Legendary Captain

Chapter 186 Specially Appointed Theoretical Instructors

"Three segments? There's such a way to schedule flights?" Xu Xian exclaimed in amazement as he looked at his flight schedule.

It was clear that Lian Shanxue had already arranged for Xu Xian to cooperate with his flight route inspection. After the flight schedule for the following week was released on Friday night, Xu Xian saw that next Tuesday was the day of Lian Shanxue's flight route inspection.

Most route checks require two flights and two landings. Therefore, the planning department usually selects flights to and from the local station as the check segments when scheduling. However, Tuesday's flight didn't have two segments; it had three.

The route from Yunnan to Qinghu, from Qinghu to Nanyong, and from Nanyong to Yunnan is a very rare three-segment flight. Among them, the Yunnan-Yunnan-Qinghu and Qinghu-Nanyong segments are the ones under inspection.

In Xu Xian's understanding, it would be enough to just find a short and efficient flight to check, such as a round trip to Chengdu, which would only take two hours in total, making it easy and convenient.

The flight Lian Shanxue inspected that day was quite long, probably exceeding seven hours in total, which put a heavy burden on the pilots. Moreover, those being inspected are prone to tension and psychological pressure during line inspections. If the flight duration were shorter, they could manage, but longer flights would cause mental fatigue, thus affecting their performance.

Honestly, Lian Shanxue's luck was really bad. Not only was the flight check-in process time long, but the two airports she had to land at were also difficult to access.

"Where is it difficult to fly?" Lian Shanxue asked anxiously from across from Xu Xian.

The day after the plan for the flight route inspection was announced, Lian Shanxue invited Xu Xian out to learn from his experience.

The awkward thing is that Xu Xian's forte is manipulation skills, but that's something he can't teach. If he could truly receive a kind of empowerment or transfer of skills like in a fantasy world, Xu Xian wouldn't hesitate. Unfortunately, Xu Xian doesn't have that ability!

The experience that can be passed on requires time to accumulate; there are no shortcuts, and Xu Xian lacks that.

Fortunately, Xu Xian happened to know the characteristics of Qinghu and Nanyong airports.

"Qinghu is relatively easy to fly on most of the time. There is only one runway, and the approach procedure is not complicated. The only thing to worry about is if we approach runway 26, most of the approach will be over the sea," Xu Xian said.

At sea, evaporation is stronger during the day, especially in the afternoon, and the air currents are slightly more turbulent, but it is still not as turbulent as the windy season in Yunnan and Yunnan.

"However, Tuesday's flight took off very early in the morning and landed at Qinghu around 10 a.m. At that time, even if it landed on runway 26, the turbulence wouldn't be very strong. Moreover, you checked the first two segments, which is relatively good. If you checked the latter two segments, the landing time in Yunnan would be around 5 p.m., when the turbulence is stronger, plus it's Yunnan's windy season, making the plane really difficult to control," Xu Xian said.

Given Lian Shanxue's technical capabilities, it would be extremely difficult for him to make a solo approach and landing during the windy season, when convection is strongest in the afternoon. This is a real problem that needs to be addressed.

Of the three airports—Dianyungang, Qinghu, and Nanyong—Qinghu and Nanyong are relatively easier to land at. Therefore, Lianshanxue is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"But there's one thing you should remember," Xu Xian suddenly said seriously.

Xu Xian's change in expression made Lian Shanxue's heart tighten: "What's wrong?"

"Let's go to Yinglong Temple to offer incense this weekend!" Xu Xian suggested sincerely.

"Huh?" Faced with such nonsensical words, Lian Shanxue's worry deepened: "What's wrong?!"

"Qinghu Airport is generally a good flight destination, except when there are military activities."

"Military activities? What's wrong?"

