Legendary Captain

Chapter 235 Like an antelope's horns hanging from a tree! No trace to be found!

Xu Xianzhi requested the runway end lights at Hamchi Airport to determine when an aircraft would enter runway airspace. Following a normal flight path, once inside runway airspace, the aircraft would already be preparing to level off. Based on this, Xu Xianzhi could roughly prepare mentally.

In fact, before instructing the control tower to turn off the lights, Xu Xian had tried to refer to the PAPI lights.

PAPI lights, or Precision Approach Path Indicators, are devices that provide pilots with visual references to maintain the correct glide path.

There are many types of PAPI lights, among which the type with four lights side by side, in red and white, is the most widely used in civil aviation.

If a pilot looks down from the air and sees four white PAPI lights, it means that the aircraft is already significantly above the normal glide path. Three white lights and one red light indicate that the aircraft is slightly above the normal glide path.

Based on this, four red lights would be a bit too low, and three red lights at 100 would also be slightly too low.

The ideal configuration is two white lights and two red lights. During a normal visual approach, the pilot can determine whether the aircraft's glide path is correct simply by relying on the PAPI lights, without needing to rely on glide path signals.

If Xu Xian could clearly see the PAPI lights, things would be easier. But Xu Xian found that when he looked at the PAPI lights, he couldn't distinguish between red and white at all; all four lights were a blurry, uniform color. How could he possibly use them as a reference?

Xu Xian's last hope was dashed, so he ordered the control tower to turn off all the PAPI lights. He had no choice but to rely on the somewhat unstable guidance signals.

At slightly higher altitudes, the guidance signals become somewhat unstable, but the problem isn't too serious and can be repaired with some minor mishaps. However, at low altitudes, especially above the runway, when preparing to reduce descent and establish landing attitude, stubbornly following the guidance signals is suicidal.

However, since he couldn't rely on instruments and couldn't see clearly with the naked eye, how could Xu Xian distinguish when the aircraft was leveled? Before switching frequencies to Hamchi Airport, he had an idea, so when Chen Yuan asked Xu Xian when the aircraft was leveled, Xu Xian said he had his own way and wasn't just making things up.

He really has a solution! A method that relies on extreme tactile sensation!

During the five-sided approach, he had been closely monitoring the changes in airflow. Ideally, the landing environment would be completely free of airflow interference. However, in reality, it's impossible to land without any airflow disturbances. Xu Xian hoped for minimal airflow disturbances, but as the plane descended, he discovered that the airflow at Hamchi Airport was indeed quite unstable. The plane hadn't been stable at all since the start of the descent and approach.

The airflow did not affect Xu Xian's operation, but it greatly affected his feeling of leveling the machine.

He held his breath as the plane passed the runway end lights; it was all or nothing.

I made a quick assessment of the plane's direction. Although I couldn't see it very clearly, I could roughly tell that the plane was on the runway centerline. Hamchi Airport's runway is wide enough, so as long as there isn't a sudden, large roll deviation, the plane shouldn't veer off the runway.

I only glanced outside and saw that apart from the dim centerline lights of the runway, everything else was pitch black, and I couldn't tell where the runway surface was at all.

Even though he had been mentally prepared beforehand, when he was close to the grounding point and could no longer see the runway, Xu Xian still couldn't help but feel fear and disappointment.

Now that they had reached the airspace above the runway, the plane was only a few dozen feet above the ground and should be landing within seconds. However, during this time, Xu Xian had no idea where the runway was or when the plane would touch down; that unknown fear was the most agonizing.

After calming himself down, Xu Xian hesitated for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes. Looking outside wouldn't yield any valuable information; it would only instill unwarranted fear and distract him. It was better to close his eyes and focus on finding that fleeting opportunity.

The next few seconds felt like an eternity to Xu Xian. He didn't even need to look at the attitude indicator; his hands alone were enough to keep the aircraft's attitude unchanged. He was waiting, waiting for the nose of the plane to suddenly pitch up!

When an aircraft flies close to the ground, the ground affects the fluid characteristics of the gas around the aircraft. This reduces the induced drag of the aircraft, giving it a sudden extra lift, as if a stream of air is dragging the aircraft.

This is the ground effect!

Xu Xian relies on ground effect to determine the aircraft's leveling.

