Flying across the distant sea and sky on the "Kunpeng"
The morning light slightly opened, and the war eagle roared. Accompanied by the drizzle, a Yun-20 rushed into the sky like an arrow from a string amidst the deafening roar. Following a certain regiment of the Air Force Aviation Corps of the Western Theater Command, they flew to the distant sea for training. The mountainous figure of "Kunpeng" made me feel a majestic power. After 10 years of strengthening the army, from the first flight of the Yun-20 to participating in various missions, the officers and soldiers of the regiment grew up together with the Yun-20. They became more mature and flew farther and farther in major training missions.
Fly across the distant sea, penetrate the clouds, and soar between the sea and the sky. In the cabin, through the pilot's eyes, I felt this power again. On the way down, the plane suddenly experienced violent turbulence and the flight altitude dropped sharply. I quickly grabbed the handrail next to me. Captain Long Yifei held the control column tightly and worked hard to stabilize the aircraft. The crew members worked closely together and divided the work to perform various operations. The aircraft gradually stabilized and descended to the specified altitude, and maintained a stable state and flew to the established route...
Long Yifei told reporters that the ability to remain calm in the face of change comes from various practical trainings - during an exercise, the regiment's transport aircraft formation carried out low-altitude penetration, and while completing long-distance cross-regional attacks, it arrived at the target area on time. Implement airdrops. In the process of actively promoting the integration of combat training, they met the standard requirements of "strategic delivery", set up multiple flight courses in one sortie, and set up unknown special situations during the flight to continuously improve combat effectiveness. They continue to strengthen the frequency and intensity of training such as high-sea flying and plateau flying; they use the actual training of services and arms on the same site to temporarily set up combat courses to test the unit's joint combat capabilities and emergency handling capabilities... From the completion of the first flight within a week of receiving the installation, to the first From formation training to emergency dispatches to help Wuhan fight the epidemic, and multiple trips abroad to transport medical supplies for humanitarian relief... the trajectory of this unit has given us a more realistic understanding of the term "strategic delivery." The four words "strategic delivery" reflect the Chinese military's confidence in its long-distance transportation capabilities and carry the dream of several generations of Chinese soldiers.
The sound of the Y-20 engine is like a battle cry, making people excited. The reporter believes that under the guidance of the goal of "building a powerful strategic delivery force", "Kunpeng" will fly high to where the motherland and the people need it.
The drizzle is like silk, and the sky and the earth are vast, covering the plain under the night with a thin veil. It was freezing cold at a military airport. The maintenance personnel of a certain regiment of the Air Force of the Western Theater Command, who were about to carry out a training mission, walked towards the "Kunpeng" on the tarmac under the illumination of the airport lights. The Y-20, also known as "Kunpeng", is a new generation of large transport aircraft for our military. The "Kunpeng" lying quietly at this moment is as huge as a mountain. After the maintenance officers and soldiers took off the engine cover and cloth, a technician carefully checked every detail of the engine; he rechecked the relevant positions to ensure that it can effectively cope with the destination environment... "Isn't it just flying tomorrow? Isn't it possible to fly tomorrow morning? "Facing the reporter's inquiry, air mechanic Li Liangfeng said: "No matter how late it is today, it will be early, and no matter how early tomorrow is, it will be late.
Problems in any link may lead to failure of emergency response, and we must do so. Prepare early and check every link." After saying that, he held a flashlight and lay down on the landing gear to check, then walked around under the belly of the aircraft to check the condition of the equipment compartment again. "Prepare early" rather than "prepare at the last minute".
In the eyes of the officers and soldiers of this unit, the fighter planes will take off at any time as soon as the order comes. All they have to do is make adequate preparations before flying as required. It is precisely because of "early preparation" that they have completed major tasks with high standards many times. On a rainy night, the silent runway, the dim light of the flashlight, the meticulous officers and soldiers... Standing next to them, the reporter could feel a solemn sense of mission. At this time, in the "Chinese Military Tent", a flight preparation meeting was underway. The pilots sat around the table and spoke in turn. Placed between them was a flight route map and a specific task and course implementation table.
