Legendary Captain

Chapter 271 Showing Off Skills (Part 3)

"What did you say?" Sheng Shilong felt like he had misheard: "You just said my eyesight is bad?"

"I think so, and there are facts to prove it." Xu Xian smiled and then said no more.

"Factual evidence? What facts?" Sheng Shilong didn't understand what Xu Xian was talking about, but judging from Xu Xian's expression, it didn't seem like he was just spouting nonsense. Subconsciously, he glanced back at Lu Xinyu. Lu Xinyu shrugged, clearly not understanding what Xu Xian meant either. Putting everything else aside, Xu Xian's incomplete statements were indeed annoying.

Soon, as the localizer stick moved, the aircraft quickly intercepted the localizer, and Xu Xian began to carefully steer the aircraft's roll onto the localizer. At the final approach positioning altitude, which was still relatively high, there was a certain difference in wind direction and speed compared to the ground.

In the ATIS communication, the wind direction and speed information was 040/03, meaning there was almost no crosswind at the ground. However, at the level flight altitude where the localizer was intercepted and the glide slope was awaited, there was a crosswind of more than seven meters, and the aircraft maintained a yaw angle of approximately ten degrees.

Unlike in a simulator, wind direction and speed changes in nature are more discontinuous and unstable. Xu Xian needs to constantly correct the aircraft's roll to keep it aligned with the heading.

Compared to Xu Xian's clumsy control of pitch, even with extremely significant changes in wind volume, Xu Xian was still able to maintain a stable course, with the course deviation always less than a quarter point.

The stark difference in Xu Xian's performance in pitch and roll control is indeed puzzling.

"Star Travel 6372, Runway 03, in the flight path!" Sheng Shilong reported.

"Star Trek 6372, continuing ILS approach 03, contact tower 118.05, goodbye!" At this point, the control system switched from approach control to tower control.

After adjusting the tower frequency, Sheng Shilong contacted the tower: "Hello tower, Star Travel 6372, we are on runway 03."

"Star Travel 6372, Yunnan Tower, continue approach, complete blind landing report."

Xu Xian's plane has only intercepted the localizer and is still in the stage of intercepting the glide path at level flight. The control tower needs to wait until the plane has completely intercepted the glide path before reporting to him.

"Continue approaching, correct sea level pressure 1015, star level 6372." Sheng Shilong recalibrated his own correct sea level pressure, then the backup instruments, and after a pause, he also adjusted the altimeter reference on Xu Xian's side.

"Pressure adjusted to 1015, one, two, three, verified!" Sheng Shilong confirmed that the barometric pressure at all three altimeters had been adjusted, then stretched: "Continue the approach."

At that moment, the radio tower's voice came through: "Kunlong 9334, get out of there immediately, report your escape."

Xu Xian could see a diamond-shaped symbol representing the aircraft ahead on the navigation page. From the top of the symbol, he could see that the Kunlong aircraft had just landed, and what he saw matched what was displayed on the navigation page.

Perhaps due to the tower's urging, the Kunlong Airlines plane in front slowed down very quickly after landing. Normally, it would take off at C6, but this plane slowed down to a considerable extent between C4 and C5.

After waiting a short while, the Kunlong Airlines plane took off from C5 and reported: "Kunlong 9334, C5 has taken off."

"Kunlong 9334, turn right C, contact ground 121.75."

"Turn right to C, contact ground 121.5, goodbye, Instructor Sheng!" Unexpectedly, the crew of Kunlong Airlines recognized Sheng Shilong's voice and even said goodbye to their instructor before switching frequencies.

Sheng Shilong was quite pleased with the politeness his crew showed him, and laughed, "These kids don't have many ears, but they can recognize my voice."

"Star Travel 6372, ground wind 040/03, runway 03, you are cleared to land. After touchdown, please disembark as soon as possible." Once the Kunlong Airlines plane disembarked and runway 03 was cleared, the control tower granted landing clearance and instructed Star Travel's plane to disembark as soon as possible, as there were other airlines following closely behind!

The radar spacing at Yunnan Airport is quite small, almost to the limit. If the aircraft in front of it is slow to break away, the controller may need to force the aircraft behind to go around in order to avoid runway incursion, which would be quite troublesome.

Prior to this, some aircraft had been sued by airports for being too slow in their takeoff maneuvers. Chengdu Airport, for example, clearly states in its airport regulations that aircraft must take off within 45 seconds of landing; exceeding this time will result in an investigation. In contrast, Yunnan Airport, while urging aircraft to take off, has not explicitly mandated a specific timeframe, making its regulations less stringent.

