Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 459 Base Area Pilot Recruitment Selection: Fang Wen Sets the Standards

Jiang'an River Wharf, south of Chengdu.

Fang Wen sat in the pilot's seat of the seaplane, looking outside.

A dozen students with their luggage waited at the pier to board the plane.

Before he goes north, he can send a group of students off first.

Gong Xiuneng stood by the cabin door: "Students, you're boarding now."

Students carrying suitcases and bags carefully stepped onto the boarding board.

After boarding the plane, they looked around curiously. Most of these students had never been on a plane before.

Gong Xiuneng said, "Students, you can sit on the benches on both sides. Find a seat and put your luggage at your feet. I need to take a headcount."

The students did as instructed, sitting down on the benches on both sides of the cabin wall. Gong Xiuneng took out the roster and read out each name to verify the information.

He reported to Fang Wen: "Commander, the count is complete, everyone is present."

Fang Wen nodded. "Pack your things, we're leaving."

"okay."

Gong Xiuneng turned around and walked to the cabin door, untied the cable tied to the stone pile on the dock, retracted the boarding board, and then closed the cabin door.

"All right."

Fang Wen then started the engine, turned the vehicle around, and drove into the middle of the river.

As the plane accelerated, it took off.

This scene amazed the students, who all stood up and peered out the window at the view.

As the plane climbed higher, the view in front of them shrank until the plane passed through the clouds and was above them.

The students couldn't help but admire it.

"so beautiful!"

"So this is what Chengdu looks like from the sky!"

(Aerial view of Chengdu during the Republic of China era)

Seeing their excited expressions, Fang Wen spoke up:
"Students, I can tell you something here. What you are going to learn today is how to build airplanes. As long as you study hard, you will definitely be the ones building the airplanes that fly in the skies of China in the future."

The students were surprised. When they applied for the job, they only knew that it was for the military industry to provide more weapons and ammunition to the front line, but they never expected that it would be to build airplanes!
A female student stared wide-eyed and asked, "Can we build airplanes?"

Fang Wen explained, “Yes, you have passed the exam, which means you have the foundation to participate in the training. Actually, building airplanes is not as difficult as you imagine. Three years ago, I also recruited a group of college students and built the first airplane manufacturing plant from scratch. They have now become excellent engineers, and your studies are also being handled by some of them.”

These students admired the achievements of their seniors. Fang Wen's words also gave them confidence; if their seniors could do it, they felt they could too.

As the atmosphere became more lively, Fang Wen asked Gong Xiuneng to take over the conversation.

Gong Xiuneng explained the situation: "Students, you will be taking this plane to Yibin, where a special plane will take you to the south."

Chengdu is only 210 kilometers from Yibin, and the seaplane took less than an hour to reach the destination.

After a brief landing, the students disembarked and were greeted by staff from Taishan Airlines before boarding another seaplane.

Fang Wen also took off, retraced his route, crossed the Sichuan Basin, passed the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, and the Yellow River, and headed towards the northern Taihang Mountains region.

Our first stop was Fuping County.

A tobacco delivery ceremony will be held there.

Around noon, the plane arrived in Fuping and landed at Shahe Water Airport.

Bai Yunfei and Wu Yingzong had been waiting at the dock for a long time.

After getting off the plane, Fang Wen talked to Bai Yunfei: "Didn't you say that the summer tobacco would take 3 months to harvest? Why is it earlier?"

Bai Yunfei explained, "The sun was shining brightly this year, and everyone was very active in planting and taking good care of the plants, preventing pests and diseases. As a result, the tobacco is growing well and was harvested half a month ahead of schedule."

"Where is that guy?" Fang Wen asked.

"It's already been transported to the airport, look over there."

Fang Wen looked in the direction Bai Yunfei pointed and saw rows of wicker baskets stacked up.

Immediately, Fang Wen went over to check.

He opened a wicker basket and saw rows of rolled cigarettes inside, with some letters on them.

Those letters were known to Fang Wen; they were codes representing different counties in the base area. Cigarettes produced in Wutai Mountain had a "w," while those from Quyang County had a "q." Outsiders might not know what they meant, but the tobacco company could use them to determine the place of origin, which was helpful for tracing and resolving quality issues later.

Fang Wen lit a cigarette and took a puff.

That's the taste.

Taishan brand cigarettes were a bestseller during the Red Army period.

Unexpectedly, after these years, the craftsmanship has not only not been lost, but has even improved.

He nodded: "Sure, if the quality is like this, I think sales will be very good."