"Once there's military activity, air traffic control won't allow you to descend or slow down, which easily leads to both high altitude and high speed. In this situation, unstable approaches are extremely common. If it's an unstable approach, you'll have to go around. And if you go around, I feel like your inspection is ruined." Xu Xian said, shaking his head. "And if you encounter a strong tailwind, oh my, that feeling is indescribable! Basically, when you're about to make the fifth approach, you know you're almost certain to go around."

Lian Shanxue nearly sprayed the milk tea she was drinking all over Xu Xian's face. She managed to swallow it whole, then anxiously asked, "Is there no other way?"

"What can we do? If there's military activity, even a captain might have to go back to flight, let alone us. If we encounter a strong tailwind, we're basically done for." Xu Xian said helplessly, "If even the captain can't handle it, let's not even think about it. We won't figure anything out anyway."

Lian Shanxue sighed in relief: "So, all I can do is hope there won't be any military activity?"

"Pretty much! With military activity, there's a 50% chance you'll have to go back to flight. Add in a strong tailwind, and it's about 70-80%. That's why I told you to go burn incense and pray for divine intervention."

Lian Shanxue rubbed her forehead: "Is there anything else I should be careful about?"

"Qinghu Airport no longer exists!"

Hearing that there were no other problems, Lai Nianshanxue finally breathed a sigh of relief: "What about Nanyong Airport?"

"Nanyong Airport is much better! The only thing to note is that this airport uses air pressure, so you need to be careful when you're preparing for approach!"

"QFE (Quality External Pressure)? Nanyong Airport is the capital city's airport! They even use QFE?" In Lian Shanxie's understanding, only some small dual-use military and civilian airports use QFE, and it's rare for large airports to use it. Nanyong Airport is the capital city's airport, and this is the first time she's heard of a capital city airport using QFE.

Xu Xianyi shrugged: "Although Nanyong Airport is quite large, it's a dual-use military and civilian airport, and it also uses air traffic control!"

Lian Shanxue's lips twitched: "A provincial capital airport that's both military and civilian, huh! Where was the site selection for approach preparation again?"

There are very few airports being used now, and after a long period of inactivity, even Lianshanxue can't quite remember them.

"On the CDU's approach page, there's a QNH/QFE switching option. Just click it," Xu Xian said. "After selecting the field pressure, there will be a green shadow on the barometric pressure display. Keep an eye on it."

Xu Xian suddenly asked, "Why did you switch to the approach page in the air?"

Lian Shanxue rolled her eyes: "If you're quick, just press the start button. If you're slow, you can look it up in the index. Please, I've flown for over two hundred hours, how could I not know this?"

"What about setting the field pressure for takeoff?" Xu Xian asked with a smile. Nanyong Airport uses field pressure not only for approach but also for takeoff. The field pressure set for takeoff is definitely different from that for approach.

"Forehead"

"Second page of takeoff! Still think you're all set?" Xu Xian said with a grin, his expression incredibly smug. "Even if you've become the first co-pilot, there's still a lot to learn."

"I know. Actually, when I was the second mate, the first mate was the one who made me remember the timings and landings. I didn't even get to take the seat and operate the controls. So, don't worry, I won't become arrogant or complacent just because I've become the first mate," Lian Shanxue said.

"The first officer really isn't anything to be proud of," Xu Xian laughed. "Let's continue! Because Nanyong Airport uses field pressure, horizontal navigation can't be used. So once the frequency is switched to the approach frequency, the approach method is radar guidance. Just pay attention to calculating the altitude-to-range ratio. Nanyong Airport sometimes delays its altitude, resulting in a slightly higher approach altitude. However, most of the time the altitude increase isn't too much, and it can usually be corrected. So, when approaching Nanyong Airport, try to descend as quickly as possible; there's no need to hold back. As for takeoff, most of the time you just stay on one side after takeoff and then use radar guidance to leave, which isn't too difficult. The five-sided environment at Nanyong Airport is quite good; the airflow is not very strong most of the time, making it the easiest of the three airports to operate."

"Okay, okay!" Lian Shanxue carefully wrote down everything Xu Xian said while he was explaining. Regardless of her talent, Lian Shanxue was at least competent in terms of effort.

