Chapter 168: Adding Flowers to Brocade
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The power supply vehicle swiftly rushed over to the parking spot with a team of ground crew. They had been waiting at the designated location, but unexpectedly, the aircraft had landed right in front of the viewing platform, forcing the ground crew to make a short-distance relocation.
Of course, the aircraft had already come to a complete stop long before the ground crew arrived. The engines were shut down, brakes engaged, and the cockpit canopy opened. Still somewhat reluctant to end the flight, Yan Xiufu unbuckled his seatbelt and began shutting down all systems that could be turned off, while those that couldn’t naturally remained powered.
As a motorized vehicle, the power supply truck was naturally faster than manual labor. It connected external power to the aircraft’s external power port, providing the necessary electrical support.
With external power connected, Yan Xiufu no longer needed to worry about anything extra and could finally entrust the aircraft to the ground engineers. The boarding ladder arrived belatedly but at least it arrived. The eager test pilot descended the aircraft using the ladder.
He removed the quickly detachable flight gear, reluctantly took off his protective gloves, and finally had the chance to embrace the engineers who had worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this flight.
In this moment of excitement, many older men were moved to tears—a touching scene that always followed a maiden flight.
“Thank you. From here on, it’s in your hands.”
“Rest assured, with your test flights, we will surely do even better. We aim for every one of your future flights to bring new achievements.”
At this moment, Chief Designer Yu Ximing arrived at the aircraft, accompanied by a group of leaders. At this time, the leaders no longer insisted on being at the forefront. This moment belonged to the chief designer and the maiden flight test pilot—it was their glorious moment, their home turf.
Yu’s arrival fully ignited Yan Xiufu’s emotions. He placed what he was holding on the ground, stretched out his arms from afar to embrace Yu, and then turned around to firmly pat the sturdy aircraft body.
“Excellent work, Chief Designer Yu. You have crafted a fine aircraft. This is the best plane I have ever flown. Although it was only the maiden flight, I already feel its restless spirit coursing through its veins. For the upcoming flight tests, I will give my all to push this aircraft to its limits. It is destined to be much more than just a trainer.”
This new aircraft was indeed a fine machine. Yan Xiufu felt extremely fortunate to encounter such a plane in the twilight of his flying career. At forty-five years old, he knew his days as a test pilot were numbered.
He believed this new model was not only the finest aircraft of his career but would also be the last one he would ever test. He vowed to devote himself fully, leaving no regrets behind.
The praise of a maiden flight test pilot was the highest affirmation a chief designer could receive during the development process. When someone is willing to entrust their life to your design, what could be more trustworthy?
Chief Designer Yu had little to say except: “Rest assured, the subsequent development of the new aircraft will maintain quality and quantity. Every flight test and piece of equipment will be treated with utmost care by our development team, aiming for an early finalized design.”
This was the most lively moment. Guests who had come to witness the maiden flight took turns shaking hands with Yan Xiufu and offering heartfelt encouragement.
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“Well done, comrade test pilot. You have flown superbly, demonstrating the excellent performance of the new aircraft. You must continue testing and prove this is a great new plane.”
Following this, Mada De and Sultan both congratulated the successful maiden flight and acknowledged the test pilot’s achievements.
Only Yang Hui refrained from joining the celebration at that moment. He was busy answering a phone call from the other side of the Earth.
“Yes, yes. We will definitely attend, and we will bring all the top skills our base can offer. We will not let the momentum weaken.”
Yang Hui’s words were swiftly transmitted via telecommunications to the far side of the Earth, putting the head of the Felonti Company at ease.
“Very well, then…”
The door was violently flung open from outside, and the messenger burst in, eager to report the latest news about the test flight.
“Good news! Secretary Yang, the maiden flight of the new aircraft has been completed successfully. The performance was quite impressive. Now we’re just waiting for the celebration banquet.”
Although the successful test flight was within Yang Hui’s expectations, hearing the news firsthand still stirred a different kind of feeling.
At least, he could now put aside his worries about the maiden flight. Yet, he also felt a twinge of regret for not witnessing the final moments of the flight in person—blaming the Felonti Company for calling at such a time.
By the way, Felonti was a crucial system supplier for the new aircraft. It was only fitting to inform them of the success, so everyone could celebrate together.
“Measuring the new aircraft’s maiden flight is akin to winning the nation’s favor.”
This phrase seemed to take on a new meaning in the new era: the maiden flight of a new aircraft must be broadcast internationally to showcase the base’s technical strength and win over potential “national allies,” ensuring a steady stream of future orders.
Of course, this was merely the ideal scenario. Breaking into the international military aircraft market remained challenging and required ongoing effort.
Reputation, technology, bidding experience, multinational logistical support—these were all experiences newcomers had to learn and accumulate.
At this point, Yang Hui picked up the phone again to report the news to Felonti. The company’s liaison, though a compatriot, still couldn’t understand the distinct Southwestern dialect of the Republic’s official language, so they had to wait patiently for Yang Hui’s call.
It was only then that they realized how vast the Republic truly was. Even the same language could evolve into many different dialects, making it extraordinarily difficult to fully comprehend the country.
“Good news! Good news! This is truly exciting. The new aircraft’s maiden flight has been completed smoothly, everything went well, and the new plane can definitely be finished on schedule. This is yet another reason for us to celebrate.”
The person on the other end finally understood the situation: the new aircraft’s maiden flight was complete. This was indeed joyous news, signifying the plane had finally emerged from the drawing board.
“Good…”
“Excellent. Your technical strength is indeed formidable, completing the preliminary design of a new aircraft within a year. The maiden flight is truly a great milestone. Be sure to bring your flight footage—it will be highly beneficial for the aircraft’s promotion.”
True to form, the English businessman was always quick to link everything to publicity, sales, and profits—a fine tradition ingrained in his DNA.
“Indeed, the new aircraft is very impressive. The timing of this maiden flight is perfect. We now have fresh material for our upcoming external publicity.”
The call ended, and Yang Hui put down the phone, immediately sprinting toward the runway. Although it was getting late, he still wanted to see the scene in person as soon as possible.
At the same time, Yang Hui was about to announce a major piece of good news—a perfect complement to the new aircraft’s successful maiden flight, and a small compensation for not witnessing the entire event live.
From the distant telephone hall, he dashed toward the airport’s viewing platform—a distance that was no small feat. Yang Hui felt it was the fastest he had run since his university sports meet.
Perhaps it was just like the legendary Greek messenger Pheidippides, who ran to deliver news—though the distance might differ, the urgent desire to bring good news was surely the same. (To be continued.)
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