However, no matter how lax the regulations are, if it affects the landing of subsequent flights, the airport will definitely file a complaint.

"Runway 03, you can land. Star Travel 6372, disengage as soon as possible after touchdown," Sheng Shilong replied. Then, turning to Xu Xian, he said, "Continue deploying the flaps, flaps 30?"

This time we flew the 800 model aircraft, which doesn't require a 25-point flap transition. When the airspeed is not an obstacle, we can directly use a 30-point flap.

Xu Xian established the landing configuration a little late, but it wasn't a major issue. However, waiting any longer would have been excessive. They needed to ensure the landing configuration was established before 1200 feet.

It was for this reason that Sheng Shilong asked Xu Xian for his opinion, and he also suggested that Xu Xian should loosen his purse strings as soon as possible.

This was supposed to be a perfectly normal suggestion, but this time it was met with silence from Xu Xian.

Indeed, Xu Xian hesitated when Sheng Shilong asked him about the very routine question of whether he should release his wing for thirty minutes.

"Xu Xian?" Sheng Shilong waited a while but still didn't hear a response from Xu Xian. Feeling strange, he turned his head and saw that Xu Xian looked conflicted. He frowned and asked, "Xu Xian, is he at the Thirty-Five Wing?"

This was a routine question, and if Xu Xian still hadn't answered, he would start to wonder if Xu Xian was a little distracted.

Lu Xinyu, who was sitting in the back, also noticed Xu Xian's strange behavior. The phrase "thirty-year-old wing" didn't seem to have anything difficult to understand, but Xu Xian didn't respond at all.

"Xu Xian?" Lu Xinyu called out as well.

"Oh!" Xu Xian seemed to snap out of a daze and replied, "Check quickly, less than 175cm, flaps 30!"

"What are you thinking?" Sheng Shilong retorted, but that was all he said: "Check quickly, under 175, flaps 30!"

After placing the flap handle at position 30, the flaps begin to extend, and shortly thereafter, the flap position indicator shows that the flaps have reached their position.

"Flaps in position 30, green light. Hey, take a little control, don't sway up and down like you're on a boat," Sheng Shilong said speechlessly. When the flaps were lowered and the aircraft needed adjustment, the instability in pitch became even more pronounced, as if Xu Xian was constantly adjusting the aircraft's pitch. Excessive manipulation caused the aircraft to fluctuate wildly, like a lone boat on a raging sea.

The fact that Sheng Shilong still had the leisure to complain was that, although the plane was constantly going up and down, it always kept the deviation from the glide path within the required range, so all Sheng Shilong could do was complain.

However, given Xu Xian's performance in handling stability, if Sheng Shilong insists that Xu Xian's flight quality is problematic, then it's somewhat plausible.

Xu Xian ignored Sheng Shilong completely and instead announced the landing checklist.

"Hmph!" Sheng Shilong was very dissatisfied with Xu Xian's disregard for his behavior, but he was unwilling to argue with Xu Xian at this time. Xu Xian's current state of being like a bear was clearly giving him leverage.

"Landing checklist! Engine start switch, continuous!"

"continuous!"

"Speed ​​brakes, green light ready!"

"Green light for pre-registration!"

"Landing gear down, three green lights!"

"Put it down, three green lights!"

"Flaps in position 30, green light!"

"Thirty is in place, green light!"

Sheng Shilong read out each item on the landing checklist, and Xu Xian verified each item accordingly. After reaching the flap section, Xu Xian confirmed: "Go-around heading, go-around altitude, landing instructions are there!"

"Landing checklist complete!" Sheng Shilong put the normal checklist card back, then frowned and said, "To be honest, Xu Xian, flying like this really puts me in a difficult position. You didn't exceed the standard, but with your skill level, flying like this really makes things difficult for me."

The implication was that Xu Xianfei's performance was somewhat cringe-worthy.

Lu Xinyu was very unhappy, but it was really hard to refute him, because since Xu Xian started manual flight, his control skills were indeed not top-notch.

Xu Xian remained unmoved by Sheng Shilong's sarcasm, simply saying, "During the grounding phase, please do not interfere in any way, otherwise some dangerous situations may arise."

"If you keep flying like this, I might start to question your grounding technique. If your grounding is inadequate, for safety reasons, I can't just ignore it, can I? Am I just going to stand by and watch?"

"You dare to question my skills?" Xu Xian sneered. Perhaps feeling that his words were inappropriate, or perhaps wanting to prepare Sheng Shilong in case he messed things up, Xu Xian still added, "My grounding method might be a little strange later, so don't overreact."