Xu Xian waited silently until Lian Shanxue finished recording before asking, "Any other questions?"

"Where's the runway? Proceed with departure procedures!"

"Dianyun Airport is not included in the inspection. Qinghu Airport and Nanyong Airport both operate on single runways; the takeoff and landing runways are determined by wind direction. If there's a crosswind close to 90 degrees and you're unsure, you can request a communication wave beforehand; the runways will be marked on the wave wave," Xu Xian said. "As for the arrival and departure procedures, that depends on the flight plan and arrival/departure diagrams. When we inspect next Tuesday, let's come a little earlier so we can discuss it beforehand."

"I know how to check the approach and departure diagrams according to the last or first point of the flight plan. It's just that there might be multiple approach and departure procedures in one direction, and sometimes I can't tell which one it is."

For example, at Tianning Airport, although all arrivals originate from the Luogang direction, the arrival procedures for this direction are divided into three different procedures. Theoretically, all three procedures for the Luogang arrival direction could potentially be used, but ultimately it's a matter of how often they are used, which requires experience accumulated through numerous flights.

Of course, it wouldn't be a problem if the initial approach procedure differed from the one provided by approach control; it could simply be changed in the CDU. However, since Lian Shanxue was conducting an inspection, she wanted to avoid changing the approach procedure as much as possible to prevent errors.

Normally, this doesn't matter when flying flights; it's just practice. But during inspections, Lian Shanxue's primary goal is to pass the inspection. Therefore, she definitely wants to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

Even though Lian Shanxue didn't explain it explicitly, Xu Xian could still understand what she was thinking, which left him somewhat perplexed.

Xu Xian had flown to Qinghu and Nanyong once before, but not during the three-segment flight like next Tuesday. In that case, the entry direction would likely be different. Actually, even if it were the same, he hasn't flown that many times, so it might not be a universally applicable method.

"Alright then! I'll ask around; someone must have flown this flight before. You check their flight schedules, and I'll handle the arrival and departure," Xu Xian instructed.

For the same flight, the flight plan should be fixed. Lian Shanxue can find the arrival and departure directions by looking at the flight plan of the previous flight.

Xu Xian, on the other hand, asked the first co-pilots about the common arrival and departure procedures for this flight in the group chat, demonstrating a clear division of labor.

At Star Travel Airlines, in addition to the trainee group that the company initially required to be formed, there are also groups created by the co-pilots themselves. These are further divided into a first co-pilot group and a second co-pilot group. Besides discussing shift changes and off-duty arrangements, these groups also ask questions about flight techniques and other operational matters.

After Xu Xiansheng was promoted to first co-pilot, he joined the group for first co-pilots. He should be able to get the answer by asking in the group later.

"Okay, okay." Lian Shanxue wasn't the first co-pilot yet and couldn't join the group, so it was really inconvenient for her to ask. In comparison, checking past flight plans would be much easier.

"By the way! I have a question for you!" Seeing that the important matters had been discussed enough, Xu Xian began to talk about some more personal things.

While packing her things, Lian Shanxue hummed in agreement, "Go ahead!"

"Ahem!" Xu Xian cleared his throat. Perhaps he was a little embarrassed by what he was about to say, because even with his thick skin, he couldn't help but blush.

Xu Xian paused for a moment, then asked in as calm a voice as possible, "Um, can you cook?"

Lian Shanxue suddenly stopped what she was doing: "You mean cooking, right? Did I hear you correctly?"

They were talking about highly technical things, but then the conversation suddenly shifted to everyday topics like cooking, leaving Lian Shanxue momentarily stunned.

Xu Xian was already a little embarrassed, but Lian Shanxue's question made him even more embarrassed. However, since the words were already out, he couldn't take them back, so he forced himself to continue, "Yes, you heard me right, I'm asking if you can cook."

"Why...why are you asking this?" Lian Shanxue's pretty face blushed unconsciously.