Bai Yunfei was overjoyed. The base area had production capacity but no sales channels. They had supplies but couldn't exchange them for funds. Taishan Airlines, on the other hand, had the best channels. If sales were booming, the combination of the two could greatly improve the base area's financial problems.

This tobacco is a great commodity to trade for airplanes and cannons.

"This is the first batch; there will be more to come. Since this is the first time we've organized production, there are still some aspects that haven't been done very well. Next year, we'll be able to produce even more and better cigarettes," he replied.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "Yes. The more the better. I will distribute the goods through the Asia-Europe route. The market is huge and can definitely absorb your production."

Next comes the formal acceptance and shipping process.

These tasks are carried out by Taishan Airlines staff stationed at the tobacco company. They load the tobacco onto the plane and transport it to Xiangxi Airport, where the cigarette boxes and labels are then packaged.

Only after packaging can the products be considered ready for sale. Some will remain in China and be sold in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, while more will be shipped to Yangon and distributed by the airport branches of the Asia-Europe route.

These matters did not require Fang Wen to handle. He, Bai Yunfei, and Wu Yingzong went to the airport office and talked about the selection of pilots, logistics personnel, and mechanics.

Inside the airport office, Bai Yunfei explained the current situation.

"Now, our Jin-Cha-Ji base area, the Jin-Sui base area of ​​the 120th Division, the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu base area of ​​the 129th Division, and the New Fourth Army in Central China have all received telegram notifications. Everyone is making preparations for the selection, but the problem is that we still don't know what kind of standards are needed."

Fang Wen nodded and took out the prepared materials.

"These are the selection steps I designed, take a look."

Bai Yunfei took the documents and examined them carefully.

The document provides detailed explanations regarding the recruitment of three types of personnel.

The requirements for this pilot recruitment are very high:

In terms of physical fitness assessment,

Visual acuity must be checked; uncorrected visual acuity must be 1.0 or higher, and there must be no color blindness, color weakness, or other visual impairments.

Hearing ability is also required; candidates must be able to clearly hear the simulated sounds of an aircraft engine, radio communication signals, and various alarms in the cockpit.

These two are fairly basic and can be passed by anyone in good health.

Next, we need to check their balance and spatial orientation.

This helps pilots to keep abreast of the aircraft's operational status and receive command instructions, enabling them to make accurate judgments in complex air combat environments.

In addition to physical fitness, there are also strict requirements such as literacy and the ability to perform calculations.

The requirements for ground staff are much lower; all they need to do is be healthy and literate.

The requirements for mechanics are more stringent. Those with mechanical repair experience can be hired exceptionally, while those without experience need to be assessed on basic knowledge and hands-on skills.

After reading this, Bai Yunfei asked, "Could we set up a pilot program in Wutai County first, and then share the experience with other base areas?"

Indeed, the Red Army's fine tradition is its strong hands-on ability; making things up so that other places can learn from them is much easier. Moreover, this selection system will likely remain useful for a long time to come, continuously selecting qualified air force personnel.

Fang Wen agreed to Bai Yunfei's request.

Bai Yunfei quickly asked, "When will we go?"

"It can be done today, but the question is whether there's a suitable place for the plane to land in Wutai?"

Upon hearing Fang Wen's words, Bai Yunfei looked troubled.

He had spent some time in Wutai and knew the situation there: "If you were to fly a plane, there probably wouldn't be any suitable waters to land on."

“Flat ground is fine too. Now all the seaplanes I fly are equipped with land landing gear,” Fang Wen replied.

"Alright, I'll go report right away. Wait for me to come back." Bai Yunfei hurriedly left.

While waiting, Fang Wen and Gong Xiu were able to have a simple lunch at the airport and refuel the plane.

An hour later, Bai Yunfei returned. "The preparations are complete at Wutai. Considering the recent discovery of Japanese spies, to ensure your safety, the landing site will be at the top of Zhongtai, which is very safe."

"Zhongtai Peak?" Fang Wen asked in confusion. Judging from the name, it should be on a mountain.

Gong Xiuneng, standing behind him, interjected: "Commander, I remember now. When I was young, I went to the Zhongtai Peak of Wutai Mountain with my master. Although it is a high mountain, it is very flat and has a large area, which is indeed suitable for landing aircraft."

Hearing Gong Xiuneng say this, Fang Wen no longer had any doubts and stood up directly: "Then let's go."

The three of them then went out to the dock and boarded the plane.

Zhongtai Peak is located in the Wutai Mountain area.

It's more than 60 kilometers from Fuping to Wutai Mountain. The entire route is surrounded by mountains, so walking there is very strenuous and takes a whole day.

By plane, it will take twenty minutes.

