Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 15: Returning to Nanyuan Airlines, Preparations

Fang Wen stepped off the plane and strode toward the instructors.

Things are different now. In the eyes of the teachers, Fang Wen is no longer the same person he was a year ago.

A dark blue flight cap, a gray leather jacket, loose straight-leg trousers, and stylish blue and white leather shoes—this flight uniform perfectly embodies the saying, "Clothes make the man."

His demeanor has also changed a lot. A year ago, Fang Wen might have been a bit green and inexperienced, but now he is full of confidence and composure.

After shaking hands with the instructors, Fang Wen began to talk with them.

Where is Instructor Liu?

“He has already gone to work for an airline. We will also be changing shifts next month, and this place will be closed. You will be the last group to fly at the airport.”

"Our class has already graduated, right?"

"Yes, they graduated at the end of last year. They can't compare to you; most of them went back to their hometowns."

"I'm also lucky, and I'm grateful for the care and guidance of my teachers, which is why I'm where I am today."

At this point, Fang Wen turned to his companions and beckoned them over.

Howard, Yue Jinping, Manager Liu, and Sun Debiao each came over carrying their own things.

Fang Wen explained, "They are the crew members for this flight. By the way, these things were brought from Shanghai as a small token of our appreciation."

As he spoke, he took the gifts in cloth bags from his companions and gave them to the teachers one by one.

This courtesy made the teachers very happy, and their relationship became much more harmonious.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen and they quietly agreed on the costs of renting the airport and purchasing fuel, which would be paid by Manager Liu.

Money makes things easier. The instructors took Fang Wen to check out the nearby warehouse and dormitory, where there were temporary accommodations and fuel stored.

After giving Fang Wen a set of keys, the instructors left one by one, without asking the purpose of the flight mission at all.

Everyone from the school left, except for Howard, who was still on the plane doing repairs. The others went to their temporary accommodations to discuss their next steps.

"Manager Liu, Sun Debiao, how do you contact the people in the Northeast? When I test fly, I need them to light torches on the ground as markers to confirm my location."

Manager Liu replied, "Although the Northeast is in chaos right now, it's still possible to cross the border. Our people crossed the border a few days ago, and they should be in Shenyang by now."

Sun Debiao then added, "I'm going to Beiping later. There are people there who can pass messages and contact Shenyang."

Fang Wen was surprised; those wealthy people actually had a way of doing this.

He didn't press Sun Debiao about who he was looking for in Beiping, but instead looked at Yue Jinping.

"Get out the map, let's study the flight route from Beiping to Shenyang."

Yue Jinping took out the map prepared for this operation from her leather briefcase.

This is a military map, which shows in detail the geographical features of China, including mountains, rivers, highways, and railways.

If anything happens, Yue Jinping, who is in charge of keeping the map, must destroy it immediately to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Japanese.

The reason for using such confidential military maps is for navigation during long-haul flights.

During the Republic of China era, air navigation technology was much more primitive than it is today. Pilots had to rely on a range of tools and skills to determine the path to their destination.

Just like what Fang Wen and Yue Jinping are doing now.

They used tools such as rulers and compasses to trace on the map, and then wrote calculations on blank sheets of paper.

What kind of terrain will you pass through when flying from Beiping to Shenyang, and what kind of weather might you encounter?

There is also a pre-set function to use a compass to determine the orientation during flight, so as not to cause course errors during test flights.

This required extensive preparation, especially during night flights where the ground could not be used as a reference point; it was crucial to ensure no mistakes were made. Yue Jinping, as the navigator, prepared very diligently.

Fang Wen left his residence and headed to the Rhine NYP-2 runway.

There, Howard was busy working under the plane.

Fang Wen squatted down, lay on his side, and looked down.

"Is there something wrong with the landing gear?"

"You were right again. The screws on the right wheel were a little loose, which may have caused the fuselage to tilt slightly to the right. I really admire you, Fang Wen, that you can even feel such a subtle change."

"Yes. I guess I was born to do this. Do you need any help?"

"Of course I want it. How could I possibly handle this kind of plane by myself?"

Fang Wen smiled, took off his coat, and crawled inside.

The two worked together, using two jacks to slightly lift one side of the machine body before replacing the stripped screws.

After a lot of work, we finally managed to get rid of the minor problem with the Rheinland NYP-2.

Just then, Yue Jinping's voice came from the temporary accommodation: "Dinner's ready! Sun Debiao brought dinner. Have you finished your work yet?"

"I'm done with my work. I'll be right there."

Fang Wen and Howard emerged from under the plane.

Both of them had engine oil on their hands and bodies. They took the small fuel tank containing water off the plane and washed it several times with soap before they were clean.

After putting on their coats, Fang Wen and Howard walked back to their temporary accommodation.

Inside the house, a table was set with dishes, and everyone else was waiting for Fang Wen.

He sat down, and then everyone else sat down too.

This signifies recognition of Fang Wen's leadership position.

Fang Wen sat down calmly, took a spring pancake, filled it with roast duck, shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, shredded scallions, and shredded potatoes, rolled it up, and took a bite.

Only then did the others take action.

After dinner, it's time to get down to business.

Fang Wen asked, "Sun Debiao, what did you find out?"

Sun Debiao returned after being away for an afternoon, bringing not only food but also important news.

"I've already contacted them. Shenyang is teeming with Japanese people right now, and most of the shops on the streets are closed. Fortunately, the Japanese are using the old police station to maintain order, which is why our people had a chance to enter the city. They are currently contacting the heads of various organizations in Northeast China, but the specific landing point hasn't been decided yet, so we'll have to wait."

For a group of locals, especially those with status and influence in the area, they couldn't even handle something as simple as arranging a landing point.

Fang Wen recalled the argument he had overheard that day. These people, each with their own factions, had only temporarily united because of the Japanese.

It seems there are some problems in Shenyang right now.

To ensure the operation went smoothly, Fang Wen looked at Sun Debiao.

"There are some things I need to make clear. If the plane does not find the landing site markers, it will not risk landing. Also, after landing, it will only stay for that night and must take off before dawn. Furthermore, any cargo weighing more than 1 ton will prevent the plane from taking off normally, so don't expect to cut in line."

After a pause, Fang Wen softened his tone and added, "I'm saying all this for our own good. If we can't do it and the plane crashes, it'll be us who die."

This statement turned everyone into a small group, which greatly interested Manager Liu and Sun Debiao. The two exchanged a knowing glance.

Sun Debiao nodded: "I will go to the city again tomorrow and make sure they do things properly, and they have to follow our rules."

(End of this chapter)