Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
The three L-15 Falcons carried three cadets into the sky with deafening roars. The temporary communication terminal set up on the flight line was ready to coordinate the dialogue between the three planes and the ground at any time.
Since it was their first flight, the cadets could only follow the pilots’ operation method, sitting at the front seat and following the operations. Even though the control console was exactly the same as the back seat’s, it was restricted by the back seat’s. With permission, they could control the aircraft, as though it were real. And if they performed well during the practice, they even had the chance to give it a go during the flight.
From the time of the take-off, the official pilot in the back seat and Lieutenant Colonel Shen at the ground communication terminal patiently explained the essentials and operation methods to the cadets. Despite every cadet having comprehensive knowledge of the plane instrument panel and operating procedures and could almost recite it backward, the base was still extremely cautious and taught the cadets step by step, striving for stability. After all, the training and selection costs of each cadet far exceeded the cost of a plane, and the most basic pilot training costs were more than ten million yuan.
In order to get the cadets to focus and treat their maiden flight seriously, Lieutenant Colonel Shen did some calculations for the cadets, leaving the cadets speechless without exception. The cost of each take-off and landing of a plane was calculated in the tens of thousands. From the point the plane left the hangar, it burned money every second. The loss of either the plane or the pilot would be painful to the country, and it was all taxpayer money.
Even Chen Haiqing, who never attached importance to money, was moved. What were Porsches and Ferraris, even Bugatti Veyrons, compared to the trainers in front of them? The wealthy scions who played with luxury cars to flaunt their wealth were not much better than peasants entering the city for the first time in this airport. Watching the planes roaring up and down at close range while counting the seconds and calculating money involved, Chen Haiqing, the only rich scion among the cadets, lost all interest in playing with cars. The extreme speed on the ground could not compare to the excitement of breaking the sound barrier.
The country footed the bill for training fighter pilots. For private use, even the lowest-level helicopter license test cost more than one hundred to two hundred thousand yuan. An ordinary business jet cost twenty to thirty million, and even if you did not do anything and left it in an airport for a year, it cost millions in custodial and maintenance fees. Every hour in the sky used renminbi as fuel. Not to mention the precious air routes, no matter how rich or powerful you were, you could not obtain them and fly a plane freely in the sky. No one dared to place national security at risk.
Each group of three cadets flew for half an hour each time, and then the planes refueled for another half an hour after landing and inspections. When it was Lin Mo’s turn to board a plane, it was already noon, and a group of them ate their lunch boxes by the runway.
Lin Mo climbed into the cockpit with the help of the ground crew, fastened the seat belt, put on the flight helmet, and lowered the visor.
“Lin Mo, don’t be nervous. Just treat it as the usual training!” said the very experienced pilot sitting in the back seat to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo gave an OK gesture. Sitting in a plane was a completely different experience from riding a Giant Dragon. From the theory books he usually studied and the pictures and flying videos he saw, he already had a good understanding of aircraft. Compared to air riding in the other world, the aircraft in this world were very sophisticated and operationally complex. The flight speed was extremely fast, especially the maximum speed that could even be calculated at multiples of the speed of sound. The attack power was not any bit inferior to the Air Riders in the other world, sharp and fierce, with long-range and beyond visual range attack capabilities. But they had weak defenses and were not flexible in close combat, restricted by their turning radius. They were not like the biological creatures for air riding in the other world. No matter how inferior the air-riding beast was, it could change directions flexibly, and even the world’s most advanced plane could not match it.
The common feature they had with the Air Riders in the other world was that the maintenance cost was equally huge. While food and medicine were consumed in the other world, fuel was consumed in this world. Both had the same high physical requirements, the tough selection criteria, and there were also flying combat formations. And except for the Giant Dragon Air Riders, they had insufficient combat sustainability. If the Air Riders of both worlds met, victory and defeat was still unpredictable.
This opened a new world of air combat for Lin Mo, making him fascinated and excited.
Under the protection of the flight helmet, Lin Mo could still feel the noise and vibrations when the L-15 Falcon’s twin-engine burst with enormous propulsion. The strong pressure when gliding on the runway gave him the familiar feeling of when he was on his Giant Dragon, Gold Coin, and it sprinted forward at full speed. His entire body was pressed into his seat firmly.