In this sacred Buddhist land, the plane flew over mountain ridges and temples, arriving at the northwest part of the mountainous region.

Gong Xiuneng, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation below, shouted, "Commander, we've arrived! This is it!"

Fang Wen looked down.

It really is flat.

The huge mountain was as flat as if it had been cleaved by an axe or knife.

To the east is a cluster of buildings, and to the west is a large square.

The square has been cleared, and the stones have been moved to the side.

Some people were waving from below.

Because the other party had no radio communication equipment, Fang Wen could only circle in the air, signaling them to move aside so that he could land.

Those below, seeing the plane circling continuously, finally understood and quickly cleared the runway.

Fang Wen immediately adjusted the aircraft's position and lowered its altitude.

Landing a plane on a mountaintop like this is not as simple as it seems to outsiders.

Speed ​​must be well controlled, and landing point must be predicted and selected in advance; otherwise, the aircraft may overshoot.

Under his control, the small plane descended slowly, skimmed over the temple rooftops, and landed on the mountaintop platform.

Because of the good choice of landing point, the plane stopped when it was two-thirds of the way to the platform.

Then, Gong Xiuneng opened the cabin door, and the three of them got off the plane.

Bai Yunfei introduced, "This is Comrade Li Hai from the county party committee. He is responsible for cooperating with our work."

Fang Wen shook hands with him and they began to talk.

"Hello Mr. Fang, thank you for coming to assist us. We've chosen this venue for the selection. Is there anything we need to prepare?"

"The equipment for checking eyesight and hearing is relatively simple; Gong Xiu can go and get it."

Gong Xiuneng went back to the plane to retrieve the items: an eye chart and equipment for checking hearing sensitivity.

These things are very simple and can be easily copied by other counties.

As for the props for checking balance and spatial sense, Fang Wen did not bring the actual objects, but instead provided two design drawings.

"Find some carpenters and have them build it according to the drawings. This is called a swivel chair, and the other is a balance beam."

Fang Wen explained the purpose of the item.

The tester sits in a swivel chair that rotates at a certain speed and direction, typically simulating various turns and changes in angular velocity that may occur during flight.

The test subjects' physical reactions during the rotation process, such as whether they can maintain their balance, whether they experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting or other discomfort, and whether they can quickly return to a normal physical state and sense of direction after the rotation, are observed to assess the balance function of their inner ear vestibular system.

The balance beam is used by pilots to walk on it and perform specific maneuvers, such as standing on one leg or turning around.

By observing the test subject's walking posture, stability, and the accuracy and fluency of their movements on the balance beam, their sense of balance and coordination can be judged.

These two tests were originally training tools for flight apprentices at Taishan Aviation.

However, this time the requirements are higher, and it is used directly for selection. If one passes, it indicates that one has a good sense of balance and spatial orientation.

With Fang Wen's explanation, as well as the physical objects and drawings, the preparation work became much easier.

Over the next two days, five soldiers skilled in carpentry crafted a swivel chair and a balance beam.

On the third day, the soldiers who participated in the selection arrived at the top of Zhongtai, eager to try.

This process was very lively.

They first lined up to have their vision tested.

The test subject covered one eye with a bowl, and Gong Xiuneng pointed to a point on the eye chart with a stick: "Which way is the opening facing?"

The soldier conducting the test scratched his head with his free hand, not holding the bowl: "What's the opening?"

Gong Xiuneng explained, "It's this thing I'm pointing to. You see it has a notch. You wave your hand in the direction the notch opens."

"understood."

The soldier waved his arm.

After the first demonstration, the vision test proceeded smoothly.

The subsequent hearing test went smoothly.

Most soldiers passed both tests.

Everyone was overjoyed and went to the swivel chair and balance beam.

These two things are not so easy to get past; those with poor balance and spatial awareness are obvious at a glance.

Through this selection process, a large number of soldiers were not chosen.

They weren't disappointed, after all, it's normal for the Air Force to be difficult to select. These soldiers didn't leave; instead, they stayed to cheer on the rest.

But the cultural exams were the real test for these soldiers.

Those seemingly simple test papers became the most difficult questions in their eyes.

Ultimately, after passing a cultural examination, Wutai County selected only one prospective pilot trainee.

Those soldiers who thought they had a good chance of success were disappointed when, in the end, only one of them succeeded.

In response, Fang Wen took the initiative to comfort everyone: "Don't be disappointed. There are limited spots this time, and only the best of the best can be selected. If you still want to become air force personnel after this selection, you can strengthen your academic knowledge. There will still be a chance to be selected in future selections."

His words ignited the soldiers' hopes, and they silently strived to become pilots in the future.

(End of this chapter)