglou; their Anhui cuisine is the best here."

Fang Wen smiled and nodded. "After eating in the cafeteria for five days, it's time for a change of pace."

(End of this chapter)