When a man asks a woman if she can cook, it's easy to get some ideas!

Seeing the blush gradually spreading across Lian Shanxue's cheeks, Xu Xian broke out in a cold sweat: "I was just asking, there's nothing else special about it."

"Then I guess I'd say my skills are pretty good," Lian Shanxue replied softly.

She's usually home alone and doesn't like ordering takeout, so she cooks for herself. Her cooking skills aren't amazing, but she can make most of the everyday dishes quite presentable.

"Can you handle home-style cooking?"

Lian Shanxue nodded: "Home-style cooking is fine. But what do you want to make?"

"Well, my uncle and aunt are coming over in a while. I don't have the money to treat them to a fancy meal, so I'm planning to invite them over for a meal at home. But there will probably be a large group of people, and my mom might not be able to handle it, so I was wondering if you could come and help?" Xu Xian then revealed his idea.

Ever since Li Jinyan told Xu Xian that Xu Qing and his wife would be coming to Dianyun and asked him to host them, Xu Xian thought it over and decided that it would be more reliable to prepare a table of home-style dishes.

Xu Qing and his wife have eaten all sorts of expensive food. If they were to go for something luxurious, he wouldn't be able to raise enough money even if he sold his own possessions. It's better to be practical. Eating is all about the atmosphere. If the sentiment is there, home-cooked meals are no worse than delicacies.

Although it was only said to be Xu Qing and his wife, Xu Xian anticipated the number would be far greater. First, Li Jinyan's father, Li Xianyi, was very likely to come, and if Li Xianyi came, his wife would most likely follow; this couple was quite inseparable. Also, Li Jinyan never considered herself an outsider and would almost certainly come over for a meal; Qin Yue might even be dragged along. Add to that Xu Xian's family of three, and that would already make a small table full of people.

Since it's a home-style dish, it should definitely be cooked by family members. Xu Qing and Xu Jingyang can both cook, but they're fine with cooking for themselves; they'd be embarrassed to serve it to others. Only Huang Ying's cooking skills are decent.

Huang Ying was all alone, so preparing a whole table of dishes was quite a challenge. Wen Jingshu had never lifted a finger since she was little, so she couldn't be relied on either. With no other options, Xu Xian could only try his luck with Lian Shanxue.

"Uncle and Aunt are?" Lian Shanxue didn't understand Xu Xian's unique way of addressing Xu Qing and his wife.

"Oh, it's my Uncle Qing and Aunt Ting. Haven't you met my Uncle Qing before? Perfect timing!" Xu Xian had brought Xu Qing along to celebrate Lian Shanxue's birthday, so Xu Qing knew Lian Shanxue. This way, their prior acquaintance wouldn't make the atmosphere awkward.

"Come on, everyone!" If it were just Xu Qing coming, Lian Shanxue probably wouldn't feel much pressure. But with Xu Qing's wife, Mei Tingting, coming along, she felt a little uneasy.

Lian Shanxue wasn't like Li Jinyan; she wasn't the outgoing, easily relaxed type of girl. Meeting too many strangers, especially those with status, was hardly a comfortable experience.

"Yeah! There's probably more than just the two of them; there will be some others. But there are no outsiders, so there's no need to be reserved." Xu Xian knew his request was a bit excessive. However, the people he knew well were either young masters or young ladies, none of them were of any use.

Finally, Xu Xian added, "Of course, if you find it inconvenient, I'll go and see someone else."

"No need, no need, it's convenient," Lian Shanxue hurriedly said. "However, if possible, could you give me the menu in advance so I can practice beforehand?"

Normally, she cooks for herself, and it doesn't matter if it's a little too salty or bland. But if she's cooking for others, she needs to practice a bit to avoid being impolite.

"Oh? Then I agree! The menu is no problem. I'll discuss it with my mom later, and send it to you as soon as it's finalized. It definitely won't be difficult." Xu Xian assured him, "Oh dear, I owe you a huge favor again! If you ever need anything, just let me know!"

