Chapter 283

Chapter 283: Revealing the "Wild Horse" Vertical Landing Trick

The hangar was arranged like parking spaces, divided into small sections for the aircraft, which were more spacious than regular car parking spots. The landing gear was secured with locks to prevent swaying from wind and waves.

When Colonel Wu Nanjie, the leader of the instructor team, brought Lin Mo and the others under the flight deck, nearly all the aircraft had completed their flight missions, and the hangar was bustling with activity.

A few pilots lingered in the rest area, chatting or discussing aircraft issues with the mechanics from the maintenance crew.

Several maintenance teams were busy inspecting planes, disassembling and replacing worn parts, troubleshooting issues, with signals blinking and various equipment making all sorts of noises.

“This is our large hangar. We have 40 J-15s, and the rest are helicopters. There are 240 flight trainees divided into several training groups; the number of people in each group varies. There are 60 mechanics in the hangar, and since it’s a training ship, we have more people to rotate for learning. Hehe, other departments are the same; we are well over capacity, which puts a huge strain on supplies. Training flights happen daily from 5 AM to 5 PM, with night navigation training once a week, ensuring each trainee gets 10 hours of flight time weekly. The basic training period is 300 hours, but it’s flexible and depends on the trainees’ learning progress and flight time. The course mainly includes tactical applications and drills for offense and defense on land, sea, and air. These trainees have already completed takeoff and landing tests on ground models before coming onboard.”

As they walked, Colonel Wu introduced the instructors’ basic duties to Lin Mo.

When the trainees saw the instructors enter the hangar, they all stood up and saluted.

The busy mechanics nodded and smiled in acknowledgment, continuing their work without pause.

Wu pointed at the planes in the hangar and said, "This is the J-15, known in Chinese as ‘Dark Sabre.’ The prototype is based on the T-10K-3, which is an improved version of the Su-33. It is quite similar to the Su-27, a twin-engine fighter with double vertical tails and canard wings—a three-surface aerodynamic heavy fighter. It comes with a tailhook, and compared to land-based models, the J-15 has a larger payload and can carry anti-ship missiles. It has more weapon mounts overall and outperforms the Su-33. If the radar is strong, it can even compete with the F-35. In a dogfight, if two ‘Dark Sabres’ faced off against one ‘Lightning’ with pilots of similar skill, the ‘Lightning’ would likely face a tragic end.”

“Instructor Cang, please notify all trainees to gather at hangar area 29; I’d like to introduce Captain Lin to everyone.”

“Understood! I’ll arrange that right away.”

Fifteen minutes later, in a spacious corner of the hangar, 240 carrier-based aircraft trainees stood in perfect alignment. They occupied the former location of a large anti-ship missile launch unit from the Varyag aircraft carrier, which had been dismantled by the shipyard in Dalian to create more space in the hangar. Instead of being divided into sections, it served as a temporary assembly area, with a large projection cloth hanging on the wall and a projector suspended from the ceiling.

The rank of the trainees closely matched that of the instructors, with even some cadets of a military rank present.

To ensure that China’s first batch of carrier-based aircraft pilots met high standards, all selections prioritized quality over quantity. None of these trainees, drawn from across the country, were novices, each with over 500 hours of flight experience.

On this training ship, the principle was that those who excelled would teach. Whoever mastered the professional skills first would be considered an instructor. Even though Lin Mo lacked experience flying carrier-based aircraft, the instructors were not worried. If he lacked confidence, they would not let him take any risks.

TheTitles of instructor and trainee were merely formalities; anyone who could be here had a solid foundation, and mutual learning was a common occurrence.

After completing roll call, the team leaders reported the attendance status, and then everyone quieted down, waiting for Colonel Wu to address them.

“Students, today I would like to introduce our new instructor, Captain Lin Mo. Please give him a warm welcome!”

In the seven-meter-high hangar, Colonel Wu’s voice echoed loud and clear among the metal framework. Area 29 was perfect for such gatherings, requiring no amplification equipment; everyone could hear clearly.

A warm and synchronized round of applause followed Colonel Wu’s words.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Lin Mo!”

Facing the focused gaze of several hundred people, Lin Mo showed no signs of shyness. In fact, having faced greater challenges in battle, he wasn’t intimidated by the powerful magic of enemy Air Knights or deadly tracking missiles. There was simply no reason to feel any emotional fluctuations under the scrutiny of just over two hundred trainees.