This group of elite cadets began with advanced trainers, which was also the tradition of China’s first aviation school when it started. Having outstanding physical qualities and theoretical learning abilities, the cadets only truly appreciated the elegance and experienced the excitement of jet fighters when they boarded the L-15 Falcon.
It was totally different from the civilian airliner. The high speed that broke the sound barrier could nearly stifle the thumping of their hearts. Lin Mo clearly felt that the comfort of jet fighters was completely incomparable to that of the civilian airliner. The degree of vibrations and turbulence would have caused normal people to turn green in the face, unable to breathe and vomit until their heads spun.
“How is it? Still feeling good?” The veteran pilot’s voice came from the back seat and asked Lin Mo, who was sitting in the front seat and had not breathed a word.
“Very good!” Lin Mo was enjoying the continuous acceleration of the sprint. His biggest regret was that he was unable to be exposed outside the cockpit to feel the strong piercing wind.
“Okay. I want to break the sound barrier once. You keep an eye on the dynamic changes, and I will transfer control over to you. You can test-fly for a bit.” The veteran pilot was surprised by this cadet’s adaptability and physique. His tone did not even change, as though he was not being affected at all.
The sound of the engine was obviously intensifying, and the roar and vibrations were getting louder and louder, almost making people think that the plane could fall apart at any time. The speedometer was gradually approaching Mach speed. Lin Mo followed the pilot’s prompts and the explanations on the ground and paid attention to observing the plane’s flight status.
Bang! It sounded like the sound of a broken eggshell. The noise in the cockpit suddenly dropped, as though the entire world was quiet. The plane entered into a relatively stable state. Lin Mo marveled at this world’s precise grasp of speed and the ability to easily define the standard of crossing the speed of sound. It was important to know that there were few Air Riders who could break through the sound barrier in the other world.
This is amazing! Lin Mo felt the changes in his body in an instant. The pressure of breaking through the sound barrier was almost completely borne by the fuselage. The pilot did need to be exposed to the air and wear heavy armor to protect themselves, and there would be no accidents of being thrown out suddenly. But at the same time, the close combat capabilities were immeasurably weakened. The battles in this world did not require close combat at all, resembling more like the fighting methods of mages, which could be resolved from a few kilometers away. If an Air Rider in the other world were to cross paths with a jet fighter, without the necessary defense, they would probably be killed before even seeing the enemy.
“After a minute, I will drop below the speed of sound, release the control, and give you five minutes. Get ready to take control. Relax. I can help you at any time.” The pilot in the back seat felt that the cadet named Lin Mo was reacting well in the plane, so he decided to release control and let him have a go.
“Okay!” Lin Mo answered concisely. Since he got on the plane, his hands had not left the control stick. Even though he knew the functions and operation methods of each instrument and switch on the instrument panel in front of him, his palms were still slightly sweaty. This was not nervousness but excitement.
Having reincarnated and being able to re-enter the blue sky was tantamount to destiny playing a joke on Lin Mo, who yearned for chasing the wind and battling in the sky.
“Let’s just practice a few basic flying moves today and get you familiar with them. After a few more flights being accompanied, you can fly on your own. Pay attention to the instrument panel. It will be very useful to you when you fly at night in the future.” The beat seat pilot’s voice came from the headset of Lin Mo’s helmet. “Countdown begins. Stay steady first! Hold the control stick, and don’t be too tense. Relax. Don’t worry about the fire button. It’s fake.”
In that instant, Lin Mo felt that the control stick in his hands came alive. Even the slightest movement could cause the airframe to respond.
He moved the control stick lightly, and the plane immediately left its level flight state and started to change direction. Lin Mo did not dare to make any big actions and do any special stunts. He was used to controlling the Giant Dragon and had flown in all kinds of ways before. With the Giant Dragon’s powerful body, it could even support extremely absurd maneuvers. The plane was a combination of both strength and weakness. Lin Mo did not know if it could take his extreme operation, so he only tried step by step within the permitted rules. His solid aerial experience made the flight of the L-15 Falcon Advanced Trainer under his control more stable as it drew a beautiful white trail in the sky.