Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 3, Section 3: The First Airline in the Republic of China - Pilot Selection
Instructor Liu's home was outside the school. Because the aviation school was in a remote location and prices were not high, he actually bought a large house for twenty silver dollars.

Looking at this antique-style house, Fang Wen felt a surge of excitement; houses were really cheap these days.

Following Teacher Liu into the main hall of the house, a woman in a cheongsam was sitting at a table of food and wine. Upon seeing the two of them enter, she immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile.

"This is my wife. Come and sit down, and try her cooking. She rarely cooks."

Fang Wen sat down but remained silent. The more enthusiastic the other person became, the more difficult it was for him to respond.

Instructor Liu took out a ceramic bottle, opened it, poured a cup for himself and Fang Wen, and raised his glass.

"This is top-quality Shaoxing rice wine. I heard you're from there, so I specially had a bottle made for you."

In my memory, this body used to drink alcohol, and especially liked yellow wine. The fact that the other party even knew this means something is definitely wrong.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Fang Wen picked up his wine glass and drank with the teacher.

“Teacher, just say what you need to say. I’m your student, there’s no need to be so polite.”

Instructor Liu smiled and nodded, then a hint of melancholy appeared on his face: "This year, your batch is graduating early, and there won't be any arrangements from above, meaning it's impossible for you to stay at the school. Even we have to be transferred to the aviation company to report for duty and do clerical work. I'll just be coasting along at the aviation company. It's a pity for you trainees, especially Fang Wen. You used to keep a low profile, probably hoping to make a name for yourself, but now the higher-ups aren't even giving you a chance. What are you going to do in the future?"

"I do not know either."

Fang Wen looked bewildered; he had never really thought about something like this.

It's only been a little over half a month, and I've barely gotten used to school life, and now I have to find another place to go. It's too sudden.

Seeing Fang Wen's response, Instructor Liu continued, "I have a friend who brought good news. Last year, a civilian airline was established in Nanjing. The Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of China government holds 55% of the shares, while the American aircraft manufacturer Stimson Corporation contributes aircraft and pilots, holding 45%. They built Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai and Minggugong Airport in Nanjing, using Stimson's 'Detroiter' aircraft to operate this short-haul route. In the future, they will also add routes to Beijing and Shanghai, as well as other domestic routes."

After saying so much in one breath, Instructor Liu paused, looked at Fang Wen, and saw that he was sitting upright without any expression. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly that his son was too shrewd. He could even hold back his excellent driving talent until now. He was no ordinary person.

He continued, "Originally, all the pilots were provided by the US, but this time two pilots fell ill and returned to China, so we're a bit short-handed. The Ministry of Transportation has offered to train one of our own pilots. They were originally going to select one from our flight instructors, but I told them about your situation, and they'll send someone over the day after tomorrow to assess you. You can also participate in the selection. What do you say, are you willing?"

Instructor Liu looked at Fang Wen with a smile, waiting for a reply.

Fang Wen's thoughts were racing.

In this era, pilots are a scarce profession, but airplanes are even scarcer.

As is the case at the school, apart from a few old-fashioned trainer aircraft, none of the instructors have ever flown any other type of aircraft.

What can I do if I graduate and leave school in a few months?
It's estimated that local warlords will recruit them, but whether they'll actually get to fly a plane is another matter.

It is now the 19th year of the Republic of China, which is 1930 in the Gregorian calendar.

Next year will be the September 18 Incident, the Northeast will fall to the Japanese, and from then on, China will be plunged into war.

Before that, I need to find a place to go and continue to improve my piloting skills so that I will be able to fly fighter jets and fight the enemy in the air when war breaks out in the future.

Becoming a pilot for China's first civil aviation company is the best career path, offering not only good benefits but also experience piloting new aircraft models.

He raised his glass first.

"Teacher, Fang Wen is willing to participate in the selection. This toast is to you, thank you for your consideration."

Instructor Liu smiled with satisfaction. He did this so that Fang Wen, the flight cadet he had his eye on, would owe him a favor.

Whether it will succeed depends on Fang Wen's own performance.

After one night, the school suspended its teaching activities, and the students had no objections. Taking advantage of the holiday, they went out to play in groups.

"Fang Wen, want to go to the city?" his roommate invited.

"No, I have something to do." Fang Wen was unusually early today, getting up to wash and change into a clean uniform.

"He's probably afraid of getting hit on the head again." Amidst laughter, the other students in the dormitory left one after another.

After putting on his uniform, Fang Wen straightened his clothes in front of the military mirror and headed straight for the school airport.

When he arrived at the airport, the person hadn't come yet, so he simply stood there and waited.

Half an hour later, a group of instructors accompanied a bearded foreigner wearing a trench coat into the airport.

The foreigner was accompanied by a translator, and they communicated as they walked.

When he arrived at Fang Wen's place, he stopped and asked him a question in English.

The translator relayed: "Mr. Schmidt asked, 'Is this the very talented flight cadet?'"

Instructor Liu responded, "Yes, that's him. His name is Fang Wen. He has a strong talent for flying and has performed exceptionally well in actual flight training."

The foreigners looked at the planes, shook their heads, and muttered to themselves.

The translator looked a little embarrassed but didn't know what to say.

Fang Wen, who was standing to the side, could understand English. He understood what Schmidt meant. Schmidt was simply complaining that the school's planes were old and that the trainees were not capable of flying the newer models.

He did not refute this, after all, the teachers standing next to him had now become competitors, and inappropriate words would not only fail to win favor with both sides, but might even cause him to lose this opportunity.

He didn't say anything, but some of the instructors who understood English were displeased by this.

One instructor retorted in English: "Our land of China has experienced many ups and downs. Although we are weak now, we will eventually rise again. Don't underestimate us. Our air force will be established soon."

After saying this, he and his two friends left indignantly.

This left the foreigner completely baffled.

The differences between Eastern and Western cultures are vividly displayed here.

Schmidt is straightforward and speaks his mind; indeed, the quality of this teaching is worrying.

It's understandable that the teacher, with his patriotism in mind, felt indignant at the moment.

Fortunately, the other instructors were mature and explained the situation, which cleared up the misunderstanding.

Next comes the selection process.

Schmidt stated his request.

The translator relayed the information: "This selection is for civil aviation pilots. They are required to have strong learning abilities and be able to fly our company's high-wing, single-engine, six-seat aircraft after training. This type of aircraft is different from your biplane trainer; it is much larger in size, and the flying experience is completely different."

In the explanation of the translation.

A high-wing, single-engine, six-seat aircraft means that it has only one wing on each side and only one engine in the fuselage, and can carry six passengers in addition to the pilot.

Despite only carrying six passengers, this civilian aircraft is already one of the most advanced models currently available, which explains why Schmidt said that.

Teacher Liu, who wasn't participating in the selection process, asked, "Then how will the selection process proceed?"

Schmidt glanced at his watch and answered in English.

The translator continued, "He said the plane would arrive soon and to make sure there were no obstructions on the runway."

"A plane is coming?" Instructor Liu was surprised and quickly found the school's ground staff to clear the runway.

After a while, a roar came from the sky, and a new civilian aircraft landed on the school runway.

(End of this chapter)