Fledgling Eagle Spreads Its Wings

The South China Sea is a body of water in the Western Pacific, located south of the Eastern Great Nation. It is one of the largest, most resource-rich, and busiest sea lanes in the world, stretching for thousands of kilometers and boasting over 460 islands and reefs.

These islands and reefs contain abundant natural resources, including oil, natural gas, and fisheries, and are also important strategic locations.

To protect the interests of the nation and its people, the People's Navy conducts regular patrols here. Of course, many tasks are handled by the Coast Guard. Once their "three-color plastic cloth" is removed, the opposing side will wisely retreat. However, for those unruly elements, the Navy's heavy hitters only intervene when the other side refuses to heed warnings or when the Coast Guard is unable to handle the situation.

It was a clear morning on the deck of Carrier Number One. Aircraft were being prepared for catapult launches. Aircrew worked with ground crew to check the status of the carrier-based aircraft, beginning their daily routine training – continuous takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft, with landings being the utmost priority.

Inside the carrier's captain's cabin, the Captain, a Senior Colonel, opened a folder and began reviewing the documents within.

The folder contained data cards for each cadet. These cadets were the Naval Aviation cadets who would be undergoing Carrier Qualification Certification aboard Ship Number 001 in a few days. It could be said that each one was an elite who had overcome immense challenges, having been continuously filtered out.

As the pages of the folder rustled one after another, Captain Zhang Jun's gaze suddenly stopped on the data of one cadet. The individual's resume and training scores made him pause, and then a slight smile curved his lips:

"An interesting young man."

Meanwhile, in a locker room at a Naval Aviation University.

Click! Click! After fastening the buckles of his anti-gravity suit, Liu Jun reached out and brushed his arm patch, then picked up his helmet and walked out of the locker room. He proceeded down the corridor to the outdoor airfield and finally headed towards the hangar.

Inside the hangar, a domestically produced Mountain Eagle advanced trainer aircraft was undergoing its final pre-flight checks. This aircraft was highly "multi-purpose." As a trainer, it covered a wide range of training, offering good training efficiency, high safety and reliability, and outstanding subsonic and transonic maneuverability at medium and low altitudes. It could complete intermediate, advanced, combat entry, and tactical engagement training missions, as well as proficiency training for operational unit pilots.

Ground crew were inspecting the aircraft's external skin and landing gear, removing covers from the air intake and engine exhaust nozzles, and placing boarding ladders at the front and rear cockpits, awaiting the cadets and instructors to board.

"Instructor Wang."

Liu Jun walked over to the Mountain Eagle. Instructor Wang Yong, who had already changed into his anti-gravity suit, looked at his cadet and nodded, signaling him to board.

"Board the aircraft."

"Yes!"

After climbing the boarding ladder into the cockpit, buckling his seatbelt, and putting on his helmet, the first thing Liu Jun did was check the instruments and ensure there were no foreign objects in the cockpit. He confirmed that all items were secured, and then looked towards Wang Yong, who was below, completing the handover with the ground crew.

After the handover was complete, Wang Yong climbed the boarding ladder and sat in the rear seat. He put on his helmet, adjusted his position, and said softly, "Today is your last training session. Just perform as you normally would."

"Understood."

Liu Jun made a gesture to the ground crew. The ground crew quickly stepped forward, removed the composite rubber wheel chocks, and hurried to a safe area.

He started the engine. The compressor drew air into the engine, high-quality aviation fuel was injected into the combustion chamber and ignited, producing high-temperature gas that drove the turbine blades to rotate, sustaining this process. The engine's whine began, and the hot gas was expelled through the exhaust nozzle.

Gently pushing the throttle forward and releasing the brakes, the Mountain Eagle slowly taxied out of the hangar and proceeded along the road in front of the hangar towards the main runway. From a distance, it looked like a somewhat oddly shaped luxury tricycle, albeit a very expensive one.

"Tomorrow is the daytime Carrier Qualification Certification. For you, there are no issues. Don't put too much pressure on yourself; just perform as usual."

While taxiing, Wang Yong began to chat with Liu Jun. As an instructor, he knew every cadet he trained very well. Becoming a carrier-based aircraft pilot was no simple feat!

Passing a C-vision chart, with uncorrected distant visual acuity of no less than 0.6 in both eyes, and no color blindness, color weakness, or strabismus. This alone eliminated many candidates. Then came nearly 200 medical examinations!

Dozens of psychological tests!

Meeting the admission line for undergraduate studies!

These were merely the qualifications for the initial selection. Subsequently, one would enter the Naval Aviation University to study aviation for four years, during which there was continuous elimination!

The "Little Five" exercises, the rotary centrifuge, the rolling drum... failing to meet the standards could lead to elimination!

From theoretical studies to the physical fitness joint examination and then to the flight training regiment, the journey of learning to fly had only just begun!

From basic trainers to advanced trainers, a passing grade was required before transferring to carrier-based fighter jet flight training. After meeting certain standards, only an "all excellent" rating would allow for Carrier Qualification Certification.

Even after meeting all these conditions, these were just potential candidates. To truly become a carrier-based aircraft pilot, one had to undergo continuous training on the aircraft carrier.

"Why did you choose to undergo certification on Carrier Number One?"

This was something Wang Yong found puzzling. Of the three carriers currently in service, Carrier Number Three was still undergoing sea trials and had not yet been commissioned. Carrier Number Two had the best facilities among the two carriers, as it was built by Ceres after incorporating technology from Carrier Number One, making it more suitable for the Eastern nation's needs. Although Carrier Number One also had combat capability, its foundational limitations capped its potential, and a full refit was less practical than building a new one.

The primary role of Carrier Number One was to train carrier-based aircraft pilots. However, it carried half the number of carrier-based aircraft compared to Carrier Number Two. The choice of which carrier to undergo qualification certification on meant staying on that carrier for a considerable period. Most cadets chose Carrier Number Two.

"Instructor, half the number of carrier-based aircraft means I can double my training volume," Liu Jun stated very seriously.

Wang Yong was amused by his cadet's unconventional thinking. Indeed, due to the issue with its carrier-based aircraft, Carrier Number One had a relatively smaller number of pilots.

"Hey! You rascal, trying to earn extra landing fees, aren't you?" Wang Yong teased.

Although Liu Jun was still a cadet, his military rank was officially Second Lieutenant. His treatment was the same as that of a carrier-based aircraft pilot, but his flight hours and rank were not yet as high, so the landing fees were slightly less, though still substantial.

"Instructor, don't break a man's spirit..." Liu Jun sighed.

At this moment, the Mountain Eagle taxied onto the main runway. Liu Jun lowered the flaps to the takeoff setting and locked the landing gear brakes.

"Control Tower... requesting takeoff."

On the communication channel, Liu Jun requested takeoff clearance from the Control Tower. Soon, the Control Tower responded: Approved!

Upon receiving clearance, Liu Jun pushed the throttle forward, increasing the engine RPM. A piercing whine erupted. Releasing the brakes, the poised Mountain Eagle shot down the runway like a wild horse, its speed continuously increasing. As air flowed over the wings, it became a downwash, providing lift to the aircraft.

When the speed was sufficient, the Mountain Eagle's landing gear lifted off the ground. Liu Jun sharply pulled back on the stick, pushed the throttle to full, and the Mountain Eagle climbed towards the sky at maximum angle of attack.