"Hmm? The grounding method is strange, but how strange could it be?" Sheng Shilong couldn't imagine what kind of strange grounding technology could exist. Isn't aircraft grounding simply an art of leveling out? What other variations could there be? Don't airplanes always ground the main wheels first, followed by the nose wheels? Could it possibly be the other way around?

However, since Xu Xian brought this up so seriously, he probably wasn't joking. On the contrary, Sheng Shilong was curious about what kind of strange grounding method Xu Xian was talking about.

"1200 feet, landing configuration complete, stable approach! All lights on!" Sheng Shilong turned on all the lights: "Landing clearance obtained!"

Lu Xinyu, standing behind, clicked his tongue. He was truly impressed by Xu Xian. The so-called manual flight stunts hadn't turned out very well, but at least they were all within the standard range. It was just that this kid seemed unconvinced. What did he mean by a strange grounding method? Was he going to come up with some new tricks for grounding again?

Lu Xinyu understands the dedication of talented people to performing, but they also need to consider the occasion. Having a clear chance to pass the audition, continuing to act recklessly could easily ruin their career.

The aircraft had already reached an altitude of over 1,000 feet, and with some time remaining, Lu Xinyu couldn't help but remark, "Xu Xian, are you using so much trim? Is this your usual operating habit? Try moving the stick a bit more."

Lu Xinyu had clearly told Xu Xian to change the control method, as using the balance control method alone was quite disadvantageous for operation.

"No!" Xu Xian replied calmly.

"No? Then what are you doing now?" So he didn't operate like this before. Lu Xinyu thought Xu Xian's operating habits were just a bit special, but she didn't expect that Xu Xian didn't do it this way before. So why is he changing his usual way now?

"Challenge yourself!" Sheng Shilong laughed. He found Xu Xian to be a very interesting person.

However, as the aircraft descends, the signal deviations of the localizer and glide slope become extremely sensitive. At this point, even a slight deviation can cause significant changes in the localizer and glide slope signal poles.

Xu Xian's control over the heading path has always been very precise, that goes without saying. His main problem is with pitch, that is, the glide path control. Under his control, the glide path stick fluctuates up and down with the aircraft's movements. Even if the fluctuation is within the deviation range, in low-altitude conditions, it is very likely to exceed the standard range.

Strangely, at slightly higher altitudes, Xu Xian's glide path control fluctuated with a certain amplitude, but at lower altitudes, this amplitude, which should have increased, did not. Xu Xian consistently maintained the aircraft's glide path deviation at a relatively stable level. This indicates that Xu Xian was gradually improving his control over the aircraft.

Sheng Shilong also noticed Xu Xian's change. Rather than saying that Xu Xian had improved his control over the aircraft, it was more like that Xu Xian was gradually becoming familiar with this way of operating the aircraft.

"Height, 500 feet!"

Xu Xian adjusted his posture slightly, and it was clear that he was under some pressure.

"One hundred decisions!"

"Decision height, directly ahead of the runway!"

At this moment, Xu Xian focused some of his attention on the outside, engaging in partial visual flight. Of course, he still kept some focus on the cockpit, as the instruments were still a useful reference.

Generally speaking, for most Category 1 instrument landing systems, the decision height is around 200 feet, or about 60 meters. This height is already very low, and the crew can clearly see the various markings on the runway.

Even now that they have reached a low altitude and are about to enter the airspace above the runway, Xu Xian is still frequently using trim.

"No. What do you mean? You're still using balancing?" Sheng Shilong said speechlessly.

Xu Xian's gaze darted between the outside and inside of the aircraft, constantly adjusting its trajectory. He was under some pressure, and Sheng Shilong's words undoubtedly distracted him, making Xu Xian slightly annoyed: "Shut up!"

Sheng Shilong never expected that Xu Xian would tell him to shut up.

But at that very moment, the plane had already entered the runway. Seeing that it was about to touch down, Sheng Shilong put aside his thoughts of retaliating and decided to wait until it landed before making any further moves.

Fifty feet!

As the electronic radio message at altitude sounded, the aircraft's trim wheels began to spin rapidly again.

Xu Xian is balancing again!

"What are you doing?" Sheng Shilong was taken aback, his left hand naturally resting on the control wheel. Below fifty feet, pilots should try to level off, reduce throttle slightly, and begin to decrease the rate of descent. But Xu Xian was still using trim, and the throttle was still being maintained.

Such a strange grounding action made Sheng Shilong instinctively want to take over the control.

Just then, Xu Xian shouted, "Don't move!"

Sheng Shilong was startled by Xu Xian's shout and withdrew his left hand again.