Generally speaking, the ground effect is only significant when an aircraft is less than one to one and a half wingspans above the ground. The 737-800 has a wingspan of approximately thirty-six meters.

In other words, Xu Xian should have been able to feel the extra lift generated by the ground effect at a height of at least 36 meters, 118 feet, or at least 18 meters, 59 feet.

That means that when an aircraft enters the airspace above the runway, its normal altitude should be around 50 feet, at which point the ground effect occurs.

But it's still too high at this point!

It's impossible for Xu Xian to start leveling the plane as soon as he entered the airspace above the runway. This leveling operation was too early and definitely not the correct leveling operation.

Moreover, the external airflow disturbances were very noticeable, greatly interfering with Xu Xian's ability to discern the situation. He didn't know whether the aircraft's sudden change was due to the ground effect or the influence of airflow!

So he has to wait! Wait for an opportunity when the altitude is lower and the feeling is more pronounced!

Xu Xian remained very calm. Even at around fifty feet, it was too early to level off, but some pilots would try to pull the stick down slightly and reduce the throttle to judge whether the aircraft was sinking properly.

However, Xu Xian's situation is different. First, he can't see the runway surface at all, nor does he have electronic communication for altitude via radio, making it impossible to judge the aircraft's descent, and therefore there's no need to test and judge the aircraft's descent. Second, the aircraft is now in single-engine mode, so he needs to be more cautious when reducing throttle.

If you accidentally reduce the throttle too much, the plane's descent will increase rapidly. At that point, even if you increase the throttle again, you won't be able to stop the plane from descenting too quickly, and a hard landing will be unavoidable.

Therefore, Xu Xian maintained the aircraft's attitude, intending to make a final, decisive move just before landing!

This is undoubtedly a test of courage and insight. If Xu Xian cannot find the last leveling point before landing, and he continues to descend in the same attitude, there is no doubt that the front wheels will bite into the runway surface.

The front landing gear is relatively fragile among the three landing gears, and with such a large impact, it is quite possible that it would break on the spot.

Moreover, because Xu Xian maintained such a small aircraft attitude, it was probably not just a matter of the front wheel breaking off; the nose of the aircraft would also be impacted and deformed.

If the nose of the aircraft deforms, the cockpit located at the nose will be the first to be affected, and Xu Xianneng may even die on the spot.

It can only be said that Xu Xian's ability to remain calm and composed is truly remarkable, demonstrating a level of courage that is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

That's why the knowledgeable Chen Yuan was so anxious when he saw Xu Xian hadn't yet adopted a landing posture. He didn't know if Xu Xian was waiting for the right moment or if he was completely unaware that the plane was about to touch down.

If it were the former, he would only give Xu Xian a thumbs up and praise him for being so calm.

If it were the latter, he really wanted to turn around and couldn't bear to look at what was happening behind him.

In that brief moment between life and death, Xu Xian's mind became clearer than ever before. His consciousness seemed to expand and merge with the plane, and everything around him became crystal clear in his perception.

Suddenly, it felt as if the nose of the plane had been gently nudged by an invisible hand. Abruptly, without warning, the nose of the plane generated an additional lift torque.

This change was very sudden and very obvious, completely different from airflow disturbances.

"Balloon!"

Xu Xian's eyes suddenly opened, and he unconsciously uttered the word.

The moment has finally arrived; it is the best and last opportunity he has been waiting for.

The ground effect does generate additional lift for an aircraft, but it is not significant and cannot be used as a reference for leveling the aircraft. However, there is one very special point within the entire range of the ground effect.

In other words, when an aircraft is only a few feet off the ground, its nose will suddenly generate a very noticeable lift moment, a phenomenon known as a "balloon." This change is more pronounced and easier to distinguish than the extra lift generated when initially entering the ground effect zone.

Moreover, the aircraft's altitude was already low enough at this point, making it the perfect time to quickly and accurately establish a touchdown attitude.

Since the aircraft's nose had already begun to pitch up, Xu Xian could no longer pull back on the stick violently. Because the aircraft was already at a low speed and high angle of attack, further violent pulling would cause the aircraft to quickly stall.

Once an aircraft stalls, the airflow over its wings becomes turbulent, causing it to lose lift in a short period of time, and the aircraft will crash heavily to the ground.