Much like in the conference room with the instructors, Lin Mo offered a brief self-introduction, cutting out any unnecessary words or official tone, much like the style of an Air Knight—clear and concise.

“Instructor Lin will officially start next week, and we will notify everyone of the allocation of trainees to him later.” Colonel Wu summarized after Lin Mo’s introduction.

Pilots shared a common trait: they spoke little. Even high-ranking officers spoke simply.

If they wasted time with excessive chatter, they probably wouldn’t survive long in combat.

Colonel Wu cleverly hid Lin Mo’s lack of carrier-based flying experience, believing that a week of intensive training would be sufficient for this ace pilot to master the takeoff and landing techniques of carrier-based aircraft. As for everything after takeoff, he was confident that this ace would have his own methods, so there was no need to worry too much.

In the sky, an ace pilot was always synonymous with strength; even the simplest moves could wield incredible effects in their hands.

“Instructor Lin, I have a question. Could you answer it? I believe many of us are curious about this!”

Just as the team leaders were about to announce dismissal, someone in the crowd raised their hand and spoke up loudly.

A stir went through the trainees as they anticipated what question the trainee would pose to Lin Mo, their eyes full of expectation.

Wu shifted his gaze to Lin Mo to gauge his reaction. If Lin Mo declined to answer, he would step in to alleviate any tension.

Seeing the questioning gaze from Colonel Wu, Lin Mo smiled slightly, nodded, and said, “No problem.”

“Alright, trainee, please go ahead with your question. If I can answer, I will share everything without reservation!”

Lin Mo’s voice, though different from Colonel Wu’s booming tone, was clear and resonated without effort, reaching everyone’s ears and giving the feeling that he was speaking directly to each one of them.

“Can you please explain how you performed the vertical landing with the P-51 ‘Wild Horse’ today? Everyone is very curious, and we’d appreciate your guidance, thank you!”

A sudden wave of chatter spread through the trainees, as this question had indeed captured what everyone was thinking.

The P-51 “Wild Horse” piston fighter had demonstrated a helicopter-like vertical landing right before their eyes, and they weren’t just curious; they were in awe of the level of skill it required, akin to martial arts masters witnessing an impossible move and itching to try it themselves.

“That’s not a difficult question to answer!”

Lin Mo had no intention of holding back. The technique was neither too hard nor too simple, and his first words made all the trainees fall silent.

Not just them; even the other instructors perked up their ears. This was a genuine secret technique, fitting for aircraft carriers, where such skills could yield unexpected results on a short, narrow flight deck.

With just this move, even if Lin Mo had never piloted the J-15 “Dark Sabre,” it would still justify his title as an “instructor.”

“The first thing to achieve is the unity of man and machine. That’s right—merge the pilot’s whole spirit and energy with the fighter jet. You must connect your senses with the aircraft and fully integrate your feedback with your perception, leaving no detail overlooked. Your operation of the fighter jet must become second nature, so that every slight movement can be controlled. This combination of perception and fine control is the first step.”

“Second, you need to grasp every bit of airflow with precision. Although airflow changes can be difficult to detect, there are ways to judge them. From a distance, you can assess the direction and speed of the airflow based on how clouds, dust, or other objects are moved. Up close, you need to closely feel the effects of the airflow on the aircraft. Treat the airflow like a stream, moving with it as a fish does, responding to its changes while striving to maintain your position. A good training method could be to stand in a strong current or perform various movements until you adapt to the unpredictable changes in the water flow, allowing for unrestricted and free movement. This trains your instinctive response to external changes.”

“Besides mastering these two aspects, you must also have a sufficient understanding of the aircraft’s performance. Some maneuvers can be executed, and some cannot. For example, yesterday, the wind shear was just enough to counter the ‘Wild Horse’s’ thrust and had the angle adjusted correctly. If it were any weaker, the ‘Wild Horse’ would surely have plummeted into the sea or crashed onto the deck.”

Unified awareness and enhanced control allow one to achieve an unbelievable hovering effect, utilizing natural wind flow.

Lin Mo openly shared one of the Dragon Knight training techniques from another world right there in the public eye.

In fact, after becoming a pilot in this world, Lin Mo developed his own unique fighter combat techniques based on the flight characteristics and performance suited for this realm, which were more diverse and comprehensive than the tactical maneuvers found in textbooks.

“This is just a little trick!” Lin Mo concluded with that statement.