As soon as Xu Xian's roar subsided, at an altitude of ten feet, Xu Xian abruptly cut off the throttle, while simultaneously turning the trim wheel backward to increase the aircraft's attitude.

Perhaps Xu Xian released the throttle a little too late, or perhaps he applied too much trim, because the plane only made contact with the runway after drifting for a while.

However, based on the changes in runway markings, it doesn't seem to have reached the point where a long, stiff drift warning is necessary.

As soon as the aircraft touched down, Xu Xian pulled back his gun and shouted, "Hand over control, take over communications!"

Coasting is not the co-pilot's job. During deceleration, Xu Xian must hand over the controls and take over Sheng Shilong's communication duties.

"Okay, take control, hand over communications!" Sheng Shilong said with a smile.

"Raise the speed brake, unlock the back jet, back jet 83, release the automatic brake! Sixty!" After confirming the deceleration performance, Sheng Shilong directly deactivated the automatic brake and switched to manual braking.

After slowing down to below 60 knots, the speed brakes and reverse injection were retracted.

"Star Travel 6372, after detaching, turn right C and contact ground 121.75."

At this point, the communication task had been switched to Xu Xian, who replied: "After disengaging, turn right (C) and contact ground station 121.75, Star Travel 6372!"

"Hello ground, Star Traveler 6372, Glide at C!"

Ground control: "Star Travel 6372, C, F8, etc."

"C, F8 forward, Star Travel 6372." After confirming the subsequent gliding instructions, Xu Xian began the post-landing procedures.

While Xu Xian was working on the program, Sheng Shilong clicked his tongue and said, "Xu Xian, your landing was quite a long drift!"

From a normal landing standard perspective, Xu Xian's landing distance was a bit too long. However, upon reflection, he realized that Xu Xian's description of the landing method as rather strange actually referred to using trim to establish attitude. This maneuvering method is quite rare, but it does exist. At Kunlong Aviation, he knew of an experienced instructor who always used trim to establish attitude during landing.

I overreacted just now and made a big fuss over nothing!

Xu Xian was just folding his lapels when he glanced at Sheng Shilong and said, "Your eyesight seems to be really bad."

Sheng Shilong immediately became annoyed: "I can see the bottom row of the C-chart, and you're saying I have bad eyesight? Can you do that?"

If you can see the bottom row of the C chart clearly, your eyesight is definitely excellent.

"Sometimes I really can't see the bottom row, I'm not as good as you in that respect," Xu Xian chuckled, switching the transponder to ground mode. "But that doesn't mean you're blind!"

Sheng Shilong was getting really worked up over Xu Xian's words, but seeing that the airport was about to be under tarmac control, he didn't bother arguing with Xu Xian anymore. He figured that once they arrived in port, he'd decide whether to just kill Xu Xian.

The parking spot was very close this time. After contacting apron control via F8, I turned left and entered the apron, then taxied for about half a minute to get in position.

With the aircraft in place and the shutdown checklist completed, Sheng Shilong pondered that he could use Xu Xian's operating habits as a starting point, which seemed like a way to barely manage to eliminate Xu Xian. After Xu Xian took manual flight, his performance was decent, not particularly amazing, but there were no major problems either, so eliminating Xu Xian would require some justification.

Just as Sheng Shilong was pondering this, the maintenance crew's voice rang out: "Wheel chocks are engaged, please release the brakes. Is the plane alright?"

This is a routine inquiry from the maintenance staff; they always ask if there are any problems with the aircraft.

"Release the brakes, the plane is fine," Sheng Shilong replied, while simultaneously deactivating the parking brake.

He felt it necessary to first dampen Xu Xian's momentum and list out the problems that occurred during Xu Xian's two flights.

"Putting everything else aside, you should have received a soft warning for that grounding incident, right?" Sheng Shilong laughed. "So, you still need to practice. How about we sign this next time?"

Lu Xinyu's expression changed: "Instructor Sheng, Xu Xian didn't make any obvious mistakes this time, was it really necessary to be so ruthless?"

"Mr. Lu, I'm just striving for perfection. With Xu Xian's current status and position, should we hold him to the standards of an ordinary co-pilot? That's not appropriate!" Sheng Shilong said with an air of righteous indignation.

"Damn it." Lu Xinyu gritted his teeth, suddenly finding Sheng Shilong's smiling face, which concealed a knife, extremely hateful.

Sheng Shilong then turned to Xu Xian and said, "Right, Xu Xian?"

Little did he know, Xu Xian sneered, "Ignorant!"

(End of this chapter)