In the case of a single-engine landing, the aircraft's touchdown attitude is naturally slightly larger than the normal touchdown attitude. So Xu Xian went with the flow and, after the aircraft's nose pitched up, he precisely and briefly pulled the stick. The amplitude was not large, and it was just right to establish the aircraft's touchdown attitude.

Sensing that the aircraft had reached touchdown attitude, Xu Xian decisively reduced the throttle to full. At this point, the aircraft was very close to the ground, its attitude was established, and the reduction in throttle caused the aircraft to dip slightly for a moment. This slight drop allowed the two main landing gears to make contact with the runway surface.

When the balloon phenomenon occurred, the plane was only a few feet off the ground, a distance so close that it was only a second before it touched down.

In that split second, Xu Xian, like a gazelle leaping over a cliff, quickly established the aircraft's touchdown attitude, and simultaneously floored the throttle, relying on an extremely subtle descent to precisely bring the main landing gear onto the runway surface.

During the entire touchdown process, the aircraft experienced almost no gliding; as soon as it reached the touchdown attitude, it touched down.

The timing was absolutely terrifying!

Ancient sayings describe sounds in the air, colors in paintings, the moon in water, and images in mirrors, used to illustrate a clear, exquisite, and elusive transcendence. At this very moment, Xu Xian, on the verge of life and death, had a flash of inspiration and accurately grasped the only chance of survival, like a poet with a masterful hand. If he were to do it again, he might not be able to do it any better.

At the Chengdu Control Center, Chen Yuan, feeling as if he had experienced a major life change, slumped into a chair almost completely exhausted. Just now, he really thought that Xingyou 6333 was going to crash headfirst into the runway, and if it had, it would have resulted in a fatal crash.

But at the very last moment, the plane suddenly adopted a landing posture, and in the blink of an eye, before Chen Yuan could even react, it had made contact with the ground.

Just when Chen Yuan was at his most desperate, the scene shifted, and the plane miraculously landed on the runway, as if in a dream.

Having experienced both great joy and sorrow, Chen Yuan felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. He waved to his assistant and, with some difficulty, instructed him: "Go and contact Xianchi Airport one-on-one to confirm the follow-up situation of Xingyou 6333, and report back to me immediately."

Chen Yuan wiped his neck with his palm, which was soaked with a thick layer of sweat. Not only that, his back also felt sticky, probably completely drenched.

In the short span of a few seconds between the appearance of Star Travel 6333 on the video screen and the plane landing, Chen Yuan felt as if he had run several laps around the large playground, and was covered in sweat.

"Director, let me have Deputy Director Yuan come over. You should go and rest for a while, given your condition," the assistant suggested.

Although Chen Yuan didn't actually do any physical labor, as the head of the control center, he bore the entire responsibility of command, and the mental pressure was extremely high. Seeing that the plane seemed to have landed safely, he relaxed completely, looking like a patient who had just recovered from a serious illness, with a slightly pale face.

Sometimes, the mental and emotional exhaustion is more noticeable than the physical exertion.

Even if Chen Yuan is still holding on, he is in no condition to handle the command work of the control center. It would be better to let the deputy director take over and let Chen Yuan go back to rest.

"Is Lao Yuan on backup duty today?" Chen Yuan slapped his face. He felt that if he relaxed even a little, he would fall asleep on the spot. So, he could only force himself to stay awake and handle some follow-up matters.

The "Old Yuan" that Chen Yuan mentioned is the same person as the Deputy Director Yuan mentioned by his assistant. He is the deputy director of the Rongcheng Control Center, has a good personal relationship with Chen Yuan, and is quite capable. Chen Yuan would be quite at ease if he handed the center over to Deputy Director Yuan.

"Yes, today is Deputy Director Yuan's backup appointment. Should I give him a call?" the assistant asked. It was clear that Chen Yuan had reached his psychological limit, and he knew this himself. The replacement was a done deal.

Chen Yuan glanced at Shi Lanxi and Ye Jing beside him and said apologetically, "Mr. Shi, Editor-in-Chief Ye, I guess I'm getting old and really can't keep up. I probably won't be able to accompany you on the tour anymore. Our center's deputy director will come and relieve me later. If you have any questions, you can ask Lao Yuan. He's a veteran and knows everything."

According to the tour itinerary, after walking through the control center lobby, there were still some living areas that were not visited, and finally there was an interview with the director.