Lian Shanxue chuckled happily, "Then I'll write it down in my notebook, you can't go back on your word!"

As she spoke, she even pretended to write Xu Xian's promise in her notebook. Of course, Lian Shanxue was just teasing Xu Xian and didn't really intend to write it down.

Little did anyone know that Xu Xian snatched Lian Shanxue's paper and pen, wrote a passage on a blank page, and then signed his name with a flourish.

"Here you go! This is my guarantee, I will never go back on my word!"

Lian Shanxue took the notebook. The passage on it was basically what Xu Xian had just said, and there was Xu Xian's signature in the lower right corner, making it look quite formal.

Lian Shanxue's smile widened as she closed the notebook: "Then I'll keep it safe. If I ever need anything in the future, I'll just take this piece of paper to you!"

"A promise is a promise!" Xu Xian boldly assured him.

On the day of the flight line inspection, Xu Xian got up very early, arriving at the company a full hour before the latest check-in time. However, when he arrived at the flight preparation room, Lian Shanxue had already collected her things and was preparing.

Although Xu Xian had arrived very early, it happened to be the morning rush hour, and the preparation room was quite crowded and lively.

Xu Xian quickly finished the breathalyzer test and ran straight to Lian Shanxue: "So early? Have you already picked up your things?"

"I've received everything, take a look!" Since it was an inspection, Lian Shanxue was still a little nervous, and even the pre-navigation documents needed Xu Xian's help to check.

Xu Xian checked everything one by one, and after confirming that there were no problems, he said, "When I came over just now, I saw that the wind direction at Qinghu Airport was 070, so they should be using runway 08. Runway 08 is easier to fly on!"

As he spoke, Xu Xian opened the electronic clearance, checked the flight plan, and compared it with the approach chart to explain to Lian Shanxue: "Our last stop on the route is Changyang. There are two procedures for approaching Changyang from runway 08. Look! One is Changyang 51F approach and the other is Changyang 53F approach. However, there's a note 'BY ATC' after Changyang 53F approach. This means that this approach procedure is not usually used. When you pre-call Qinghu approach, call Changyang 51F approach. Also..."

As Xu Xian spoke, he opened the instrument landing chart for Qinghu Runway 08: "Look, the final approach positioning point altitude for this runway is 800 meters, 2600 feet. You need to remember this altitude!"

Generally speaking, domestic metric altitudes are divisible by three, such as 900 meters, 1200 meters, 3000 meters, etc. These altitudes are commonly used, and pilots can usually convert them to imperial altitudes from memory.

However, altitudes like 800 meters are uncommon. If a pilot is not prepared, he might not know what the corresponding imperial altitude is for 800 meters. That's why Xu Xiancai asked Lian Shanxue to memorize it.

Since the final approach positioning point is at an altitude of 800 meters, it's highly likely that the glide path will be intercepted at an altitude of 800 meters, and this altitude will definitely be used. Let Lian Shanxue remember this now, so we don't have to search for it on the blind descent map later.

"Also, if you land on runway 08, you'll normally disembark using C3 or C4. If you disembark using C4, the exit ramp will face a parking position (HP). You can ask the AOC for a parking spot in advance during cruise to plan your taxiing route. Also, after landing, the frequency will usually switch to ground or apron. Qinghu Airport is smaller than Dianyun Airport, so you'll most likely switch directly to apron. You can memorize the ground and apron frequencies beforehand to avoid interfering with taxiing instructions while trying to remember the frequencies."

Often, after an aircraft has separated from its target, the control tower will issue a long series of taxiing instructions, followed by a ground or apron frequency. Less experienced pilots can easily lose track of these instructions.

Therefore, Xu Xiancai instructed Lian Shanxue to request the parking positions and memorize the frequencies in advance. This would prevent them from receiving commands completely unprepared. With some preparation, memorizing commands became much easier.