What will happen in this mission? Although there are meteorological data provided by superiors, who can guarantee that the climate on the vast sea will not change suddenly? Arriving at the destination safely is the first requirement for "Kunpeng". Captain Long Yifei calculated the possible situations at a certain time point and location on the drawings based on the training plan.
"'Kunpeng' will face a variety of unexpected factors when performing high-sea missions." Long Yifei took out the flight record book he carried with him, marked the locations of key subjects, and recorded the issues discussed by his comrades. Seeing this, the reporter felt awe in his heart. One careful consideration is better than a hundred hasty actions.
When we walked out of the flight preparation room, it seemed to be raining a little harder. In the drizzle and mist, the lights in the inner and outer fields were still bright. The continuous low roar of the plane was deafening on the empty runway. Early the next morning, facing the morning glow, the aircraft slowly taxied on the runway. After the captain filled up the throttle, "Kunpeng" took off into the sky.
After several hours of flight, the plane arrived over a certain sea area. The difference in air pressure between the sea and the sky and the rapid change in the plane's altitude made the reporter lose his balance. "Sit tight!" Pilot Wang Yangke suddenly and quickly turned the flight arc adjustment button. Seeing this wave of operations, the reporter felt nervous. "What happened?" Pulling the armrest of the cockpit, the reporter noticed that the thick clouds outside the porthole were dissipating. "Although we made relevant judgments last night, the interference caused by clouds and airflow is greater than we imagined."
Pilot Hu Yan explained, "We are about to enter low-altitude flight over the sea and need multiple coefficients "The linkage adjustment." Sure enough, after a huge shake, the plane flew forward at a steady speed. Pull the lever, push the rudder, adjust the flight attitude...out the window, between the gaps in the clouds, the dark blue sea looms. "Descent 800 meters, descend 200 meters, and then descend 100 meters." In the cockpit, the captain continued to direct the descent according to the plan, weather conditions and cloud conditions.
Looking out the window, although there is no obvious reference, I can feel that the waves are getting clearer and clearer. From white mist to deep blue, the scenery changed in just a short time. The aircraft flew smoothly at low altitude, conducted multiple sea surface training courses in the designated area, and prepared for a precise landing after a short circle. "Shipping is the fastest mode of transportation. Our military's air transportation and long-range delivery capabilities are constantly increasing.
As soldiers, we have growing confidence and pride." The leader of the regiment introduced , the courses implemented in this mission were temporarily adjusted and carried out on the basis of the original mission, which shows that the aviation force is stepping up its training transformation. "Carry out low-altitude sea flight training!" Before the plane was about to land, only four pilots took out the flight route map and finely adjusted each knob. Aircraft mechanic Li Liangfeng opened his book and made relevant registrations. The reporter walked back and forth between the cockpit and the cargo hold and felt unusually smooth.
When the plane landed, the reporter felt the shaking caused by the landing gear lightly touching the ground. Pilot Wang Yangke said that in recent years, they have self-pressurized themselves according to their missions, regularly carried out plateau and high-sea flight training, tried a variety of difficult and dangerous courses, studied various training methods and tactics, and continuously improved their long-range delivery capabilities. I thought this mission would be "calm", but unexpectedly it was "turbulent". "Target found in the rear." Just as the crew was returning home, a sudden "special situation" made the atmosphere suddenly tense. The captain ordered the crew to prepare for the release of infrared chaff bombs, and at the same time called for fighter jets from nearby brother units to fly out. Accurately judging and handling special situations not only tests the team's coordination ability, but also tests the joint operations of multiple services. After the mission ended, a review meeting followed, and a new battle started in another form. "The operation was not standardized when lowering the flight altitude" and "the special situation was not handled quickly enough"... Summarizing the scene, the commander and captain pointed out the problems that occurred during the mission without mercy.
Frame after frame of ups and downs, data tables, and project operations are placed on the table. "These steaming data are compiled based on flight data." Gao Yongchao, the combat training staff officer, announced the data for each link of the flight, which also brought issues to the surface one by one. On the big screen, the audio, video, and picture data of the daytime combat training mission are continuously played back, and parameter indicators, operating actions, and flight postures are also presented in the form of data. Draw a dynamic diagram of the flight route, analyze the flight process segment by segment, and record the flight attitude on the table data... They must thoroughly study and analyze every problem.