Chen Yuan had originally valued this final interview quite a bit; after all, appearing in Tianyan Magazine was a minor honor, and he figured he might as well take it. But in his current state, with his eyelids trembling, he had no energy left for the interview. Wouldn't he just fall asleep halfway through?

Although he was somewhat unwilling, Chen Yuan had no choice but to give up the opportunity.

"Director Chen is in his prime, how can you say he's getting old?" Ye Jing was quite understanding: "Today's special mission on Star Travel 6333 was mentally and physically demanding, it's normal for Director Chen to feel tired, there's no need for him to push himself."

Hearing that Ye Jing didn't seem to blame him, Chen Yuan felt a little relieved: "I'm sorry that I made Elder Shi and Editor-in-Chief Ye laugh at me today."

In Chen Yuan's view, his current near-exhausted performance was truly unacceptable. A truly qualified controller should remain calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain, and still be energetic and lively after directing an emergency. After giving such a series of commands, he was practically crippled; didn't that make him seem like he lacked resilience? The thought was rather embarrassing!

Shi Lanxi had a different opinion: "I saw Director Chen's performance this time, and it was truly excellent. Director Chen should get some rest. There might be an interview with Director Chen in a few days."

"In a few days?" Chen Yuan was taken aback. "Isn't the interview tonight?"

Even Ye Jing was puzzled at this moment. As the editor-in-chief, she didn't know that there would be an interview with Chen Yuan in a few days. There shouldn't have been such an event.

Shi Lanxi laughed and said, "It wasn't the interview about the documentary on censorship, but rather an interview about today's special situation. We might have to reissue last year's cover story for next quarter's issue."

"A belated Person of the Year award?" Now Ye Jing was also confused: "Mr. Shi, do you mean Xu Xian?"

Normally, the annual Person of the Year issue is published in December, but last year, due to the inability to find a perfect candidate, they had to leave it unrepresented. Ye Jing originally intended to choose Xu Xian, but Shi Lanxi disagreed, given the controversial aspects of Xu Xian's actions during the Kunyang River emergency landing. Controversial individuals are unsuitable for being Tianyan Magazine's Person of the Year. Shi Lanxi's experience was too substantial, and even Ye Jing couldn't insist, so they abandoned the idea of ​​selecting Xu Xian as the cover figure.

But now Shi Lanxi seems to have changed her mind and wants to reissue the March quarterly issue, which is scheduled to be released soon, as last year's annual person of the year issue.

This is the first time in the history of Tianyan Magazine that a Person of the Year has been reissued! If this can be done, it will be a first.

"Of course it's Xu Xian!" Shi Lanxi sighed. "The volcanic ash incident, the Kunyang River emergency landing incident, and this hazardous materials leak incident—truly, every generation produces its own talents, each shining brightly for centuries. He deserves to be named last year's Person of the Year; I misjudged him before."

Ye Jing was shocked, never expecting Shi Lanxi to admit in front of everyone that she had misjudged him.

At the end of last year, she suggested that Xu Xian be the cover star of the year, partly because of Xu Qing's recommendation, but Shi Lanxi ultimately rejected it.

Just a few months later, Xu Xian silenced all doubts with his actions.

"Mr. Shi, there has never been a precedent for reprinting in the history of the magazine. Won't this break the rules?" Ye Jing asked worriedly.

Shi Lanxi, on the contrary, didn't care: "Given Xu Xian's situation, he could have been the cover figure for the ten-year issue in the past. It's just a Person of the Year, making an exception for him once is no big deal, it's not like it's a separate supplement."

Shi Lanxi has a high reputation in Tianyan Magazine, so since he said so, there is naturally no problem.

"Okay, I'll come up with a plan as soon as I get back," Ye Jing replied obediently. "Should we contact Xingyou Airlines?"

Ye Jing asked this question purely to test Shi Lanxi's resolve on the matter. If Shi Lanxi agreed to let her arrange to contact Xingyou Airlines, it would mean that Shi Lanxi's mind was made up and there would be no further changes. After all, sending an interview request to Xingyou Airlines in the name of Tianyan Magazine would be extremely formal; she couldn't just go back on her word.

If Shi Lanxi says to wait a little longer, it means that Old Master Shi still has reservations. In that case, I should not invest too much energy in it for the time being. After all, there is no certainty. What if it all goes down the drain? What if all my efforts are wasted?