HP stands for "hot pot," meaning a hot spot. These are usually locations where multiple ski lanes intersect, or accident-prone areas. These are the places where people are most likely to ski the wrong way!

If C4 were to detach from runway 08, the detachment path would directly face a HP (HP). Furthermore, the workload was already heavy immediately after detachment, and Xu Xian was worried that Lian Shanxue might overexert herself and become dizzy. Therefore, he specifically instructed her to prepare in advance.

In the aviation industry, advance preparation is extremely important.

"Oh, right, you need a parking spot, right?"

Lian Shanxue nodded: "Free text and Airlines, right?"

"That's right! Just type 'GATE' or 'PARKING BAY' in English, they'll understand anyway!" Xu Xian said, then dozed off again and yawned. "It's been a long time since I've flown such an early morning flight. But I'm already here so early, how come you're here even earlier than me?"

"I barely slept last night! I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't fall back asleep. So I decided to come over early!"

Xu Xian smiled: "I didn't expect you to be such a thoughtful person. I never would have guessed!"

Some people are carefree and without a worry in the world when it comes to life and work. Others, however, tend to overthink things. In Xu Xian's hometown, these people are called "thoughtful."

Unlike derogatory terms like "scheming" or "cunning," this is a neutral term.

"I don't want it to be like this, but I just can't stop thinking about it, I can't control it."

Xu Xian smiled and said, "You're worried about your job now, but after you get married, won't you be worried about your husband? And when you get pregnant, won't you be worried about the baby? Are you never going to focus on yourself for the rest of your life?"

Lian Shanxue is actually quite similar to Xu Xian's mother; she'll probably focus on her husband and children after marriage and having kids. Despite her current success in her career, Lian Shanxue is still conservative at heart.

Seeing that Xu Xian's words were becoming more and more outrageous, Lian Shanxue glared at Xu Xian, which made Xu Xian burst into laughter.

Just then, Xu Xian felt a tap on his shoulder. Startled, Xu Xian turned around and saw that it was Lin Sheng.

"Teacher, do you have an early shift today?" Xu Xian had a very good impression of Lin Sheng. He was young, very capable, and very kind, making him very comfortable to be around.

Lin Sheng laughed and said, "No! I'm on duty today, just checking on the recent technical announcements."

The flight department frequently issues technical bulletins, but they don't know if the pilots have read them. Therefore, they occasionally send people to the preparation room to conduct spot checks on the crew.

"Oh, I see!" Only then did Xu Xian realize that Lin Sheng wasn't wearing a tie. If he were to fly, he would need to wear a tie.

"Instructor, what about our side?"

Lin Sheng laughed and said, "Forget it, you guys don't need to investigate. I'll go ask the other groups later!"

Xu Xian immediately beamed: "Then you go ahead and get busy, instructor!"

"By the way, there's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

Xu Xian was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

"I flew with you once before, and the valve got icy when I started it up, right? You said that Xingfei Airlines has a booklet that records some common aircraft malfunctions, so I was thinking we should get one too," Lin Sheng said.

"But our company's maintenance staff is incompetent!" Xu Xian stated the problem very bluntly.

"That's why I need your help?"

Xu Xian pointed to himself: "Me? What can I do to help?"

"Didn't you study at Xingfei Aviation's maintenance department for a while? Do you know any of their retired maintenance workers? I'm thinking of rehiring them. Can you help me make the connection?" Lin Sheng smiled slyly.

Xu Xian was surprised that Lin Sheng would make this request, and a smile instantly appeared on his face as well: "Then how about this fee for your trouble?"

Lin Sheng understood immediately: "The Flight Department has a specially appointed theory instructor position. You just need to come and clock in once a month, and you'll get an extra 8,000 yuan a month. How about it?"

I've revised the first four chapters; you can check them out if you're interested. The original beginning felt a bit overdone!

We're still short 80 chapters of monthly votes, please help us cast them!

And what interesting things do you think might happen during flight route inspections?

(End of this chapter)