From the successful test flight of "Kunpeng" to today, the Ministry has completed the transformation from "campaign-level power projection" to "strategic-level power projection". If the times are the clouds and winds that lift "Kunpeng" up, then the "review" every time it returns is the aerial "tanker" that allows "Kunpeng" to fly higher and farther. Review the problem, analyze the gains and losses, support each other, draw inferences from one instance...the review and reflection becomes more and more in-depth, and the ideas for solving the problem become clearer and clearer.
"Tomorrow will be another good day for training." After the review, Wang Yangke's eyes were firm. They will also drive the country's most important weapons to perform different types of tasks and undergo various tests under unknown conditions. Once the order is given, the mission will be achieved. Wherever the interests of the motherland lie, their strategic projection power will extend. I have been in contact with Yun-20 for 8 years since I joined the army. In the past 8 years, we can’t count how many ups and downs the Y-20 has flown. Going to the plateau, flying to the sea, fighting the epidemic, going abroad... We have experienced a variety of major tasks, cracked "hard bones" one after another, and created "firsts" one after another. From the moment I first received the equipment, to the formation of a relatively complete maintenance and support system in the army, my comrades and I relied on our unyielding determination to admit defeat. When we first took the plane back, in order to ensure the safety of the aircraft's takeoff and landing, the professional backbones worked all night long on the guarantee drawings.
While overcoming each difficulty, we have also accumulated more and more experience in front-line fault analysis, and gradually formed our own "fault tree" and "case library". As actual combat training continues to deepen, the types of tasks performed by "Kunpeng" are becoming more and more diverse, and the difficulty of support is gradually increasing. As the first batch of people to protect "Kunpeng", we believe that in the days of fighting side by side with it and through continuous experience, we will become more and more confident.
Ten years of strengthening the military are also the 10 years of Y-20 from its first flight to its continuous improvement in combat effectiveness. From the first flight of "Kunpeng" to the entry into service of "Kunpeng", from trials to implementation of missions, from "comprehensive preparations" to "ready to fight at any time", what I feel most deeply is: under actual combat training conditions, the tasks performed by the troops have become more and more important. The world is becoming more and more diverse, and the standards of tasks are getting higher and higher. "Ready to fight at any time" has become our combat status. Only by being ready to fight at all times can you be able to fight at any time.
Before each mission, we will accurately estimate the nature of the mission, the materials carried, etc., and make preparations such as aircraft configuration conversion before the order is issued. Therefore, as soon as we receive the order, we can quickly complete the preparations and go out according to the order. In the continuous training of major tasks, our flight training closely follows the actual strategic delivery and joint combat missions of large aircraft, maintenance support has transformed into scientific and intelligent management, and training and research are in a state of "war preparation" at any time.
We always challenge ourselves in drill tasks, and the atmosphere of actual combat is getting stronger and stronger, and our capabilities are getting stronger and stronger. Air strategic delivery has the outstanding advantages of long range and rapidity. On the international stage, a country's strategic projection capability often determines its level of participation in global political and diplomatic affairs. The rapidly developing comprehensive national strength and increasingly expanding national interests have pushed the Chinese Air Force to improve its strategic capabilities to adapt to them.
Focusing on core capabilities and key areas, the People's Air Force has taken solid steps on a new journey of strategic transformation and achieved a historic leap. In particular, the commissioning of the Y-20 aircraft marks that the construction of my country's air force strategic air projection force has entered a new stage. In a series of major operations, we can always see the majestic appearance of "Kunpeng" on plateaus, deserts, and distant seas. "Kunpeng" promptly sent the party's warm care; on the international stage, Yun-20 painted with the Chinese flag continued to appear, demonstrating China's responsibility.
The air transport and mobility support force system being constructed will further enhance our military’s full-territory mobile operations, overseas strategic delivery, and air force’s long-distance arrival and sustained combat capabilities. As national interests expand, the scope of maintenance and security of military power needs to be extended. We firmly believe that with the support of air strategic projection power with the Y-20 as the backbone, the arms of major powers will be able to stretch freely and wave powerfully.