"You little rascal, you're testing me! Just send an interview request to Star Travel Airlines, and we'll start once Xu Xian recovers!" Shi Lanxi said with a laugh.

After this special incident, Xu Xian will likely need to rest for a while. He will also need to cooperate with the bureau's investigation, so any interviews will have to be postponed. However, postponing the interviews is fine, as the entire case needs to be handled ahead of schedule.

Upon hearing Shi Lanxi's words, Ye Jing felt reassured and quickly replied, "Understood, I will definitely urge the people below."

"No need. You are in charge of this case personally, so you can't be negligent." Shi Lanxi raised her hand and said solemnly, "I have a feeling that he will become the third benefactor of our civil aviation industry, so we can't be careless for a moment."

"Elder Shi, I admit that Xu Xian is very capable and has great potential, but can he really reach the level of Xu Qing and Han Qi?"

Shi Lanxi suddenly looked at Chen Yuan: "Director Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Yuan said with a long face, "I just feel like flying really benefits from the luck of the domestic civil aviation industry. Xu Qing and Han Qi were about to get there, and now another one has appeared?"

Xu Qing has basically retired behind the scenes, and Han Qi is also about to retire. But with almost no gaps in his career, Xu Xian has risen again. Why is there not a single prominent figure in the management?

While civil aviation is indeed primarily about flying, it has always been a field where talented pilots emerge. When will it be their turn to regulate it?

"It's fate, Director Chen, you don't need to be so insistent," Shi Lanxi said with a smile. "By the way, it seems Xingyou Airlines is still waiting. Should we tell them?"

After the Star Travel 6333 touched down, the automatic brakes in MAX mode activated instantly. Xu Xian felt his body lean forward, and the plane decelerated to a very low speed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Xian did not deactivate the automatic brakes; he needed the automatic brakes to reduce the aircraft's speed to zero.

The automatic braking effect of the MAX mode was indeed amazing. In less than ten seconds, the plane came to a stop on the runway!

As soon as the plane came to a stop, Xu Xian quickly connected the APU power supply, then swiftly shut off the left engine. Without performing any other procedures, he used his last bit of strength to make an announcement to the passengers.

"This is the captain. Evacuate! Evacuate! Evacuate!"

Three evacuation calls echoed through the cabin, but after waiting for a while, Xu Xian couldn't hear any evacuation sounds from the cabin at all.

"Just as I thought." Xu Xian tossed the headphones aside, not intending to make a second broadcast, and slumped back in his chair.

He vaguely saw a lot of lights approaching from the corner of his eye, which he guessed were the paramedics.

Seeing this, Xu Xian finally relaxed. He tried to open the side window again, but he couldn't get any leverage on the wrench! Instead, he used too much force and felt dizzy.

"Star Travel 6333, our rescue team is approaching the aircraft, please..."

The voice of Hamchi Tower was still echoing in his headphones, but Xu Xian was too weak to reply. Just now, at the last moment, he had gathered all his energy and spirit and burned it all out. Now he was completely exhausted and couldn't even muster the strength to utter a single word.

Xu Xian tilted his head slightly, staring blankly at the lights that were getting closer and closer, as if he felt a sense of relief.

"It's finally over."

This book has reached one million words, so let's summarize it briefly.

My previous book ended at this word count, but I feel I still have energy left to write, so I won't finish it anytime soon.

Judging from its performance, this book doesn't compare to its predecessor, although I personally think it's better written, so I'm still somewhat disappointed. However, the subscription structure is relatively healthy, better than the previous book, so at least it hasn't collapsed by the time it reaches one million words, that much is certain.

The update speed of this book is about three times that of the previous book, which I think is acceptable. Putting aside everything else, at least I've made significant progress in my typing speed.

Another feeling I have is that realistic themes are indeed difficult to write. I'm guessing I'll add some surreal elements to my next book, but of course, the next book is still up in the air.

Moreover, once this book is finished, I will definitely need to rest for a month or two. Writing a book without stopping is really tiring.

I'd also like to study other models and write books about them if I have the chance; writing about the 737 all the time is really boring. However, learning about other models will require a lot of effort, so it depends on whether I have the motivation.

That's about it! End of my million-word reflection!

(End of this chapter)